Express shells sticking in the magazine tube.

[chrisnoel27]

All,



I have a new Remington 870 express that I bought a flashlight mount for. The mount is the kind that clamps onto the magazine tube. Well I got my light in there and tightened it down with 4 3mm Allen heads to the tube, guess what?
Now when I go to fully load I get shells stuck up in the magazine tube about 85 percent of the time. Have taken the mount off and the shells still stick in the tube, what should I do?

 

[Fred Fuller]

Is there a magazine extension on the gun?

lpl

 

[oneounceload]

sounds like maybe you tightened them too much and have narrowed the tube mag

 

[RaceM]

If you've dinged the mag tube, causing the follower to stick, you might be able to iron it out to round again. That'd mean making or finding a slug of the proper diameter and driving it it through the tube. Unless the ding is severe a single pass oughtta do it.

 

[chrisnoel27]

Yes it's extended tube mag. How would I go about making something to jam that tube back into shape?

 

[dfariswheel]

That's a problem.
Anything you drive up the tube to expand it back out is gong to get jammed and isn't going to want to come back out.
Since the end only has a small hole, driving it out will be tough.

One suggestion is to use a rawhide or rubber mallet to GENTLY tap the tube where the mount was.
Since the magazine tube is most likely squashed on the sides, tap on the top and bottom side.
Make sure you screw the tube on the gun and mark which is top and bottom.

Lay the tube on a pad of newspaper and tap it.
A few gently bumps may un-squash the tube.

 

[jmr40]

I've heard of driving a socket of the correct size through tubes to remove the dimples in some of the newer 870's. I suppose it might work to get the mag tube correctly resized.

 

[Youngster]

Where is it jamming, where you had the clamp attached or where the mag extension joins the magazine?

 

[Fred Fuller]

Is the magazine extension a factory Remington extension or an aftermarket?

Did you take the flashlight mount off and see if that fixed the problem?

lpl

 

[chrisnoel27]

It's a Remington tube and yes I took it off and the follower/shells still get stuck when fully loaded.

 

[chrisnoel27]

It's jamming where I had the clamps for the light mount.

 

[T Bran]

Can you measure the tube to see if it is out of round or is it compressed equally on all sides?
T

 

[Fred Fuller]

That sounds not good, I'm afraid. Can you see a visible dent or compression in the tube, looking both inside and outside?

What light mount are you using?

I use Streamlight 69903's or 69901's on different shotguns depending on shotgun brand (see http://www.opticsplanet.net/streamlight-12ga-extended-mag-tube-tactical-mount-69901.html for a pic of the 69901) and I've never had any problems with either model damaging a magazine or extension.

Magazine tubes - and magazine extensions - are relatively thin metal and under certain circumstances can be damaged. If taking the clamp off didn't relieve the problem, it may be pretty much permanent at this point. Gunsmiths have steel magazine tube dent removers that are set up to have handles firmly screwed into them - that might work to iron out the damage, I don't know. See http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=25276/ttver=2/Product/MAGAZINE_TUBE_DENT_RAISER for a picture.

If that doesn't do it, you're probably looking at replacing the extension tube, as far as I can tell.

lpl