Spooky Marine Magnum

B

boomer49

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
11   0   0
Howdy,

I live on a remote mountain ranch in SW Alberta and carry a Marine Magnum exclusively as a bear defence gun. It's about two years old and is loaded and unloaded about three times a week. I've fired about 100 shells through it, just to get familiar/comfortable. The standard routine is three 00 Buckshot followed by two 600 gr Brenneke slugs.

The spooky part? About one time in five, when I'm unloading it (cautiously jacking the rounds out) it won't even load the first shell, or it'll load the first and then none of the others. It's as if they're getting hung-up on something in the magazine tube.

I only carry the gun for genuine emergency reasons, and the idea of a 20% "failure to load" situation is a little unnerving. Could anyone recommend a really savvy smith in southern Alberta who knows 870's really well?

Boomer
 
the reason is your going to slow, the weapon is meant to be forcibly racked.... not molly coddled.

same with semiauto postols rack them with authority.. don't bescared your not going to hurt it, next time you unload rack it hard and see the differerence
 
It sounds like the shell catches (flat spings on the left and right side of the magazine tube at the end) aren't releasing the shells.
It might have something to do with the fact you are working the action to gently (just guessing here).

That isn't a very safe way to unload a shotgun. Have you tried depressing the shell catch springs and unloading directly from the mag tube?
 
that doesn't sound good. sounds like your feed ramp is not working properly. I have been exposed to 870's for a long time and have had that happen when one was dropped and landed on something that damaged the feed ramp. You can order one up and change it. Also check your spring, it may be the wrong spring length for your magazine tube, or it may be damaged. If there isn't the propper tension it usually will give you grief first round or last round.

cheers.
 
Hey guys,

Wow ... three responses in 10 minutes ... must be Sunday morning. Thank you. All still in pajamas like me?

When I said "cautiously" I was referring to where the gun is being pointed ... at the grass outside my front deck. Rest assured that the action was being cycled as hard and fast as I could. I've been shooting for almost 45 years.

Worth mentioning ... I've been carrying bear spray since it first appeared ... bought some down in Montana within a week of the first news story about it (in the Kalispell newspaper) sometime in the early 1980's. Good to have, but it's so darned windy out here much of the time ...

Boomer
 
Last edited:
boomer49 said:
Hey guys,

Wow ... three responses in 10 minutes ... must be Sunday morning. Thank you. All still in pajamas like me?

When I said "cautiously" I was referring to where the gun is being pointed ... at the grass outside my front deck. Rest assured that the action was being cycled as hard and fast as I could. I've been shooting for almost 45 years.

Boomer
Click to expand...

Contact Arwen Ace off of this site and send him the gun and he will make it right and do a tune up on it.
 
Wealth ...

Replace it? No ... not everybody in Alberta has a limitless supply of cash. The 870 is a solid and proven design ... mine just has a minor manufacturing FU that a skilled pro needs to correct for a reasonable fee.

I agree totally that you have to be 100% confident in the functioning of a defensive gun. I honestly cannot understand why I waited this long to address the issue ... majorly stupid procrastination ...
 
I had my failing to extract Mossberg 500A worked on by two good gunsmiths and they never got it to be 100% reliable. It has been retired and now is reserved for crack flares and bean bags.

I replaced it with a $349 HP9-1. 100% reliable. It was just a bit more than the bill for the smiths.
 
Hmmm ...

Now you've got me thinking. I'd just assumed that an HP9-1 was some money-no-object enthusiasts' dream-gun.

It's just kinda hard to walk-away from an almost-mint $800 shotgun that's only a year old. And you'll notice that I said a "reasonable" fee ... I'm surprised that nobody (so far) has recommended a good gunsmith here in southern Alberta.

The Ontario gunsmith that was recommended earlier in the thread seems to be held in high regard and his website looks quite professional. I've PM'd him and am waiting to hear back from him.

If it's a pricey estimate (plus the cost of two-way shipping) I might just look into that HP9-1. There's no guarantee that the MM won't "go south" again ... the old works-fine-in-the-shop scenario ... just like with cars...

Anybody else care to chime in on the merits of an HP9-1 while I go Google it ... to find out what-the-heck it is!! :)

Boomer
 
Aha!!

Oh ... just found it ... and I knew all about it ... just didn't know the number designation. Actually I already own another Norinco purchased from Marstar ... the basic 1911A1 ... and I love it. Getting tuned by G in PGBC as we speak ...

Already have an order coming from Marstar ... some LAR-15 magazines ...

Boomer
 
Last edited:
Boomer,

I've never used this guy but he was recommended by a couple of people. I think he might be in Calgary. Anyway, it might be worth a call. Dave Fuller - Safari Gunsmithing - 403-253-2513.

Good luck.
 
Another symptom ...

An update ...

I just unloaded it again earlier this evening ... no problemo ... all worked well. But then I remembered a soft shhhssing sound (for about a second when the gun had failed to feed ... maybe six times in the last year ... and I'd shaken it.)

So I did a lttle forensic investigation after I'd emptied it tonight. With the firearm empty I'd held it vertical and given it a violent shake or two. And then I inverted it (barrel downward) and ... damned if it didn't occur again.

That soft sound ... for about a second ... something metal-on-metal ssshhhing softly downward and then an ever-so-subtle clink. Happened six times out of eight...

Maybe something's broken off in the magazine?

Boomer
 
its easy enough to take apart and look.... It sounds like maybe your follower is hangin up although I don't know man, there is not all that many parts there, you have the magazine extension, the barrel clamp, spring and follower.... thats it.

I would hazard a guess the noise is your mag spring tube.... which would explain the noise, and the failure to load.... no shell in the pickup area then no shell will hit the lifter. have you mixed up your MM spring with a standard length 870 spring by chance ?? I "think" the mag spring is hanging up..... take it apart and clean it then get the flashlight out and see if there are any burrs anywhere.

I would try a new spring, you can get a wolfe one or try a wilson combat one from one of their extension kits.... contact Badboybeeson and he will have spare springs., you will need one to fit a +3 extension
 
Last edited:
Definitely disassemble the magazine. Check that the spring is the right length, clean the inside of the magazine thoroughly (spray some gun cleaner in there and then run rags through it till they come out clean), maybe there is crud in there that the follower is hanging up on. Check the inside of the magazine tube for imperfection, burrs etc, check and make sure that the magazine is not damaged ie. bent or dented.

Double of Westicle's post which I should have read before posting. Sorry about that!
 
Last edited:
Take it apart?

Hi guys,

I hope that this doesn't disappoint folks who are (like most firearm enthusiasts) very tinker-savvy, but I'm not too good at dis-assembling stuff.

Well, OK ... maybe the dis-assembly part of the routine is not too painful ... but the re-assembly part of the job is a real painful experience.

Often leading to rude words, self-doubt, and equipment abuse. That's why I came here.

I am good at many other things, so I just soldier-on ... lookin' at that St. Francis of Asissi poster (sp?) that one of my good friend's kids gave me last year.

I'll cut-and-paste all these suggestions and take the info and that damned/flawed gun to the local blacksmith tomorrow.

Boomer
 
When it doesn't feed, jam it as hard as you can. after you get the shells out, inspect the rim of the cap and see if it it chewed. I had the eact same problem and it was the "ejector or extractor" thingy plainly visual if you look in the breech. Mine was cracked and rough to the finger. It almosy looks like a booby pin springy thing. I was told it was from firing too many heavy shells. Had it fixed for free.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom