870 - Possible bent mag tube! Help!

[slim whitman]

Hello everyone -

I "needed" another riot gun, so I went looking. I found a parkerized 870 for $165 with a 28" parkerized vent rib barrel. Sold.

After I bent the action bars taking the forestock off, a local smith fixed the bars and it cycles smoothly.

Added an 18" rifle sight police magnum barrel and it is a sweet little package.

Problem - I mounted a Remington factory 6 shot extension and tried to slip the bracket/clamp on. I had to force it on and when I tried to slip the reatining screw through, I noticed the fit of the clamp to barrel was a bit askew.

The clamp fits the extension well, but the clamp was splayed out from the barrel. The clamp does not touch the barrel at all. There is a considerable amount of gap between the sides of the clamp to the barrel.

I tore it all down again, and noticed that when I screw the "coupler" down, I could see that the mag tube seems to be slightly bent down. I think that this is keeping the clamp from sitting on the barrel properly.

Now my question - Can the mag tube (the one screwed into the receiver) by tapped or hammered back to the normal specs? Or is it a lost cause? I don't want to regulate this to a 5 shot gun.

Sorry for the long post. It is always frustrating when you find a "deal" and it ends up costing you more than you wanted it to.

Thanks in advance

SW:banghead:

 

[Dave McCracken]

Bent mag tubes do exist, but if there's no wear marks on the tube and it cycles smoothly it's probably not that.

Try the extension on another 870 and see if it goes better. If the tube is bent, it's easily fixed by a smith.

Also be sure the clamp's right side up.

HTH....

 

[mnrivrat]

I sort of hesitate to reply on this one because it is a bit difficult to grasp the details of your problem.
First, I might mention that the Remington mag tube is not screwed into the reciever , so replacing it is expensive and a job for the smith or factory.

Second, forcing things generaly means there is a problem with parts or the method of assy. It also means the possibility of damage that is hard to determine without having it in your hands.

If I read your pot correctly I can see why Dave asks you to make sure the clamp is not upside down. The barrel is smaller than the mag tube so if the clamp doesn't tighten onto the barrel it nay be because you have reversed it.

You may now want to run a straight edge down the mag tube and try to determine if anything bent as a result of the force used to try to install the clamp. You should also check the threads very carefully at the forward end of the tube for damage and or a crack in the tube at the threads.