11-87 question

[eldermike]

I have an 11-87 with a short barrel and scope that I have used once in 15 years for deer hunting. It's a beautiful shotgun and I want to make it more useful for my purposes.

11-87 barrels are expensive but so are new shotguns, so I will bite the bullet and purchase a 28 inch vent rib barrel with rem choke.

My question:

Remington parts catalog says the new barrel requires Gas Cyl spring number 93498. And there is no part so named in any of the exploded views of an 11-87. What are they talking about?

[jmr40]

I'd look real hard at what I could get out of it by selling it, and buying another gun. Probably not much more than adding another barrel, maybe less. Especially if you have to start replacing other parts. The guns with short slug and turkey barrels are not designed for light loads. I always thought the difference was only in the gas ports on the barrels. If other parts need replacing then trading or selling starts looking better to me.

There have been lots of improvements in shotguns in the last 15 years. There are better options than an 11-87 available now.

[eldermike]

Thanks for the suggestion.

[Virginian]

Nothing wrong with an 11-87. The slug barrels do not usually incorporate the gas relief system that allows 2-3/4" and 3" shells to be used, and that is what that spring that slips over the barrel hanger/gas ring and covers the gas relief ports is for. You can see it on the schematic, but it isn't labelled. There are good used barrels on eBay all the time, and 99.9% of them already have the spring on them. If you figure out how to sell your gun and get another one for less than an extra barrel, have at it, but I would get a barrel.

[Hillshooter]

I agree. Get the spring and a remchoke barrel and enjoy one of the best shotguns out there.

[charlie in md]

Found it. It is on page 16 of the 11-87 instruction manual. It is the part that snaps into the ring that houses the gas ports on the underside of the barrel. I believe the spring expands to meter off pressure from higher power loads. The slug barrel may not have one as it was assumed that one would only shoot slugs from it.

http://pdf.textfiles.com/manuals/FIR..._1100-1187.pdf

[Virginian]

BTW, I have seen a lot of problems where people have taken that spring off to clean the ports and slightly sprung it, and thereafter the gun would not function well with lighter loads. Remington cautions against that in the manual, but it's about like the texting and driving admonition.

[eldermike]

Thanks for the help all, it helped me decide. I am keeping my gun and adding a barrel. I also read somewhere that the 11-87 was less sensitive/temperamental than the 1100. My deer barrel is a rem choke barrel, it will cycle target loads just fine.

[charlie in md]

I have close to 18K rounds through mine, and have had no trouble with it. I have repaced the action spring with one from Surecycle, and my gun consistently cycles 7/8 oz target reloads.

[eldermike]

Mine is a premier and the wood is beautiful, the fit of wood to metal is close to perfect and the metal is beautiful in finish.

[Virginian]

Good decision, but no way is an 11-87 less temperamental than an 1100. It is more flexible, having 2-3/4" and 3" capability without any changes. An 11-87 is really just a tweaked 1100; 99% of the parts are the same.

[johnwilliamson062]

Nothing wrong with an 11-87.

The problem is the barrels are ridiculously expensive and there is a very limited used market.
Even Corson's only has three 12 ga right hand barrels in stock. All more or less deer barrels.

[Virginian]

Go price Beretta or Benelli parts and then tell me how ridiculously expensive Remington barrels are. eBay has become the place for barrels it would appear, but GunBroker and GunsAmerica also have some. The most realistic prices on used barrels, in my opinion, are SOME of the ones on GunBroker. A lot of people are looking to get rich quick in the current environment.
I just checked and there are several good ones on Gun Broker.

[eldermike]

Got the new barrel today as promised. It came with a gas cylinder spring that I installed per instructions from my phone call to Remington. I was told it will cycle 1 1/8 oz 2 3/4 inch without issue. The barrel is marked 2 3/4 and 3 inch.

I plan to do some pattern test with it this weekend but I already suspect that next I will need to drop the comb. Comparing sight picture with my Citori its going to shoot high with a natural hold. If that dosnt make sense I am having trouble getting down to a flat plane on the vent rib. I could be wrong but the paper will tell.

[Virginian]

One reason you don't see that many 11-87 barrels, or as many of any barrels for any gun of more recent manufacture, is choke tubes. Before choke tubes, many of us, who HATE PolyChoke type devices, bought different barrels with different chokes for different uses. Along with the introduction of the 11-87, Remington also introduced RemChokes. Thereafter there has been much less demand for extra barrels in general. People may add a deer or shorter HD barrel, or add a long barrel on a deer gun, but they don't buy a RemChoked barrel and sell the old fixed barrel like so many have done with older 1100s. I have 11 barrels for 6 Remingtons, now, and at least one for each gun has choke tubes. I used to have a lot of barrels.

[eldermike]

Virginian, I really like the remchokes, I think they are more consistent than the older fixed chokes.

Have one additional question for the house:

The gas cylinder covers two gas ports in the gas cylinder. I was told that you have to cover the holes for the gun to function. So why are those holes there in the first place?

[Virginian]

To relieve the excess gas with heavy loads so the bolt doesn't hammer the receiver. You need the spring to hold in the gasses with light loads.

[eldermike]

Shot the gun this weekend. Perfect with 1 and 1 1/8 oz target loads, no issues or feeding problems.

The high comb is a non issue, it makes dust out of clays.

Very happy with my decision.

[charlie in md]

You take care of it, it will serve you well for a long time.

[Panfisher]

The worst thing about my old 11-87 is that it is an ammo hog, or maybe I just like to shoot it. buy plenty of ammo, keep he gas system clean and never look back.