Pump shotguns and cold weather - Page 2

grubbylabs · January 10, 2010, 04:14 PM

There was more burnt powder residue in mine than you could shake a stick at. I usually go fairly thin on the oil just to keep it from building up junk.

igor · January 10, 2010, 08:44 PM

+1 for most of the above - keep it clean and dry, only the lightest of light lube in the most critical spots. Think when to bring your gun in from the cold and when not to. I've ran my Winchester 1300 in several events at around -30 Celsius with no problem.

mwar410 · January 10, 2010, 10:10 PM

never had a pump gun malfunction in cold weather, just operator.

Dave McC · January 12, 2010, 08:54 PM

Md doesn't get THAT cold, but it tries at times.

I've stood in swamps during the late season and watched rain turn into ice on the 870 I was holding more than once. No glitches.

Same with goose blinds, on days when sane folks stayed indoors.

The coldest hunt I can recall saw record wind chills of minus something. The shotgun worked, and I warmed up dressing and dragging a freezer trophy.

NightSleeper · January 13, 2010, 01:33 PM

Gets so cold here in WI during the hunting season that I need big gloves or mittens to keep my hands functional. That basically makes a pump gun useless, which is why all my hunting shotguns are semi-auto. Pump action for HD though.

TimT · January 13, 2010, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Gets so cold here in WI during the hunting season that I need big gloves or mittens to keep my hands functional. That basically makes a pump gun useless, which is why all my hunting shotguns are semi-auto.

I'm sure it does get more chilly there than here, but when it is below zero here, I wear wool mittens (the fold back kind, with cut off fingers inside) with no issues.

I keep my pump hand fully mittened, and I have practiced to be able to get my trigger finger out quickly enough that I don't feel it is a hinderance to me. (At least, not too much of one not to use.) It does slow me up a bit, but maybe by a second. I've never not been able to take a shot I would have otherwise been able to take because of the mittens.

The wool does a good job of gripping the wood of the gun - much better than any other type of material I have tried.

NightSleeper · January 14, 2010, 09:44 AM

I forgot to mention that I also wear so many layers of clothing that my pump hand can only reach the very end of the pump, making it even more difficult to operate.

I admit it ... although I was born up here I'm a total wimp when it comes to the cold

Anyway, that's the reason why I went with semi-autos and never looked back.

Dave McC · January 14, 2010, 07:58 PM

Nightsleeper, the sporting shotguns I use most of the time are long in the stock to match my over sized physique.

LOP on my clays gun is about 15 1/8", and the 870 I use for most wingshooting has been extended to 15".

But the 870 I use from a coffin blind or pit when I'm wearing everything I brought and wishing for more has a standard length stock of maybeso 14 1/4".

That works better then and there. Especially when I have to sit up in a layout and shoot.

Not new. I've seen old Model 11s used by market hunters on MD's Eastern Shore back when that was an honorable profession. Most had shortened stocks and I doubt they were all pixies.

bez44870 · December 27, 2010, 03:27 PM

sorry to bring back an old thread but i had a problem yesterday with my rem 870 super mag 12ga froze up on me twice yesterday. the temps was about 9 deg. out with wind chill, wind was cranking and powder snow was blowing quite abit. first the shot that was in the chamber fired and ejected, but when i pumped it the last two stayed in the barrel. i pumped it a few times and gun started cycling again. about 45 mins later froze to the point of firing pin froze and would not fire the live shell in the chamber. i thawed it out and gun cycled perfectly. my 870 was bought brand new on oct 15th of this year and i dont abuse the gun in any way shape or form, and clean it regularly. what can i use to make sure this dosn't happen again. both times it froze up i lost my chances at the only 2 groups of geese that came in to my deeks.

TimT · December 27, 2010, 04:06 PM

Bez, drier is better when it is cold out. Sounds like a lot of lube gummed stuff up.

bez44870 · December 27, 2010, 04:10 PM

i also heard that remoil is known for freezing up can anyone back that up also. i am willing to change to WHATEVER works better

razo · December 28, 2010, 02:32 PM

"i also heard that remoil is known for freezing up can anyone back that up also. i am willing to change to WHATEVER works better"

I have tried Remoil, too thick for the innards of a firearm in cold weather, I have used it for the final wipe down on the barrels and receivers of some rifles/shotguns in the past but now strictly use clp.

bez44870-you may also want to consider the fact that your 870 has barely seen 3 months of use and may still need more of a break in period-you also stated you have cleaned it quite frequently in the same amount of time. Try to get at least a bare mininum of 100 rds through that thing before worrying if something is wrong-Ive owned 2 supermags and had a few "hiccups" with them until I had put some rounds through them, you will be able to tell a difference once that shotguns starts to break in-sounds to me like your problem might be your shotgun just needs some more break in combined with maybe you are overcleaning(excessive lube).

razo

bez44870 · December 29, 2010, 10:12 AM

i clean it on an average of every 25 rounds if i am out hunting (few times of going, plus i use black cloud ammo which i am told it is great ammo but burns a bit dirty) or if i am shooting skeet every time cause i shoot about 100 rounds on average. another reason i clean it more frequently is i do alot of marsh hunting (untill water freezes up in ohio) and i just want to make sure this gun is gonna last and not rust up due to hunting conditions. this is my first gun i own and second year hunting so there is alot of stuff i dont know at this point and to all that commented i greatly appreciate the input.

publius · December 30, 2010, 02:28 PM

Only time I've ever seen it is duck hunting in very cold weather when a good amount of water has frozen on the gun. Even then, when it was shot a light smack of the butt on the ground broke it free.

mathman · January 1, 2011, 05:17 AM

Perhaps at absolute zero pumps will begin to fail???

Everybody knows that pumps always work...right?

Deja vu · January 1, 2011, 06:57 PM

I have duck/goose hunted in Idaho at -25f and my 870 had no problem.

January 10, 2010, 04:14 PM	#26
grubbylabs Senior Member Join Date: October 11, 2009 Location: Hansen Idaho Posts: 1,465	There was more burnt powder residue in mine than you could shake a stick at. I usually go fairly thin on the oil just to keep it from building up junk. Last edited by grubbylabs; January 10, 2010 at 09:06 PM.

January 10, 2010, 08:44 PM	#27
igor Senior Member Join Date: August 27, 2002 Location: Kalifornistan Posts: 155	+1 for most of the above - keep it clean and dry, only the lightest of light lube in the most critical spots. Think when to bring your gun in from the cold and when not to. I've ran my Winchester 1300 in several events at around -30 Celsius with no problem. __________________ Good karateka I have known were intelligent, original, capable, unpredictable, aggressive, brave, and dangerous. Most had a dark side. Daily practice for decades at hurting other people does not make liberals. John Farnam quoting a friend, Feb. 2004

January 13, 2010, 01:33 PM	#30
NightSleeper Senior Member Join Date: April 6, 2008 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 449	Gets so cold here in WI during the hunting season that I need big gloves or mittens to keep my hands functional. That basically makes a pump gun useless, which is why all my hunting shotguns are semi-auto. Pump action for HD though. __________________ *I have rounds yet to fire before I sleep ...*

January 14, 2010, 09:44 AM	#32
NightSleeper Senior Member Join Date: April 6, 2008 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 449	I forgot to mention that I also wear so many layers of clothing that my pump hand can only reach the very end of the pump, making it even more difficult to operate. I admit it ... although I was born up here I'm a total wimp when it comes to the cold Anyway, that's the reason why I went with semi-autos and never looked back. __________________ *I have rounds yet to fire before I sleep ...*

December 27, 2010, 03:27 PM	#34
bez44870 Junior Member Join Date: December 27, 2010 Posts: 3	freeze up sorry to bring back an old thread but i had a problem yesterday with my rem 870 super mag 12ga froze up on me twice yesterday. the temps was about 9 deg. out with wind chill, wind was cranking and powder snow was blowing quite abit. first the shot that was in the chamber fired and ejected, but when i pumped it the last two stayed in the barrel. i pumped it a few times and gun started cycling again. about 45 mins later froze to the point of firing pin froze and would not fire the live shell in the chamber. i thawed it out and gun cycled perfectly. my 870 was bought brand new on oct 15th of this year and i dont abuse the gun in any way shape or form, and clean it regularly. what can i use to make sure this dosn't happen again. both times it froze up i lost my chances at the only 2 groups of geese that came in to my deeks.

January 10, 2010, 10:10 PM	#28
mwar410 Senior Member Join Date: December 25, 2008 Location: maine Posts: 234	never had a pump gun malfunction in cold weather, just operator.

January 12, 2010, 08:54 PM	#29
Dave McC Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 13, 1999 Location: Columbia, Md, USA Posts: 8,811	Md doesn't get THAT cold, but it tries at times. I've stood in swamps during the late season and watched rain turn into ice on the 870 I was holding more than once. No glitches. Same with goose blinds, on days when sane folks stayed indoors. The coldest hunt I can recall saw record wind chills of minus something. The shotgun worked, and I warmed up dressing and dragging a freezer trophy.

January 14, 2010, 07:58 PM	#33
Dave McC Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 13, 1999 Location: Columbia, Md, USA Posts: 8,811	Nightsleeper, the sporting shotguns I use most of the time are long in the stock to match my over sized physique. LOP on my clays gun is about 15 1/8", and the 870 I use for most wingshooting has been extended to 15". But the 870 I use from a coffin blind or pit when I'm wearing everything I brought and wishing for more has a standard length stock of maybeso 14 1/4". That works better then and there. Especially when I have to sit up in a layout and shoot. Not new. I've seen old Model 11s used by market hunters on MD's Eastern Shore back when that was an honorable profession. Most had shortened stocks and I doubt they were all pixies.

December 27, 2010, 04:06 PM	#35
TimT Senior Member Join Date: March 6, 2009 Location: Iowa Posts: 147	Bez, drier is better when it is cold out. Sounds like a lot of lube gummed stuff up.

December 27, 2010, 04:10 PM	#36
bez44870 Junior Member Join Date: December 27, 2010 Posts: 3	i also heard that remoil is known for freezing up can anyone back that up also. i am willing to change to WHATEVER works better

December 28, 2010, 02:32 PM	#37
razo Junior Member Join Date: October 6, 2010 Posts: 6	"i also heard that remoil is known for freezing up can anyone back that up also. i am willing to change to WHATEVER works better" I have tried Remoil, too thick for the innards of a firearm in cold weather, I have used it for the final wipe down on the barrels and receivers of some rifles/shotguns in the past but now strictly use clp. bez44870-you may also want to consider the fact that your 870 has barely seen 3 months of use and may still need more of a break in period-you also stated you have cleaned it quite frequently in the same amount of time. Try to get at least a bare mininum of 100 rds through that thing before worrying if something is wrong-Ive owned 2 supermags and had a few "hiccups" with them until I had put some rounds through them, you will be able to tell a difference once that shotguns starts to break in-sounds to me like your problem might be your shotgun just needs some more break in combined with maybe you are overcleaning(excessive lube). razo Last edited by razo; December 28, 2010 at 02:40 PM.

December 29, 2010, 10:12 AM	#38
bez44870 Junior Member Join Date: December 27, 2010 Posts: 3	i clean it on an average of every 25 rounds if i am out hunting (few times of going, plus i use black cloud ammo which i am told it is great ammo but burns a bit dirty) or if i am shooting skeet every time cause i shoot about 100 rounds on average. another reason i clean it more frequently is i do alot of marsh hunting (untill water freezes up in ohio) and i just want to make sure this gun is gonna last and not rust up due to hunting conditions. this is my first gun i own and second year hunting so there is alot of stuff i dont know at this point and to all that commented i greatly appreciate the input.

December 30, 2010, 02:28 PM	#39
publius Senior Member Join Date: January 25, 2005 Location: Mississippi/Texas Posts: 2,505	Only time I've ever seen it is duck hunting in very cold weather when a good amount of water has frozen on the gun. Even then, when it was shot a light smack of the butt on the ground broke it free. __________________ "Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress, but I repeat myself." Mark Twain

January 1, 2011, 05:17 AM	#40
mathman Senior Member Join Date: January 15, 2005 Location: SoCal Posts: 1,531	Perhaps at absolute zero pumps will begin to fail??? Everybody knows that pumps always work...right? __________________ Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear to be bright until you hear them speak.

January 1, 2011, 06:57 PM	#41
Deja vu Senior Member Join Date: March 14, 2010 Location: Border of Idaho & Montana Posts: 2,584	I have duck/goose hunted in Idaho at -25f and my 870 had no problem. __________________ Shot placement is everything! I would rather take a round of 50BMG to the foot than a 22short to the base of the skull. all 26 of my guns are 45/70 govt, 357 mag, 22 or 12 ga... I believe in keeping it simple. Wish my wife did as well...