Remington 887 Tactical Issues.

[DenimMan13]

I recently received my first shotgun, a Remington 887 Nitro Mag Tactical, and while I haven't shot it yet, I've noticed some issues.

The front for-end seems loose, it can be twisted back and forth against the barrel. The for-end on my fathers 870 Wingmaster, has a little play in it but not quite as much as my 887

The barrel, or its ArmorLokt coating, can be twisted while fully seated in the receiver. As though when the rib on the barrel and the rib on the receiver, are lined up, then its where it wants to be. But I can rotate the barrel 1/16 of an inch (0.5mm) to the Right. The bolt still seems to lock into the barrel properly. There is a minuscule amount of play in my fathers 870(older than I am) and none in my neighbors bone stock 870 express. Talking with Bolsa Gunsmithing, the barrel is just rotating against the barrel lug, and is evident on the 887s.

And now possibly the most simple, but what I see as a major issue. The carrier dog follower(part 50 in the manual) is shorter than the Latch - Left(part 61) See the orange lines.


What that means is that upon quickly loading a shell, the shell will catch on the Follower before catching on the Latch.


If the follower returns to its downward position, blocking the loading port, then one or two shells will be pushed beneath the bolt, causing a double feed when the action is cycled.


If the Follower stays caught on the shell then, as the action is brought forward, the shell will drop from the receiver as the follower rises.

This doesn't happen with the 870s mentioned above. While 99% of the time this wont be a problem, as a home defense shotgun, Murphy's Law makes that 1% very obvious.

I wanted to get your input before sending a message off to Remington.

Thanks,

DeminMan13

[BigDogatPlay]

The 887s have been getting a bit of bad press here and there, but the OPs is the first really detailed breakdown I've seen.... and thanks for posting.

I've only handled / examined one 887, and it was a sporting not tactical model. I didn't notice the play in the barrel covering as noted above. The fore end did seem a bit looser than I might have expected or liked. Didn't run any shells through it so no experience with the malfunction sequence shown above.

The gun strikes me overall as a solution in search of a problem.

[aippi]

I think you are refering the the carrier. The carrier dog follower is a part in the trigger assembly. there should be space between the end of the carrier and a shell. In an 870 it would be .015 but I have no idea about the 887 as I have nothing to do with that model, I am not certifed to work on it and predict it will be short lived so investing any time into learning to work on it is not of interest to me.

As for the other issues, I am clueless. The main issue over all is that if the weapon is not functioning properly or you don't feel it is safe to shoot then send it back. It will not be the first one of those they got back.

[Linkpimp]

Hey big guy..

I’m heading out to the range tomorrow, if you want?? I can stop by pick it up / take it out and put it through it paces for you??

I’ll have it back later in the day with a full range report..


Ohh Welcome to Cal Guns Sir.. It’s about time.. Hahahaaa..


.

[DenimMan13]

I think you are refering the the carrier. The carrier dog follower is a part in the trigger assembly.

I thought it was the carrier, the exploded view in the manual of the sporting version 887(that came with the tactical) has the two swapped, or at least the numbers on the diagram.

Linkpimp, you can take the shotgun and i'll hold onto the Desert Tactical :P

I'll be calling Remington on Monday to see if its a known issue with a resolution, besides "stick the shell in further". I'll keep you updated with what they say, and what the final decision is. Now that the new-gun-gasm has worn off, I'm noticing all the little things with the firearm, and what I am, or am not, comfortable settling over.

DenimMan13

[CDMJ]

I am amazed and amused that Remington is now making a tactical version of that piece of junk 887. No offense OP. Have you fired it yet? Can you return it and get yourself an 870? Did you buy the 887 because you liked the look? I do not understand the appeal of the 887 tactical. I am not trying to be rude I am just asking is all because I can not understand why someone would buy a Remington but then handicap themselves by buying one of the worst guns Remington has made in a while. They couldn't sell it to hunters so I guess now they are selling it to home owners.

[DenimMan13]

I do like the looks of the 887 over the 870. Everybody has an 870 and I wanted something different.

I do like the ergonomic improvements, specifically the slide release button/lever. The 870's will dig into the finger, and is harder to locate than the large flat one on the 887.

I like the idea of the Armorlokt coating, if my home defense shotgun is under the bed, or in the closet, in a case or not, it should increase durability and reliability.

The main reason I went with the 887 is, quoted from Remington, "Action design based on the venerable Model 870 - ultra-smooth and reliable". I trusted that Remington wouldn't muck with a proven design.

If I can find a reliable solution to the feed problem, and look past the other issues then I'll be satisfied with the firearm. Otherwise I'll return it for, most likely, an 870.

DenimMan13

[aippi]

Keep us posted as this weapon has gotten a lot of bad reviews and I want to hear the positive also. I know Remington has been on a loosing streak with new weapons. The CTI flopped, the 887 is in danger of flopping and even I ended up with one of those wierd shaped barrel tactical rifles that guys are just not warming up to.

To get some truely objective stuff on the 887 can help others avoid or even end up with a weapon that will or will not serve them.

CDMJ - as we both know and have talked about at length is that looks sell over function. Which is why I am single and can't find a woman becasue if function sold I would have a fat little black book. With that said, your products sold me for having both, duty quality function and style. Just thought I would add that as there is so much tactic-fool mess out there today that I want you guys to know you are on the right track.

[CDMJ]

DenimMan13, please don't take what I said earlier as me beating up on you. If it came across that way I apologize. I just do not understand the appeal of the 887 or even why Remington marketed it in the first place when they have a great shotgun with a solid reputation in the 870. As JD said please keep us posted on how it performs. While I have heard a lot of negatives about the 887 I am always interested in hearing and reading more about it. If it performs well for you then that is all that matters.

Thanks for the complements JD.

[DenimMan13]

california, I'm not sure what you mean by spirit fingers. I'm using the pad of my thumb to load the shells. I've not tried loading it with jazz hands yet, as it might be more difficult.

CDMJ, both of our posts came across as abrasive, even though we didn't mean them to be. The system of tubes we call the internet does not leave much room for tone. No apology necessary, though it is appreciated, and reciprocated.

I've been waffling back and forth(if you haven't noticed) but finally got to sit down with a trusted 870 owner. He said that his 870 has malfunctioned similarly, though not as obviously, once in the past, with a fully loaded magazine tube. Now that I think about it, it makes sense. Our big thumbs just have trouble following the shell past the latch, and the higher spring tension exacerbates it. User "california" provides evidence that as the spring loosens up, the double feed should become a non-issue.

I'll call Remington to see if they have any input, and I'll hopefully be able to continue testing it soon.

I'll keep you updated with my findings, looks like it can be informative for all of us. If there are any specific questions about the firearm, let me know here, or in a PM.

Thanks to everyone for your input,

DenimMan13

[DenimMan13]

I was able to take the firearm out two weeks ago. Put 12 Winchester 2 3/4 bird shot, and one Federal 2 3/4 rifled slug through it. Had the same feed issue, as did the 870 we took with us. Otherwise each shell fed from the tube, and fired every time. The slug did go over the target(a cantaloupe) but it was most likely improperly aligned sights. Or the front fibre optic aligned with the recess in the mounting rail.

Recoil was comparable to the 870 w/rifled slug barrel I had on hand. The 887 is lighter but the super cell pad seemed to suck up the difference.

The complications arose in extracting the shells. Upon firing the Bolt Carrier moved rearward from the bolt, though the bolt stayed locked into the barrel. The fore end then has to be moved all the way forward before being able to eject and reload. This was not present in the 870.

The slug was the last round through the firearm, though not by my choice. The brass of the shell expanded, lodging the shell in the chamber. Unloaded the magazine, brought it home and had to tap the shell out with a dowel through the barrel. The 870 had to be used to finish off the cantaloupe.

I contacted Remington about the feed jamming issue, I believe they mentioned something about the "out of battery" problem I had. The firearm has been shipped back to them with a pre-paid label that they had sent me. I included itemized information regarding the issues I had, requesting that they be addressed.

I'll update again when I get a response,
DenimMan13

[DenimMan13]

UPDATE!

I got my 887NMT back from Remington a few months ago, they replaced the barrel and port cover, which removed the play in the barrel and increased magazine tube loading reliability. As I was able to test on a quick trip to Iron Sights in Oceanside.

I also just completed the Firearms Training Associates General Shotgun course up at Raahauge in Norco. The 887NMT did well I thought. Malfunctioned on par with a couple of the 870s that other students had, but ended the day better than another 887 that i was surprised to see there. The bold/action on his seemed to be binding really hard in the receiver, I can make some assumptions about why, but I honestly don't know. He said it was brand new, just bought from Ammo Brothers.

My 887NMT patterned pretty well and kept up with most all of the other pump guns there. I'm sure the super cell butt pad saved my shoulder a bit while going through 100 rounds of assorted slug, 00buck and birdshot. The malfunctions could possibly be attributed to user error, I'm going to keep using it so we both can get better.

Any questions? let me know,
DenimMan13