870 cycling question...

[rockstar.esq]

Hey guy's, I was wondering if any of your had any advice on a problem I've been having lately with my 870 Express Magnum. I was out shooting trap the other day and as I was shucking for a second clay, I kept getting frustrating hangups which ended up jettisoning not only an empty shell but a loaded round as well. When I was reloading between pulls I noticed that when I put the fourth shell in the magazine, it had a tendency to slip past the keeper and it would end up hung in limbo where I'd have to pull the slide back to eject both the chambered round and the one that slipped past the keeper. My friends in attendance all had essentially the same shotgun with shorter barrels and they didn't have any problems like I did. When my Ex Marine friend tried his hand at it, he had no problems at all. That said, he also cycles a pump shotgun faster than just about anyone I have ever seen! Any advice would be really appreciated.

 

[mnrivrat]

Other than the possibility you may be short stroking it (not bringing it fully to the rear when cycling) you could have a shell stop that is not working as well as it should. (what you called the keeper). The cause of this could be debris under the stop or a bent/poorly adjusted shell stop .
As you mention that the fourth round slid by the shell stop this is a possible cause. (assuming you properly pushed it in past the stop)
The stops can get bent or out of adjustment when disassembling the gun for cleaning when you remove the bolt and action bars. They can aslo be a problem right out of the factory if not adjusted or stamped properly.

 

[Dave McCracken]

If it's not a short stroke, chances are the latches are the culprits, as Mnrivrat said. Swap shotguns with a friend for a round or two of trap and see what happens.

A decent smith can install new latches in a few minutes. Not costly either.

 

[rockstar.esq]

Thanks for the advice guys, I tried my friends 870's without incident so I'm leaning towards the latches being out of whack a little. I'll clean it thoroughly tonight.

 

[Lone Star]

I had a similar problem with a 20 ga. Wingmaster a couple of years ago. But IT would jam the action when I tried to pump.

I sold it to a dealer, who probably had it fixed "in-house" if it continued to bobble. It was supposedly cured by another dealer (warranty station) that said he polished out the magazine tube, which was on the tight side. But I fired it only a few times after that. It did work at that point, but I'd lost confidence in it.

My present M870 is a 12 Ga. Wingmaster, which has the Flex-Tab to limit or prevent many jams. It has so far worked okay.

Lone Star

 

[rockstar.esq]

After disassembling and cleaning out the entire receiver, I found that one of the two latches was not springing into the same place as the other side. I further noticed that the latches are really just a couple of long spring steel parts that are unfortunately pressed into place. So with the meager funds I posses, I faced the situation as a "it can't hurt to try scenario". I worked a pair of pliers in through the trigger plate hole and "re-bent" the tip of the latch to it's appropriate location. After a little fiddling with it and a lot of cussing, I have it back together without any extra pieces. The action is somewhat stiffer to operate than it was before but I figure that has more to do with my cleaning. After I gave the action a liberal oiling, things seem to be moving a little better. I haven't gone to the range yet, however I am hopeful that the problem is fixed.

 

[mnrivrat]

I hope that works out for you.

The increased stiffness you mentioned however is indicative of operating rod friction . This may be due to bent operating rod or some other parts rubbing as a result of your adjustments. The 870 operating rods are rather soft and prone to twisting, etc. If you have trouble at the range feel free to pm me if you need assistance.