Bet I'm not the first one to do this...

[226]

Got my nib 870P home from the gun shop and after a few false starts had her disassembled, lubed, wiped, and ready to put back together. After putting the magazine spring in I noticed the magazine extension tube covering / screwing in easier than before. Screwed on the barrel clamp, hit the action bar lock, cycle the slide and she jams. [slaps head] Forgot to insert the magazine follower before the spring and now the spring will not come out. [I tell myself] settle down now, you can do this. After a few tries at pulling the spring out without stretching it out of wack, tried a new approach and taped out the trigger plate pins, removed the trigger assembly freeing the spring. All is well.

I was thinking though. Is there a function check (fc) for an 870? I always perform one on my SIG 226s after disassembly / reassembly / cleaning.

Going to take her and a bunch of rounds to the desert tomorrow and practice some Mounting 101.

 

[Dfariswheel]

Basic function check is to check the follower to insure it slides into the tube Ok, and has plenty of tension.

Pump the action and pull the trigger.

Hold the trigger back, pump the action, release the trigger and listen to hear it reset. Pull the trigger again.

Put the safety on and try to pull the trigger. (Not too hard, just check for proper safety operation).

Put your finger into the lower receiver and check that the shell releases are firmly staked in place, have plenty of tension, and that the working ends aren't broken or bent out of shape.

Check the extractor for breaks, cracks or wear, and check for spring tension and free movement.

Check the ejector for breaks or loose staking, check the spring for tension.

On new Police guns, Remington cautions the new owner to remove the cosmoline from the gun.
Remington's Law Enforcement web sites FAQ section discusses this.

Remington spray new Police guns inside and out with hot cosmoline as a storage preservative.
Some people getting a new Police gun think this is rust, since it's a red-brown color.
Not removing the cosmoline will cause the gun to rust in use.

They recommend fully disassembling the gun, including the magazine tube assembly, and spraying everything, inside and out, dripping wet with something like Rem-Oil or CLP Breakfree.

Allow to soak for 1/2 hour or so to allow the lube time to dissolve the cosmoline and impregnate the metal.
Wipe down with a rag and reassemble.

 

[226]

Thanks for the fc info Dfariswheel. I did do a thorough cleaning w/rem oil to get off as much cosmoline as possible.

Are snap caps recommended for dry firing 870s?

Something came to mind when i opened up my dewey rod. It came with what the salesman said was a jag that can be used for a .45 hg. Of course I bought the adaptor he sold me (almost $3.00!), 12ga brass bore brush and jag. Why wouldn't I expect to get the stock magazine cover and spring from Remington when purchasing a model that comes with a magazine extention kit installed? Sure would be nice and a change in pace to have that to switch to. Just a thought.

 

[226]

Put your finger into the lower receiver and check that the shell releases are firmly staked in place, have plenty of tension, and that the working ends aren't broken or bent out of shape.

I don't understand this one.

 

[Dfariswheel]

You really don't need snap caps on the 870.
These are designed for pure strength, and it's EXTREMELY rare to see a Remington with a broken pin since Remington made a change to the pin many years ago.

Dry fire away, and don't worry about it.

As for having the standard spring and cap, you'd also need the spring retainer cup washer.
The reason Remington doesn't send these along is for several reasons.
1. Cost. These parts do cost money.
2. Most users stick to the extension and don't change back and forth.
3. Most Police guns are sold to police agencies. The users aren't ALLOWED to change the gun around.

If you remove the trigger group and look inside the receiver, you'll see the shell release springs.
These are long bar-like springs staked into the receivers near the bottom.
The trigger group pins pass through these springs.

What you want to do, is be sure the releases are staked firmly in place, can move freely toward the receiver walls, have plenty of tension, and that the front ends just behind the magazine tube are not broken or damaged.

These springs "time" and release the shells from the magazine and into the receiver.

If they aren't staked in place, or have fouling and dirt impacted behind them preventing them from moving, or are damaged, the gun will fail to feed properly.

During the gun check-out, just push up the feed lifter so you can see inside the receiver, and check the releases to be sure they move outward with good spring tension, and that the front ends aren't broken.

 

[226]

Dfariswheel, Thanks, good info. Took her to the desert this morning and this sg is built like a tank. I've never seen a watermelon explode in such a spectaular [slug enhanced] manner.

 

[Nnobby45]

Bet I'm not the first one to do this...

No, but you could be one of only two or three people in the world who ever admitted it--and definitely the first I've seen admitt it.

 

[226]

No, but you could be one of only two or three people in the world who ever admitted it--and definitely the first I've seen admitt it.

Lol Maybe it'll prevent a potential How do you straighten out a magazine spring? thread.