New 870 Express not Ejecting Fired Hull

[C-Money]

Well, I did some trading at the area firearms store over the summer. I let my Browning Maxus go in the deal, and got a new 870 Express 3'' in return as part of the deal. I was very glad to have gotten an upland/waterfowl gun worked into the deal. I have been around 870s a LOT, shot one a ton as a kid, never had an issue. Thousands upon thousands of heavy waterfowl loads and I can never remember a failure with my mid 90s vintage 870 Express. This new one does fail. It is randomly not pulling an empty hull out of the barrel. Its not like they are stuck hulls either, as I can pull the barrel off and easily get the empty out with my fingernail. I have tried to file a bit on the barrel where the ejector meets the hull, and still get an ejection failure at times. Its all kinds of shells as well, waterfowl loads, dove loads, doesn't matter. With some research, I guess this is what Remington has lowered its self to. Its not an uncommon issue. But what am I missing? Is there an easy home fix to get this 870 dependable? New ejector? Take it to a gun smith? Thanks for the ideas...

[vandeman17]

Pump or autoloader? I randomly had similar issues with my nova caused by not completing a full pump of the action. Sure made me mad when it happened with birds in my face 

[C-Money]

Its a pump. And YES! I hear ya 100%! Had a pair of snows come in the other morning, and was VERY glad it cycled for me that time!

[CP]

Sounds like the ejector extractor  and/or the ejector extractor spring.  Easier fix than the shells sticking in the chamber.  Try youtube for how to fix.

[Encore 280]

Isn't there an extractor also that grabs the hull and the ejector ejects it. Maybe the extractor is the problem. I'm don't know if the newer guns have these or not, been awhile since I've been around shotguns.

[boneaddict]

That pin must be worn or gummy or something.   870 pump is one of the most dependable guns God created

[CP]

Isn't there an extractor also that grabs the hull and the ejector ejects it. Maybe the extractor is the problem. I'm don't know if the newer guns have these or not, been awhile since I've been around shotguns.

You are correct, I used the wrong term.  Fixed my post.

[Dan-o]

I am almost positive I know the problem.

I bought all three of my sons new 870's and they all had the same issue.

There was a quality control issue in the barrel manufacturing, which left some machining marks in the end of the barrel.
When shells are fired, the brass expands into these machining marks.

All of ours jammed, and all of them were easily fixed.

Here is the issue.   

I just wrapped some scotchbright around a drill bit and polished them.

They all work great after doing this.


EDIT:
This video does a better job of explaining it.
Go to 3:30 to see exactly where the machining mark is that caused all of our problems.

[Special T]

I am almost positive I know the problem.

I bought all three of my sons new 870's and they all had the same issue.

There was a quality control issue in the barrel manufacturing, which left some machining marks in the end of the barrel.
When shells are fired, the brass expands into these machining marks.

All of ours jammed, and all of them were easily fixed.

Here is the issue.   

I just wrapped some scotchbright around a drill bit and polished them.

They all work great after doing this.

This also works great for polishing the barrels.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[CP]

Metal injection molded parts, poor machining, no attention to fit and finish; that’s Remington today.   Buff out their poor machining, change out their 2nd rate parts and you might have a mediocre gun that is somewhat reliable.  I’d try to get that Browning back.

[TheStovePipeKid]

I bought a Lisle 10000 brake cylinder hone and used it to hone the chambers on my Dad's Mossberg 835's. Ended up honing all my shotgun chambers just because I had the equipment. If you go this route make sure you don't go too far and alter the forcing cone. Should clean everything up nice and doesn't cost a lot.

[Bill W]

what brand ammo has issues ejecting?  I had a problem about 4 years ago with a certain brand.

[rasbo]

I am almost positive I know the problem.

I bought all three of my sons new 870's and they all had the same issue.

There was a quality control issue in the barrel manufacturing, which left some machining marks in the end of the barrel.
When shells are fired, the brass expands into these machining marks.

All of ours jammed, and all of them were easily fixed.

Here is the issue.   

I just wrapped some scotchbright around a drill bit and polished them.

They all work great after doing this.


EDIT:
This video does a better job of explaining it.
Go to 3:30 to see exactly where the machining mark is that caused all of our problems.

great post,just checked my son's new 870,it's good

[Stein]

I bought one in 1999 and it worked fine until I went duck hunting.  I replaced parts, filed parts, polished parts and it is probably 75% reliable if I keep it spotless.

You can work on them but they are what they are.  If they were reliable, there wouldn’t be forums plugged up with fix threads and a million YouTube videos.

I paid $200 on sale at GI Joes and got a $200 gun.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[C-Money]

Winchester 2 3/4 expert steel, and Remington dove & quail are the ones that have consistently jammed. What a bummer, 870s use to be the gold standard in reliability.

[Sandberm]

So if I wanted to get a brand new "do it all" shotgun for under, lets say $700, what would you guys recommend?

[nwwanderer]

My Benelli Nova comes close, with $700 you could have a bunch of extras, barrel, camo etc.

[jdb]

I have 3 870 express, two older and one that’s about 3 years old. The newer one fails to eject from time to time

[WSU]

So if I wanted to get a brand new "do it all" shotgun for under, lets say $700, what would you guys recommend?

I bought an 870 and it jams constantly. I tried the polishing and haven’t tried the gun enough to know if it worked. 

I bought a stoeger auto and it works flawlessly. I have cases of shells through it duck hunting in mud, cow manure, etc. You can buy them for well under 700.

[Stein]

I paid about $700 for my Stoeger M3500 and have been extremely happy with the value for the money.  I can miss much faster and more often now than with the 870.

[TooTallMike]

Well, I did some trading at the area firearms store over the summer. I let my Browning Maxus go in the deal, and got a new 870 Express 3'' in return as part of the deal. I was very glad to have gotten an upland/waterfowl gun worked into the deal. I have been around 870s a LOT, shot one a ton as a kid, never had an issue. Thousands upon thousands of heavy waterfowl loads and I can never remember a failure with my mid 90s vintage 870 Express. This new one does fail. It is randomly not pulling an empty hull out of the barrel. Its not like they are stuck hulls either, as I can pull the barrel off and easily get the empty out with my fingernail. I have tried to file a bit on the barrel where the ejector meets the hull, and still get an ejection failure at times. Its all kinds of shells as well, waterfowl loads, dove loads, doesn't matter. With some research, I guess this is what Remington has lowered its self to. Its not an uncommon issue. But what am I missing? Is there an easy home fix to get this 870 dependable? New ejector? Take it to a gun smith? Thanks for the ideas...

That 870 for sale?

[northwesthunter84]

I’ve been happy with the SXP I got for turkey hunting. Not a ton of shots through it but reliable.

Previous 870 express owner and 870 wing master shooter.
Express would jam on everything from 7.5 shot, #4 turkey and 2.75/3” slugs. Got so tired of it I sold it for $100.

[outdooraddict]

my 870 super express does this same thing, but i have only noticed it with cheap target ammo and short brass.  sometimes i have grabbed the pump and had to bounce the butt on the ground to eject it, and actually have torn the brass where the ejector grabs the brass.  pisses me off, and i dont know why it does it, i gotta watch that youtube video and give it a try

[WSU]

Wingmasters are entirely different. I shot one for years and had no issues.

[C-Money]

Thanks for all the great feedback... I checked my barrel, and I honestly don't really feel any imperfections to dremel tool out. I feel very shallow ridges, they are tightly spaced, and they are very fine. I'll try and smooth these out, but man, they are very fine, and not sure if they would cause a hull to not eject. Looking forward to smoothing them out none the less.  I bought a box of Remington Peters 3" (blue hull) steel to try...Hope the issue goes away!!

[Henrydog]

Cheap steal based hulls are notorious for this.  The expand and do not contract back to original size and "stick".  Try a box of US made Remington STS's or Winchester AA's.  They are all brass bases.  If they work flawlessly then it is not the gun.   

[CP]

I hope that fixes your problem but I really think it's the extractor.  If the shells were sticking the slide would be hard to rack and you wouldn't be able to pull the shell out with your fingernail.

Good luck.

[Henrydog]

Ya, I re-read his post....I think you are correct CP

[Rob]

Not to hijack the thread... 

Has anyone seen an issue where you fire an 870, and the pump action sticks and won't come back.  After a couple quick pulls it comes back and ejects the shell just fine.

I have an older 870 (probably '91) that I have used and abused and has recently started doing this from time to time. 

[Stein]

Not to hijack the thread... 

Has anyone seen an issue where you fire an 870, and the pump action sticks and won't come back.  After a couple quick pulls it comes back and ejects the shell just fine.

I have an older 870 (probably '91) that I have used and abused and has recently started doing this from time to time.

Yeah, I had that issue.  When it happens you need to hold the slide as tight as you can and slam the buttstock on the ground.  Obviously, muzzle control is difficult but important.

Most of the time in my case, disassembly and a thorough cleaning would help, particularly all the hard to reach parts in the receiver.  There are a couple flat springs that would get junk under them as well as leaves, grass, mud, etc.

[HikerHunter]

Not to hijack the thread... 

Has anyone seen an issue where you fire an 870, and the pump action sticks and won't come back.  After a couple quick pulls it comes back and ejects the shell just fine.

I have an older 870 (probably '91) that I have used and abused and has recently started doing this from time to time.

I have an 870 express of that vintage that had similar issues as you describe a few years back. One time when I had the gun apart, I noticed the underside of the wood on the pump was rubbed smooth. It seems like I had gotten the wood pump soaked enough times that it swelled and was randomly sticking, then just as you described, after a few tries it would eject just fine.

I sanded down the wood in that area and haven't had a problem since. Hope that helps!

[woodswalker]

Thanks for all the great feedback... I checked my barrel, and I honestly don't really feel any imperfections to dremel tool out. I feel very shallow ridges, they are tightly spaced, and they are very fine. I'll try and smooth these out, but man, they are very fine, and not sure if they would cause a hull to not eject. Looking forward to smoothing them out none the less.  I bought a box of Remington Peters 3" (blue hull) steel to try...Hope the issue goes away!!

Those "fine ridges" can cause a shell to stick, especially ones with a steel head instead of brass...the brass springs back more than the steel and is easier to extract.  As far as extractors, there is a SLIGHT difference in angle between the old extractor and the new one...my 0.02$ says that is an issue.

Aaron
Grumpys Gun Repair.

[ctwiggs1]

That pin must be worn or gummy or something.   870 pump is one of the most dependable guns God created

Mine is the least dependable I've ever owned.  Different strokes and maybe I got into it with a bad batch but I've had more problems with my 870 in 10 years than my Mossberg in 20.

[HikerHunter]

That pin must be worn or gummy or something.   870 pump is one of the most dependable guns God created

Mine is the least dependable I've ever owned.  Different strokes and maybe I got into it with a bad batch but I've had more problems with my 870 in 10 years than my Mossberg in 20.

My 870 express has been extremely reliable over the 25 years that I've owned it. I have heard issues about the more recent vintage 870's though

[C-Money]

I ordered a new extractor today from Midway USA. Since I can easily back emptys out of the barrel with my fingernail, figured it would be worth a try. I will also polish as recommended.

[Rob]

Not to hijack the thread... 

Has anyone seen an issue where you fire an 870, and the pump action sticks and won't come back.  After a couple quick pulls it comes back and ejects the shell just fine.

I have an older 870 (probably '91) that I have used and abused and has recently started doing this from time to time.

Yeah, I had that issue.  When it happens you need to hold the slide as tight as you can and slam the buttstock on the ground.  Obviously, muzzle control is difficult but important.

Most of the time in my case, disassembly and a thorough cleaning would help, particularly all the hard to reach parts in the receiver.  There are a couple flat springs that would get junk under them as well as leaves, grass, mud, etc.

Not to hijack the thread... 

Has anyone seen an issue where you fire an 870, and the pump action sticks and won't come back.  After a couple quick pulls it comes back and ejects the shell just fine.

I have an older 870 (probably '91) that I have used and abused and has recently started doing this from time to time.

I have an 870 express of that vintage that had similar issues as you describe a few years back. One time when I had the gun apart, I noticed the underside of the wood on the pump was rubbed smooth. It seems like I had gotten the wood pump soaked enough times that it swelled and was randomly sticking, then just as you described, after a few tries it would eject just fine.

I sanded down the wood in that area and haven't had a problem since. Hope that helps!

Thanks to both of you!  Will look mind over with a bit more detail.

[C-Money]

The new extractor came in the mail today. The swap was pretty easy, getting the old one out was a little tougher than putting the new one in. Tried 3 flathead screwdrivers, finding I needed one narrow and thin to work best. Ended up using a screwdriver on my Leatherman tool. I also ended up pulling out the bolt, as my fingers were not able to get the old one out while assembled. I went out and scouted for open water, and found all of the ponds I like to hunt were frozen over solid. While out, I fired one of the shells that were chronic non ejectors. It ejected with ease. I then fired 3 more in rapid succession, and all ejected as they should, very nicely. Hope I am set, need a good waterfowl shoot to really put it to the test.
New extractor on right, and new extractor installed.

[CP]

   Glad to see that you're up and running. 

[C-Money]

Got out this morning on a goose hunt. 870 worked perfect with the new extractor in a real hunting situation. My son & I brought home a few geese as well. Was a good morning, now on to an afternoon duck hunt.

[HikerHunter]

Awesome! Thanks for the follow-up