Remington 870 problem w/pics

jheitertusa · October 10, 2010, 12:46 PM

I bought a Remington brand Mossy Oak stock and forend for my 870 Express Magnum (12 gauge, 2.75" or 3" shells). The gun is about 6 years old. I am having problems getting the forend nut off the front, and am about to just buy the tool made for this purpose. The bigger problem is that on the bottom of the tube assembly, the slot that aligns it with the forend is very narrow, and the groove on the old forend is as well. The replacement has a very wide groove that doesn't look like it will fit the forend assembly, even if I can get the old one seperated.

The new forend and stock are Remington factory, and marked as being for the Remington 870 12 gauge. Am I missing something?

Pics below...

KnightofCydonia · October 10, 2010, 12:49 PM

try some pliers and insert them into the grooves and twist.

jheitertusa · October 10, 2010, 12:58 PM

Quote:

try some pliers and insert them into the grooves and twist.

Tried that, it is on too hard to use pliers without risking damage to the tube. I can just buy the tool, but I don't want to spend the money until I figure out what the deal with the forend is.

Snakedriver · October 10, 2010, 01:35 PM

See if this little film clip helps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il-QkpZVn1w

Here's another:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57V28rLkA0E

VUPDblue · October 10, 2010, 02:14 PM

Buy the tool. It is a handy thing to have if you have an 870.

jheitertusa · October 10, 2010, 02:36 PM

Thanks for the tips everyone, but it is not the nut I am worried about. It is on too hard for the pliers, tried that. I will just buy the tool.

Take a close look at the picture. Look at the difference between the channels on the two forends and the size of the slot on the original tube assembly. They are both Remington factory, but I don't see how the new camo one will fit, since the channels look two wide for the small slot on the original assembly. My 870 is only about 6 years old, are there two different models of forend tube asemblies for 870 12 gauges? Was the new one mislabled? Anyone with an 870 that can take a look at their forend and see if the lands/grooves are small like my original or wide like the replacement?
Thanks for the help guys, just trying to figure this part out...

jheitertusa · October 10, 2010, 05:54 PM

The claw of a typical claw hammer fits perfect, so I didn't have to buy the tool. Got the nut off without any problem that way.

The new forend IS different in that it has the wider "lands," however, I found that they compress to fit the smaller slot on the tube assembly, so it fits. The difference appears that the original forend has the "lands" already sized that way from the factory. Hard to explain, but again, if you examine the two in the pic I posted you will see the difference.

Dfariswheel · October 10, 2010, 07:06 PM

I'm not sure I'd recommend this except as a real emergency, but some people use the 870 bolt slide as a fore end nut tool.

Deerhunter · October 13, 2010, 04:19 PM

@ jheitertusa.......I didn't see anyone answer what you are saying the real problem is. A friend just bought a new 870 and after helping him get it back together I am pretty sure that the forearm guides are different sizes. I just took a look at his last night and didn't have mine with me. I believe that the forearm is longer on the new one and the rails are bigger as well.

Anyone actually know this to be true? Is there a pre (enter year here) model 870 and a post (enter year here) 870?

SoilworK777 · October 13, 2010, 05:55 PM

I work in a sheet metal shop and bent a piece of the appropriate gauge material to 90 degrees. Making the thickness and width properly ensures that it won't slip out of the forend nut. The tools I've seen for sale are too expensive and overkill.

jheitertusa · October 13, 2010, 09:48 PM

@deerhunter:

Both these forearms are the same length, and attach to the same size rails. The difference was on the inside of the forearms, the one that came with my 870 had very narrow "rails" on the inside, whereas the new one had very wide "rails" on the inside. (see pic in original post). I found that the tube assembly still fits in it, it is just a much tighter fit. The wider rail on the inside apparently compressed to fit the narrow tube assembly notch. Everything seems to fit tight, so all is well.

My guess is somewhere along the line, Remington did a redesign on their synthetic forends. It doesn't look like it will fit, but it does.

October 10, 2010, 01:35 PM	#4
Snakedriver Senior Member Join Date: September 3, 2010 Location: SW. Florida Posts: 135	See if this little film clip helps. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=il-QkpZVn1w Here's another: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57V28rLkA0E __________________ Fear is a reaction................Courage is a decision!

October 10, 2010, 02:14 PM	#5
VUPDblue Senior Member Join Date: December 18, 2005 Location: Central Indiana Posts: 1,981	Buy the tool. It is a handy thing to have if you have an 870. __________________ Silencers have NEVER been illegal !

October 10, 2010, 05:54 PM	#7
jheitertusa Senior Member Join Date: March 19, 2002 Location: Indiana Posts: 119	...got it done. The claw of a typical claw hammer fits perfect, so I didn't have to buy the tool. Got the nut off without any problem that way. The new forend IS different in that it has the wider "lands," however, I found that they compress to fit the smaller slot on the tube assembly, so it fits. The difference appears that the original forend has the "lands" already sized that way from the factory. Hard to explain, but again, if you examine the two in the pic I posted you will see the difference.

October 13, 2010, 04:19 PM	#9
Deerhunter Senior Member Join Date: April 15, 2009 Location: Northern VA Posts: 607	@ jheitertusa.......I didn't see anyone answer what you are saying the real problem is. A friend just bought a new 870 and after helping him get it back together I am pretty sure that the forearm guides are different sizes. I just took a look at his last night and didn't have mine with me. I believe that the forearm is longer on the new one and the rails are bigger as well. Anyone actually know this to be true? Is there a pre (enter year here) model 870 and a post (enter year here) 870? __________________ My idea of fast food is a mallard. -Ted Nugent

October 10, 2010, 12:49 PM	#2
KnightofCydonia Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2009 Posts: 219	try some pliers and insert them into the grooves and twist.

October 10, 2010, 02:36 PM	#6
jheitertusa Senior Member Join Date: March 19, 2002 Location: Indiana Posts: 119	Thanks for the tips everyone, but it is not the nut I am worried about. It is on too hard for the pliers, tried that. I will just buy the tool. Take a close look at the picture. Look at the difference between the channels on the two forends and the size of the slot on the original tube assembly. They are both Remington factory, but I don't see how the new camo one will fit, since the channels look two wide for the small slot on the original assembly. My 870 is only about 6 years old, are there two different models of forend tube asemblies for 870 12 gauges? Was the new one mislabled? Anyone with an 870 that can take a look at their forend and see if the lands/grooves are small like my original or wide like the replacement? Thanks for the help guys, just trying to figure this part out...

October 10, 2010, 07:06 PM	#8
Dfariswheel Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2001 Posts: 7,478	I'm not sure I'd recommend this except as a real emergency, but some people use the 870 bolt slide as a fore end nut tool.

October 13, 2010, 05:55 PM	#10
SoilworK777 Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2009 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 247	I work in a sheet metal shop and bent a piece of the appropriate gauge material to 90 degrees. Making the thickness and width properly ensures that it won't slip out of the forend nut. The tools I've seen for sale are too expensive and overkill.

October 13, 2010, 09:48 PM	#11
jheitertusa Senior Member Join Date: March 19, 2002 Location: Indiana Posts: 119	@deerhunter: Both these forearms are the same length, and attach to the same size rails. The difference was on the inside of the forearms, the one that came with my 870 had very narrow "rails" on the inside, whereas the new one had very wide "rails" on the inside. (see pic in original post). I found that the tube assembly still fits in it, it is just a much tighter fit. The wider rail on the inside apparently compressed to fit the narrow tube assembly notch. Everything seems to fit tight, so all is well. My guess is somewhere along the line, Remington did a redesign on their synthetic forends. It doesn't look like it will fit, but it does.