Problem: Emptying mag tube [Rem870]

[JayFlip]

For my Remington 870 Express Tactical, when I try to unload the mag tube through the feed gate, it will only work if I open the action halfway. If I try it with a closed action, this happens:

The shell won't come out, because the flap doesn't go up enough, and it gets caught.

Is that normal, and/or is there a way to change it? It doesn't look like the little flap is bent out of shape, because the round is pretty perfectly symmetrical, and it looks like it's made out of something way too hard to just be bent out of shape like that.

 

[Stevo]

Open the action all the way and then empty the tube.

As you've noticed, with the bolt closed the lifter will not move far enough. That's normal.

 

[JayFlip]

Open the action all the way and then empty the tube.

As you've noticed, with the bolt closed the lifter will not move far enough. That's normal.

That's what I thought, but a friend of mine is able to do it with the action closed (different shotgun. I believe it's a norc clone of an 870). If I open the action, it'll load another shell, which is backwards from what I'm trying to do. I thought the purpose of this was to be able to empty it without chambering another shell?

 

[alpining]

Normal. You can still get your shells out in that position, you just have to wiggle them to clear the nose of the shell lifter (at least, that's the case for every other 870 I've seen/handled).

As Stevo said: Cycle the action to the rear, dump the now loose shell out of the ejection port, then proceed to empty the rest of the tube using the shell latches and pulling them out the feeding port. Or wiggle those shells out with the action closed. You're never unloading on the clock.

 

[VLT79]

Normal. You can still get your shells out in that position, you just have to wiggle them to clear the nose of the shell lifter (at least, that's the case for every other 870 I've seen/handled)....

As above it is normal.

Now, if you hold the gun upside down, you can use a the index finger of your left hand to pull up on the shell while you hold the lifter down and depress the shell stop with your right hand thumb, to clear the mag tube...with some dummy shells and a little practice while watching TV the operation can become 2nd nature rather quickly. You can normally get 4 shells into your right hand before you have to drop them into your pocket and continue.

 

[JayFlip]

As Stevo said: Cycle the action to the rear, dump the now loose shell out of the ejection port, then proceed to empty the rest of the tube using the shell latches and pulling them out the feeding port. Or wiggle those shells out with the action closed. You're never unloading on the clock.

As above it is normal.

Now, if you hold the gun upside down, you can use a the index finger of your left hand to pull up on the shell while you hold the lifter down and depress the shell stop with your right hand thumb, to clear the mag tube...with some dummy shells and a little practice while watching TV the operation can become 2nd nature rather quickly. You can normally get 4 shells into your right hand before you have to drop them into your pocket and continue.

These both work. I just thought something was off, because when I took my CFSC, pushing on the little tang popped them right out. Didn't need to assist it at all.

Thanks.

 

[alpining]

Probably variance between models - I've found that Wingmasters don't seem to require it, for example.