Stevens 87A feed problem

[RocketMan]

My father gave me his old Stevens 87A awhile back. He figured he wasn't going to be using it anymore, and gave it to the only one of his sons that likes firearms.

Dad warned me that it had a failure to feed problem, thought it might be missing a spring of some kind. He vaguely remembers losing one during a cleaning many years ago.

I hoped it might just be in need of a good cleaning. After cleaning I took it to the local shooting hole. Yep, every three to four rounds it manages to jam. It jammed once so badly that I had to almost disassemble the whole receiver to clear it. Should have listened to Dad.

I've given the rifle a good inspection and cannot find any indications of missing parts, springs or otherwise.

Anyone familiar with this rifle? Anyone have any ideas as to what is wrong?

By the way, this particular model rifle was sold under the "J. Stevens" brand, also under the "Springfield" and "Savage" labels.

 

[mnrivrat]

Where to start ??

I suppose the first thing to check is to make sure the cartridge guide spring is intact and in place in the slots of the magazine guide. It is an odd shaped piece of spring wire that regulates catridge flow so to speak.

The 87's can be real problematic in a number of area's causing feed problems. The cartridge guide spring is an often lost or broken item. The most common problem with these guns however is generaly in the trigger group where wear and weakening of the springs makes for jams, and multiple firing. They can be a real bitch to get working right - even for experienced people . You may have to seek out a gunsmith in your area , and preferably one with some years behind him. It is near impossible to arm chair a solution with this model.

 

[RocketMan]

mnrivrat

Thanks for the reply.

I don't see any type of "odd shaped piece of spring wire" as you put it. All I see that can guide the round is a small fan-shaped lever that lifts the round from the tube magazine, and the sides of lower receiver, if you can call it that.
Sounds like a spring might be missing after all.

I'll look into getting a manual for the rifle, see if there is a cutaway picture or diagram that shows the spring.

Thank you for your help.

 

[Big_R]

Must be good Kharma or something. I recently took in a Springfield Savage model 187R in a baggie. Evidently, this one jammed similar to the first post and the owner decided to disassemble and "investigate". Through all this, the firing pin was broken, but everything else seems to be in working order. It feeds and extracts manually. I have an older Springfield (can't remember the number) that jammed badly until I cleaned it. Now it works fine.

My question is the broken firing pin I have is a "T" shaped contraption with several steps milled in it. Gun Parts Corp doesn't show this model. What other '87 models use the same pin?

Rocket Man: Does your rifle have slots cut on the left side of the receiver? My older one has three, newer one has two. I believe the slide stays back if the trigger is held in after firing, returning to battery when the trigger is released. Try shooting it, holding the trigger for a second, and releasing. If the gun works properly, it's more than likely the main spring. The biggest problem I've seen with these is they were poorly made. A lot of stampings and screws.

Ryan

 

[RocketMan]

Thanks, BigR.

I'll give that a try next time I take the rifle out. I can get a few rounds through it for a test.
Don't know about the slots. I just put the rifle back together and in its case. I'll check it out again shortly. I'll be heading to the quarry sometime in the next couple of weeks.

 

[Jim K]

Rocketman, is it too late to trade Dads? Yours did you no favor.

I guess I would qualify as a "gunsmith with some years behind him" and I don't want anything to do with those pieces of ****. When we had one to fix, we always bought the whole feed unit, which is held on by two screws. That was expensive for the customer but not nearly as expensive as paying a gunsmith to play around with different springs. Unfortunately, the units are not (AFAIK) available any more.

One tip, IIRC, there is a little spring shaped generally like a V that has loops that fit over the pin that holds the lifter. The open ends bottom on the receiver and the closed end fits over the lifter and forces it to the up position to raise the cartridge. I forget what it is called, and don't have GPC catalog handy.

My advice: If you want a semi-auto .22, hang that one on the wall and buy a used Remington Nylon 66 or an old Browning (Chinese copies of the latter have been available recently).

Jim

 

[RocketMan]

Thanks, Jim.

That spring is there, and is in pretty good shape from its appearance.
The lifter itself is a little worn where it contacts the rounds.
There aren't any more springs that contact or guide the rounds.
It seems the cartridge guide spring is missing, according to a description from mnrvrat. I'm going to look for a diagram of this puppy and see what it looks like.
I'd like to get it going just for old times sake. And for sentimental reasons as well. This is the first rifle I ever fired. Dad took me out, taught me to shoot it when I was five. A long time ago...
Thanks, again.

 

[Johnpl]

I had a similar problem with my 187A. It would jam up tight and the bolt would not release from battery. Thought it was the lifter because the bolt would pull back as soon as I manually relieved the upward pressure (with the gun unloaded and the action removed from the stock). Got a new lifter but that didn't solve the problem. Got a new bolt...that solved the problem. It looks like the channel on the bottom of the bolt (where the lifter "rides")
was somehow peened, and would cause the lifter to bind the bolt, not allowing it to pull back.

Fortunately I found the replacement bolt on eBay for cheap $. I just wanted this rifle to function for old times sake, as it was my first.

 

[Tony]

Stevens 87A

Anyone with a feed problem for the 87A take a look at the following site:
http://guns.jasoncaywood.com/Stevens87ARestore/the_mechanism.htm

He shows how easy it is and also shows how to fix an ejection problem and how easy it is to put a scope on one.
Tony

 

[RocketMan]

Tony,

Thanks for the link.

I checked the site out yesterday. There's some good information there, along with links to drawings and parts suppliers for the rifle.
It looks like the site owner is a real aficionado of the 87A, and has spent a lot of time working with them.
SWMBO and I are in the midst of moving. Once that is done, come June, I'm going to try some minor gunsmithing, see if I can get the rifle working again.
It sure is a fun shooter.

 

[Swampy]

I know this is resurrecting an ancient thread..... but...

Rocket Man.... I feel your pain. My dad passed on 6 years ago at the age of 68. Too young. He left me the Stevens 87A that he mail ordered from the Monkey Wards catalog in 1947... when he was age 14. It's the rifle that he and my uncles taught me to shoot with. Lots of sentimental value there.

When my Dad left the SE Arkansas farm to join the Air Force in 1951 he left the .22 at home in the hands of his four younger brothers. They practically wore it out in the ensuing 4 years. Those boys sure did like to hunt. Two of them are still at it today.... up in their late 60's...

The old Stevens has had umpteen-many thousands of rounds through it and accounted for the passage to varmint heaven of countless hundreds (Thousands???) snakes, groundhogs, squirrels, rabbits, turtles, frogs, muskrats, bobcats, coons, rats, coyotes, foxes, and even a deer or two..... and who knows what else...

When I came along in '55 and then reached the age where I wanted to shoot, Dad drug the ol' 87A out to teach me the rudiments of marksmanship and firearms safety. I then proceeded to put my own rather large quantity of pills through the bore.... dispatching mostly frogs and black spots on paper.

Dad kept the Stevens .22 in shape over the years after he re-claimed it from my uncles... clean and oiled. Unfortunately, it does have the feeding problems that seem to be common to this type. It worked fine when I was a boy, but now it will no longer feed semi-automatically. It will jam with every firing.

I have talked to a couple of local gunsmiths that I know well about this and they both are in agreement that the 87A is a "CIB" (First two words being "Cast Iron..." ) to keep feeding properly. Both advised me to hang it on the wall. Said that I might end up paying them a couple hundred bucks in shop time for them to work on it and then it still wouldn't work right.

This is really sad.... since I'd really like to teach my boy how to shoot with this same rifle. Guess I'll have to use something else.

Best to all,
Swampy

Garands forever

 

[72coupe]

There is a lot of info about 87As over at rimfirecentral.com. I have read on that site that 87As should only be lightly oiled and I think that CLP might be to heavy for it. I use the very light RemOil. I also have my fathers Springfield 87A. He died in 2002 at age 90.

This 87A has hundreds of thousands of rounds through it. It was fired most days of my childhood and dad loaned to everyone that asked. The only problem it ever had was broken stocks when borrowers would bash a wounded jackrabbit with it.

I have had the metal refinished and put a Fancy grade of walnut on it. Even though it is kind an ugly rifle, to me it is a thing of beauty.