tough 870 barrel nut / detent pin / spring

[antlery]

Hey all,

I have an older 870 wingmaster barrel. I think there's something wrong with the barrel detent pin/spring. When I tighten the barrel nut, i can't tighten it tight enough to keep the barrel tight to the receiver. Its like as if the nut bottoms out on the threads. Theres no way to tighten it any further by hand.

Now when I go to remove the nut, its so tight that I need channel locks to get enough grip on the thing to loosen it off.

If I use a different nut on the same barrel, same results. All three of the nuts I have work perfectly fine with all of my other barrels. It just seems to be the one barrel I am having issues with.

I narrowed the problem down to the barrel nut detent pin/spring. Im guessing there's some rust or something in there giving me greif. If i press the pin in, using a small punch, it seems to be a bit gritty,but it does go down further than being flush with the barrel ring.

Has anyone else had this problem before? What did you do to fix it? I understand there are specialty tools involved to install/remove the detent.

As for now, i have the barrel held with the muzzle pointing to the ceiling, and the pin soaking in oil.

 

[gunrunner100]

Double check to make sure your magazine tube hasn't worked it's way out slightly.
There are staking tools made specifically for the detent ball. Essentially it's a punch with a circular head almost the size of the ball and a small cutout on one side which allows a centre-punch or similar tool to upset some metal, trapping the detent ball.

 

[antlery]

Magazine tube is fine. Like i said, everything is good with other barrels, its just the one barrel im having issues with.

 

[VLT79]

The detent plunger may be too loose and so it binds from side to side rather than sliding in and out. It may need to be re-staked properly. It may also be too long which amplifies the problem. The barrel lug may have also been brazed to far back and the mag cap would indeed be bottoming out on the mag tube. I have seen that on a few Wingmasters as well.

 

[antlery]

Thanks VLT i think you may be right on the plunger being too loose. I'll have the guy that threaded the barrel for chokes look at it. Great smith. The barrel worked flawlessly up intil this weekend. Its an 18 3/4" vent rib barrel, and I went to swap it with my 28" remchoke barrel when the problem started.