questionable 870 reliability

[roar]

In the past I think I have posted about the problems I have had with my 870 Express Magnum. It is the 7 shot home defense model.

It was fine during my first time shooting it, but then on a range trip or two later it started having problems with either failure to lock forward, or extreme difficulty in ejecting a fired shell. The problems are intermittent. Some days it would do it while other days it would be fine.

Today I brought the shotgun out with a bunch of 00 buck and some slugs to shoot through it to see if the problems worked themselves out.

The 00 buck I brought was Federal Power Shok 9 pellet, and then Hornady TAP low recoil 00 buck. The Federal shells fired fine the first few boxes and I thought things were going well, but then after a while I started having trouble with extreme difficulty in ejecting shells. A few times this would happen two or three times in a row, while other times it would do it, then eject the next shell fine, and repeat again.

Another problem I had with some low brass Brenneke KO slugs was the extractor having trouble locking over the lip of the brass. This resulted in a double feed that I had to clear.

This is disappointing to me because I love this shotgun, and I would like for it to have a place in my toolbox for serving in home defense. I know the reliability of the 870 is supposed to be legendary, but I don't think I can rely on it right now. It fired fine from a cold barrel and chamber, so I guess it would be fine sitting in a closet, but overall I question its reliability.

Do actions normally bind up when a chamber gets really hot? I would prefer to get this shotgun fixed, and I would hate to have to sell it off because it was my very first firearm. Even after getting it fixed I am not sure if I could ever 100% trust it again. I guess I will keep it even if it was 100% broken, but I am tempted to replace it for home defense with a Wingmaster or 870 Police, or some 590A1 that I have always wanted.

[fowler]

I,m not impressed with the express 870 HD. The wingmasters L.E. are good. I would have a Mossberg 590 over a express HD for reliability. I,m back to using my old 97 winchester roit for HD. I,m shopping for a 590A1.

[MrMurphy]

My 870HD Express never gave me trouble, but in your case, I would either sell it as a part gun to a gunsmith, use it as a "training spare" and buy an 870 Police Magnum.

The odds of any 870 having as many problems as yours are very low, but apparently you got "that one" lemon that's out there. I've never seen ANY 870 (out of dozens fired) have problems like yours unless it was an operator induced short stroke or bad ammo.

If you buy a 870P, it would be insanely unlikely to have anything wrong with it much less what's been happening to yours.

[fowler]

My wingmaster special purpose made for a few years around 1989-92 was a pakerized bead blasted wingmaster with alloy trigger guard and smooth action,walnut stock. Its a deergun rifled cantilever barrel that has put deer on the table every year. 870,s are good pumps. The Express,s are spotty on perfomance . SOME DO SOME DON,T WORK GOOD.

[roar]

Tomorrow I am going to the fun shop and after shooting my g27 I am gonna take a look at their shotguns. I think I might trade in my 870 HD for credit towards another shotgun. I really want a 590A1 but I also wouldn't mind a higher grade 870.

I know gun shops don't really give you a whole lot back for a gun. What do you think I would get for my 870HD, maybe $100 or so?

MrMurphy, you should be able to shoot as many full power shells as you want through a good shotgun and not have it bind up at all, right?

[MrMurphy]

Unless you got a couple bad rounds (with plastic shotgun shells, more likely than with regular ammo), yes. But being able to crank off 75-100 rounds at a time without a single malfunction is "normal".

[roar]

What do you mean plastic shells versus regular ammo? All I have ever seen are the shotgun shells with the plastic hulls and brass base. I have read that shotgun shells used to have cardboard hulls, and that some shells have been made all metal, for I think auto-shotguns.

What do you mean regular ammo?

Thanks, I am curious

[MrMurphy]

Compared to all brass cartridges, shotgun shells being made of plastic can deform easier under constant spring pressure, and various other things. I've not seen it much myself but others with many, many thousands of rounds downrange, from skeet, trap and combat shotgun courses have reported this.

So getting a FTE or something in a shotgun if it's cheap ammo, old ammo, or been loaded for a long time (years) would surprise me less. In a brand new shotgun though, that's odd.

[Branspop]

I bought one that had a similar problem. It turned out to be a rough chamber. My shop sent it back to Remington (for free) and they fixed it pretty quickly. Works like any other 870 now.

[roar]

Well, a brand new 590A1 followed me home today :supergrin: :embarassed:

http://www.mossberg.com/images/Mossberg_Guns/930/New/51663.jpg

I kept my old shotgun for sentimental reasons, and I still hope to get it fixed someday.

Hopefully this 590A1 won't cause me any problems...I hope to bring it out shooting to break it in next week.


what kind of bayonet does a 590 take :embarassed:

[MrMurphy]

If you get the wild urge to go bayoneting stuff, the old Vietnam era M7 bayonet, the M9 (current issue) and M10 (current USMC issue, looks like a Ka-Bar) all will fit the bayonet lug.

[windplex]

Unless you got a couple bad rounds (with plastic shotgun shells, more likely than with regular ammo), yes. But being able to crank off 75-100 rounds at a time without a single malfunction is "normal".

my own 870 same model has not failed me, though not too many rounds through it.

Rented the same model and it was VERY reluctant to eject shells. I had to man-handle it several times to get EACH of at least 30% of 50 shells to eject. I lift weights and am not overly gentle with mechanicle things. Picture stock on hip and using as much force as you could muster several times to finally get the spent shell ejected -- EACH time it occured. (steel federal shells 7.5 shot)

Now I figure that a rental gun likely had many miles on it and not as much care as it should but I do wonder what the fix is for failure to eject since it came up and would cause a problem in a SD situation. Anyone have suggestions?

[roar]

my own 870 same model has not failed me, though not too many rounds through it.

Rented the same model and it was VERY reluctant to eject shells. I had to man-handle it several times to get EACH of at least 30% of 50 shells to eject. I lift weights and am not overly gentle with mechanicle things. Picture stock on hip and using as much force as you could muster several times to finally get the spent shell ejected -- EACH time it occured. (steel federal shells 7.5 shot)

Now I figure that a rental gun likely had many miles on it and not as much care as it should but I do wonder what the fix is for failure to eject since it came up and would cause a problem in a SD situation. Anyone have suggestions?

How you described trying to eject the shells is exactly like my problem (minus the me lifting weights part :rofl:)

Also I should mention all the shells I fired were new, so it isn't like they would have been deformed or anything. The only "old" shells I fired were the Hornady TAP shells that I kept loaded in the magazine, which fired and extracted fine.

I forgot to say thanks, MrMurphy, for your explanation of the different shot shells, and information on bayonets. You have always been a great help.

It is a good thing I also collect knives, and now I have a reason to add a bayonet to my collection. Just for fun, I mean what is cooler than a shotgun with a bayonet on the end! :supergrin: