My 870 story

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Hirsch_Creek

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Hello shotgunners and fellow nutters.
Last June my best friend passed in a car accident at the age of 27. Him and I got into shooting and hunting together when we were round about 15, 16 years old and been shootin together ever since. He bought a remy 870 express which we played with for years shooting anything from clays to grouse. After he passed his family gave me this shotgun, they knew what it meant to me. I've just recently got the courage to take it out of my safe to really inspect, even shoot it without breaking into tears.
I took it to the range with a box of clays 2 weeks ago to see if she still worked the same. First few rounds were good, aim point dead on and chewing through clays. After a maybe 10 blasts I tryed to pump to eject and the chamber got stuck halfway open, extractor grabbed the shell but I could not move the slide. I had to slam the butt into the ground and finally the chamber opened and the shell ejected. The rim of the shell had a chunk taken out of it. This happened several times before I gave up. My first thought was the claw extractor, so I replaced it with new one I ordered. No change...still the same. After inspecting the gun I noticed the extractor is sort of sitting cockeyed in the bolt. Could it be the internals of the bolt? Extractor spring looked fine too. I know I could grab a new 870 for cheap but this one means the world to me and I want to be able to have it fully operational again. Any info on what my issue may be would be greatly appreciated.
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I think the shell is getting lodged/stuck in the chamber. These 870 express have terrible unpolished chambers. Using cheap ammo (low metal, aluminum base) will do that. This tends to happen when the gun warms up and the chamber swells, and is warm enough to slightly swell the cheap shell.
Seems to me the extractor is working fine. My 0.02 c.
 
Only cheap Winchester Universal hulls give 870s headaches. Regardless metal rim type or height.
Shells of the same base construction function fine. (Federal, Remington etc)
 
First,let's start with obvious. Was this with new or old ammo? How does the gun cycle when unloaded? After being fired are spent shells "hanging up" from bulging in the chamber? Have you disassembled the gun to check for interior damage? From your pictures,the extractor looks identical to mine(Ihave two,an Express and a Wingmaster Mag.) and they're working fine. Remingtons are persnickity when fed different brands of ammo. I suggest changing ammo brand and if the problem persists,take it to a gunsmith.
 
Ammo was older, shot the same stuff for years in this gun without issue. One shell did get completely stuck in the chamber after firing and the extractor just ripped through the rim. I had to poke it out from the barrel side. Maybe gunsmith is the key here to save me a headache or two. What's the best way to polish the chamber, I'll try that.
 
wbaad said:
That's quite boring.
Maybe try cleaning it and cycling snap caps if you have them.

Check and make sure the barrel is installed correctly and mag cap is finger tight.
Does it cycle fine empty?
How old is the gun?
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I tightened the mag cap way more than finger tight because if I didn't the barrel was twisting around...it does cycle freely when these is no shell inside. The gun is 10 years of age roughly.
 
Hirsch_Creek said:
Ammo was older, shot the same stuff for years in this gun without issue. One shell did get completely stuck in the chamber after firing and the extractor just ripped through the rim. I had to poke it out from the barrel side.
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Did this occur primarily with the red Winchester shell?
 
Sound either ammo or barrel related. Lots or reports of the Winchester shells sticking.
I've chucked a bronze cleaning brush in a drill and ran it in and out of the chamber(barrel removed) to clean the junk out.
 
EL34/6L6 said:
Did this occur primarily with the red Winchester shell?
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I honestly can not remember EL, chance is 50/50 I had both shells in a bag, grabbing at random. But you were saying the Winchesters tend to stick more often in the barrel? Maybe barrel polish is my best starting point here, I still have about 300 rounds of win universal target rounds I'd like to use with it....
 
wbaad said:
Sound either ammo or barrel related. Lots or reports of the Winchester shells sticking.
I've chucked a bronze cleaning brush in a drill and ran it in and out of the chamber(barrel removed) to clean the junk out.
Click to expand...

Thanks I'll give it a try with the polish method you describe
 
Hirsch_Creek said:
I honestly can not remember EL, chance is 50/50 I had both shells in a bag, grabbing at random. But you were saying the Winchesters tend to stick more often in the barrel? Maybe barrel polish is my best starting point here, I still have about 300 rounds of win universal target rounds I'd like to use with it....
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I hear ya. I do suspect the Winchester ammo is the culprit though.
Do you have another shotgun you can use up the Winchester shells with?
300 rounds is alot, so a chamber polishing isn't a bad idea. I personally solved my same issue by not using that ammo in that gun any more. I have a few hundred rounds of it still, but I have other brands of shotguns that I use it with.
 
Hirsch_Creek said:
Ammo was older, shot the same stuff for years in this gun without issue. One shell did get completely stuck in the chamber after firing and the extractor just ripped through the rim. I had to poke it out from the barrel side. Maybe gunsmith is the key here to save me a headache or two. What's the best way to polish the chamber, I'll try that.
Click to expand...

Pop the barrel off and use some fine grit wet and dry paper wrapped around your finger or a drill and a flapwheel like I did. Wash thoroughly and reassemble.
 
EL34/6L6 said:
I hear ya. I do suspect the Winchester ammo is the culprit though.
Do you have another shotgun you can use up the Winchester shells with?
300 rounds is alot, so a chamber polishing isn't a bad idea. I personally solved my same issue by not using that ammo in that gun any more. I have a few hundred rounds of it still, but I have other brands of shotguns that I use it with.
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I regret buying this Walmart crap now.. I do have an m2 and a supernova for hunting purposes, maybe I'll jam the loads through the Nova for clay practice and be done with buying Universals once and for all. Any clay/range ammo that is relatively cheap you suggest for the 870? Federal?
 
Hirsch_Creek said:
I regret buying this Walmart crap now.. I do have an m2 and a supernova for hunting purposes, maybe I'll jam the loads through the Nova for clay practice and be done with buying Universals once and for all. Any clay/range ammo that is relatively cheap you suggest for the 870? Federal?
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I use Challenger, Score, Federal and Remington brand 7.5 target loads in my 870. They are $7.50-$8.00 a box.
 
Sorry to hear about your buddy's death. A bit of a polish will likely do the trick as suggested.
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