Pulled apart my old 11-87 to clean and noticed that the barrel seal is getting a little stiff. Is it recommended that I buy the Remington replacement o-ring? I've read that Teflon O-rings are a good substitute.
For a 12 gauge 1187 you can use the #21 Viton o ring. You can get them at hardware stores and they are much cheaper than the Remington ones. Make sure it is Viton so it doesn't get ruined from the gases. For the 20 gauge get the #19 Viton o rings. I think the o rings are about 35 cents a piece
I hear this debate all the time, at my club, --- and most of the guys that know about the 11-87's just buy o-rings in bulk from Brownells, or at the gunshows....so they always have them in their "shooting box"....
If it were my gun ....I'd stay with the Remington part...
Remington's 'O' rings are not Teflon either. I don't know what they are, but Teflon is not a good choice for 'O' rings anyway. Neoprene or Viton work well and are resistant to petroleum products. If you want the silvery shine like Remington, squirt some dry graphite lock lubricant into a baggie, add 'O' rings, and shake. I have never had one fail in use, but i have lots of spares. They are so cheap, and I keep misplacing them...