How much lube in tube?

breakingcontact · November 22, 2012, 11:11 PM

Identified that my follower in a semi auto gas gun is catching on the magazine extension. Only happens when loading but pretty often. Not while shooting, it runs perfectly once loaded.

So how much do you lube your follower and magazine tube/extension? Oil or grease?

Do followers need their sharp edges rounded off sometimes? Also inside the mag extension is a sharp edge. I can understand how the sharp edge on the follower meeting the sharp edge on the magazine extension.

TheKlawMan · November 23, 2012, 01:44 AM

What model semi is it. I have a similar problem with a pump action 870 with an extension. How many shells (2-3/4) can you feed before they hang up. For me it is the 5th, which is one more than the four the tube takes without the extension.

This may fix your problem. http://www.aiptactical.com/Page_2.html Scroll down to part about tube extensions.

Virginian · November 23, 2012, 08:57 AM

Lube is not the answer. You need to remove that lip, or bevel the back end of your follower, or get one that already is beveled..

breakingcontact · November 23, 2012, 09:33 PM

930 SPX

Quote:

You need to remove that lip, or bevel the back end of your follower.

Spent most of the afternoon doing this. Reduced failure to load to capacity to about 1 out of 10 tries. Still not satisfied. But agree it's not a lube problem.

MarkCO · November 23, 2012, 09:48 PM

Never put lube in the magazine tube. The Nordic low drag followers will help some shotguns with hang-ups in the tube. Best bet is fix the offending edges inside the tube. In many cases, tubes are damaged due to clamps, over tightening threads or smacking the tube. Get rid of the edge and you will be better off.

TheKlawMan · November 23, 2012, 10:10 PM

I am learning something here. I wondered how the leading edge of a shot shell's crimp could be hanging up on anything and couldn't see how that could happen. Now I see that the problem isn't the shell but the lip of the follower. I still have the orange plastic follower that the 870 came with. I will take a look at it and see if it appears to have been marked up by the lip of the either the magazine extension or the magazine tube coupling. I might borrow a trick from the dentist and paint that edge of my follower with some white paint to better see if it is hanging up on anything.

TheKlawMan · November 25, 2012, 03:25 PM

I took a close look at my 870 to see what may be causing problems with loading the extra two rounds that it should take with the Remington 2 round factory extension on an 18.5" barrel. Your mileage may differ, especially with a different gun or brand extension.

Some noted potential causes are (first three all involve a gap):

(1) a loose extension (just backed off a hair creating a gap for the edge of the follower to catch in if it is even slightly angled), this is unlikely to happen if you extension has a barrel clamp,

(2) failure to tighten the extension down all the way during assembly abd cause the gap,

(3) catching of the follower spring in between the extension and the
magazine collar during assembly (the spring may release during loading and leave the dreaded gap,

(4) a dent in the leading edge of the extension (mine has one that JD at AIP Tactical thought may be a problem. It is ever so slight but the edge protrudes inwards and could be catching on the follower, and/or

(5) a bad follower. (My OEM follower is made of teflon like material. It has minute rough spots in the end pointing towards the muzzle that may have been caused by catching on something. Possible a harder materail wouldn't catch. A fix may be to cut a bevel in the lip so the folloer tends to over ride anything it may catch upon. As designed, it is beveled just the opposite apparently so the sping doesn't catch on the lip of the follower. All references to the follower are to the open end inside of which the spring rests.) I thing I will just get a Wolf follower.

If I am wrong, tell me. I can see why Remington went to a solid extended tube for tactical models. If you want a dedicated tactical gun, say you are a LEO, that is the way to go. I like to be able to use it with either a field or security barrel.

November 22, 2012, 11:11 PM	#1
breakingcontact Junior member Join Date: October 25, 2012 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 736	How much lube in tube? Identified that my follower in a semi auto gas gun is catching on the magazine extension. Only happens when loading but pretty often. Not while shooting, it runs perfectly once loaded. So how much do you lube your follower and magazine tube/extension? Oil or grease? Do followers need their sharp edges rounded off sometimes? Also inside the mag extension is a sharp edge. I can understand how the sharp edge on the follower meeting the sharp edge on the magazine extension.

November 23, 2012, 09:48 PM	#5
MarkCO Senior Member Join Date: October 21, 1998 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 4,307	Never put lube in the magazine tube. The Nordic low drag followers will help some shotguns with hang-ups in the tube. Best bet is fix the offending edges inside the tube. In many cases, tubes are damaged due to clamps, over tightening threads or smacking the tube. Get rid of the edge and you will be better off. __________________ Good Shooting, MarkCO www.CarbonArms.us

November 25, 2012, 03:25 PM	#7
TheKlawMan Junior member Join Date: June 23, 2009 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 2,149	I took a close look at my 870 to see what may be causing problems with loading the extra two rounds that it should take with the Remington 2 round factory extension on an 18.5" barrel. Your mileage may differ, especially with a different gun or brand extension. Some noted potential causes are (first three all involve a gap): (1) a loose extension (just backed off a hair creating a gap for the edge of the follower to catch in if it is even slightly angled), this is unlikely to happen if you extension has a barrel clamp, (2) failure to tighten the extension down all the way during assembly abd cause the gap, (3) catching of the follower spring in between the extension and the magazine collar during assembly (the spring may release during loading and leave the dreaded gap, (4) a dent in the leading edge of the extension (mine has one that JD at AIP Tactical thought may be a problem. It is ever so slight but the edge protrudes inwards and could be catching on the follower, and/or (5) a bad follower. (My OEM follower is made of teflon like material. It has minute rough spots in the end pointing towards the muzzle that may have been caused by catching on something. Possible a harder materail wouldn't catch. A fix may be to cut a bevel in the lip so the folloer tends to over ride anything it may catch upon. As designed, it is beveled just the opposite apparently so the sping doesn't catch on the lip of the follower. All references to the follower are to the open end inside of which the spring rests.) I thing I will just get a Wolf follower. If I am wrong, tell me. I can see why Remington went to a solid extended tube for tactical models. If you want a dedicated tactical gun, say you are a LEO, that is the way to go. I like to be able to use it with either a field or security barrel. Last edited by TheKlawMan; November 25, 2012 at 05:00 PM.

November 23, 2012, 01:44 AM	#2
TheKlawMan Junior member Join Date: June 23, 2009 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 2,149	What model semi is it. I have a similar problem with a pump action 870 with an extension. How many shells (2-3/4) can you feed before they hang up. For me it is the 5th, which is one more than the four the tube takes without the extension. This may fix your problem. http://www.aiptactical.com/Page_2.html Scroll down to part about tube extensions.

November 23, 2012, 08:57 AM	#3
Virginian Senior Member Join Date: February 11, 2012 Location: Williamsburg, Va. Posts: 1,528	Lube is not the answer. You need to remove that lip, or bevel the back end of your follower, or get one that already is beveled..

November 23, 2012, 10:10 PM	#6
TheKlawMan Junior member Join Date: June 23, 2009 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 2,149	I am learning something here. I wondered how the leading edge of a shot shell's crimp could be hanging up on anything and couldn't see how that could happen. Now I see that the problem isn't the shell but the lip of the follower. I still have the orange plastic follower that the 870 came with. I will take a look at it and see if it appears to have been marked up by the lip of the either the magazine extension or the magazine tube coupling. I might borrow a trick from the dentist and paint that edge of my follower with some white paint to better see if it is hanging up on anything.