Help: 870 Police hanging after firing

0faustus0

0faustus0

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I have this nice blued Remington 870 Police and that I bought brand new a couple of years back (2019) …. I love the gun … but it has had one issue since day one and when I first took it out to the range. At first this was not a big deal …. but lately and practicing quite a bit more with my 870s … this issue is starting to annoy me …. :-(

During dry firing and cycling the gun with dummy rounds the gun functions flawlessly.

However, when shooting “life” ammunition and under recoil … the action bars lock up after each shot … and so that the gun cannot be cycled. I have to release the backward pressure on the forearm/action bars for a split second…. or move the forearm/action bars forward one millimeter …. and then the gun will cycle smoothly.

So, something is locking up the action with backward pressure on the forend … and it only happens after firing a life round and under recoil. And non of my other 870s have that issue.

All my other 870s release the action bars immediately after firing. Firing and cycling is one smooth action. But with this gun …. it is firing … racking forward and then backwards …. :-(

Has anybody encountered this issue before? If yes, what was the fix?


p.s.:

1.) I bought this gun brand new … and yes I changed the stock, … got ghost ring sights installed … and a mag extension blued and added. The internals are all original as it came from the factory (except for a Timney trigger and a oversized safety), and the gun had this issue from day one when I took it to the range for the first time ... and with the factory plain wood stock installed and just a bead sight.

2.) Please don’t tell me to polish the chamber …. please ... :rolleyes:

p.s.s:

The issue happens with all kinds of ammo .... all brands, Challenger, Winchester, Federal, Kent, Hornady, etc. ... and it does not matter if I shoot buckshot, birdshot, steel shot, or slugs. This issue has nothing to do with the ammo, sticky extraction or a rough chamber ....
 
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Let the gun cool for about 15 minutes after firing and see if it is then ok and cycles as it should. Do that first before getting any deeper. If no change and
newer than 1987 burrs are common and will also do this. if you have other 870's as you say switch the bolt and bars etc and see if it goes away
If so then go over the others parts and compare looking for a burr more than likely or galling , machine roughness or damage
 
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3macs1 said:
Let the gun cool for about 15 minutes after firing and see if it is then ok and cycles as it should. Do that first before getting any deeper. If no change and
newer than 1987 burrs are common and will also do this. if you have other 870's as you say switch the bolt and bars etc and see if it goes away
If so then go over the others parts and compare looking for a burr more than likely or galling , machine roughness or damage
Click to expand...

Thanks 3macs1, ... yeah that would be the next step ..... but before spending a day at the range swapping parts between my 870s ... and test firing different combinations .... I was hoping that this might be a known issues .... with an "easy" fix ....
 
Sometimes a certain name brand can contribute or actually be the root cause of a stuck bolt.
Folks, I found out that Challenger shotshell brand can cause exactly this jamming after live fire.
Switched to Winchester and Federal, problem solved itself.

Info.
 
0faustus0 said:
Thanks 3macs1, ... yeah that would be the next step ..... but before spending a day at the range swapping parts between my 870s ... and test firing different combinations .... I was hoping that this might be a known issues .... with an "easy" fix ....
Click to expand...

If cooling down makes no difference. Swap the parts before you leave the house and take it all from one gun that works fine
It is real easy and quick as you know and give you a good starting point to look further. That is about as easy as it gets IMO. Normally one takes them all out anyway for a good cleaning . Just talking bolt ,slide and forearm with action bars attached at this stage
 
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0faustus0 said:
Well ... I just looked it up .... I bought this gun in 2019 ... and I bought 2 more 870s in 2020 .... and none of the other 870s have that issue.
I guess that theory goes out the window ....
Click to expand...

Interesting because I had your exact problem and saw somewhere that this was intentional, that being said, this was before 2020 so I am not sure what to tell you.
 
3 macs one is giving good advice. i had an 870 that i bought for cheap as it would barely cycle. i took another 870 apart and compared parts. the slide needed some attention . it was poorly machined and had a burr on it.
 
Push forward with your pump hand and pull the stock into your shoulder pocket with the strong hand while firing.
Should help with recoil and solve your problem.
Win-win!
 
I would look at the action bars and bolt assembly, for anything out of the norm. Check the action bar release as well, if it’s locking up it can’t be a whole lot of things I’d expect. I had an issue with a mag fed 870 clone locking up after firing and the action bars we’re bent inwards a bit, when I pumped the forend back the action bars would come out of their rails and jam up the works. Once I lightly bent the arms of the bars outward they stayed in the track and the malfunction stopped happening.
 
I would have look at the locking block and its engagement with barrel tang recess . Rearward thrust of the bolt may be causing the bolt block to be come wedged in the barrel tang recess and not allowing it to freely drop away from the tang recess . Can you replicate the problem by holding rearward pressure on the for arm during dry firing ?.
 
the spank said:
Sounds like Remington incorporated the "recoil" release feature Model 12's use, oh wait no they wouldn't do that. ;) Yes take 3 Macs advice, compare parts and look for burrs or something amiss. He is the Rem guru! :wave:
Click to expand...

Na just love my 870's :) The fact one has parts to compare against makes this an easy fix. I am waiting however to see if Ok after it cools a bit
 
Big Bad said:
My conviction that it's all over for the 870 continues to grow. They're building them the way Roger Smith used to build cars.
Click to expand...

Started in 1987 when they were bought out
Not saying they are bad after just not the same time and received the attention to the details that went into making them and it shows
Anyone that doesn't believe that have never owned or taken a 1950 apart. My early ones will pump by themselves they are so smooth and factory polished/ fitted
Cheers
 
Youtube the issue, pretty common. Basically, it boils down to the single extractor and the ring found on the barrel near cartridge rim, side opposite of the extractor (also rough chambers). When the extractor pulls on the side of the rim, it forces the other side into the groove and locks up the action. you can dry fire all day and never have the issue, seems to only happen when fired.

I took a dremel and smoothed out the area, as per youtube vid, as well as polished the chamber and ive never had the issue again.

North
 
3macs1 said:
Started in 1987 when they were bought out
Not saying they are bad after just not the same time and received the attention to the details that went into making them and it shows
Anyone that doesn't believe that have never owned or taken a 1950 apart. My early ones will pump by themselves they are so smooth and factory polished/ fitted
Cheers
Click to expand...

I almost posted earlier it started in 1987 with the introduction of the Express.....first time I saw one and held it in hand I thought WTH are they thinking? I thought they were onto a good thing with the 11-87 that same year and bought one but I soon was quite disappointed. The only thing about it I liked more than the 1100 was the stainless tube was easier to clean, you could shoot both 2.75" and 3" and it had screw chokes, no more extra barrels needed and I liked the barrel heavy feel BUT it never pointed and swung as nice as an 1100 so I soon sold it...and all my 1100's and 870's shortly afterward too. 3Macs, didn't they intoduce one shortly after called an 11-89 or 11-96 or some such thing?
 
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