New shotgun owner, have questions/issues

[ThePeaceMaker707]

I just bought a Remington 870 Tactical and I am trying to familiarize myself with the weapon. The only experience I have with shotguns was during range time at the police academy, and that was several months ago, so I need some refreshing. I've posted a pic below to see show what I'm working with. Here are my questions:

1. I plan on storing the shotgun for HD with 6 rounds in the magazine and the chamber empty. Can I combat load my round of choice directly into the ejection port, with rounds in the magazine, or only when its empty? When I rack the slide back it begins to feed a round, thus preventing the combat-loaded round from being correctly fed into the chamber. (If that's the right terminology). Can this be accomplished? Am I doing something wrong or is this just not possible?

2. I disassembled and reassembled the weapon a few times to get familiar with it, and I have some questions about whether I'm doing it correctly. When I unscrew the magazine cap and remove the barrel, the mag tube extension is supposed to remain connected to the barrel, correct?

2(b). When I reassemble, is there a certain way I need to insert the mag spring? Does it need to be attached to the follower or something? I'm not sure what the issue is, but after reassembling the weapon and reloading the mag tube, the last two shells would not load. I had to unscrew the mag cap again let the spring readjust or something, and it was fine. Is there a proper way to do this procedure to prevent any loading issues in the future?

Thanks for your help guys, I look forward to many great years with this weapon!

[aippi]

Do not store it with 6 rounds in the tube as this can over impact the spring ( and here comes the clowns saying that ain't so) and deform the ammo over time. Keep 4 or five in the tube for long storage. I keep 4 in mine. You have rounds on the saddle to max out if needed.

You remove the mag tube exstension before you remove the barrel. Go to www.aiptactical.com and click on the red link "Install and Cleaning" and install the mag tube extesnion per the instructions on that page as that is why you had issues with all the rounds not loading.

[KWB977]

I like that! where did you pick that fine weapon up?

[SparrowHanger]

I like that! where did you pick that fine weapon up?

I don't know where he got his, but I almost bought one like it, but without a sidesaddle, last December at Turner's.

[ThePeaceMaker707]

I don't know where he got his, but I almost bought one like it, but without a sidesaddle, last December at Turner's.

I got mine at my local gun shop, 'AAA Sporting Goods' in Vallejo. I installed the side saddle afterwards. If you live in the area I definitely recommend them, they are a friendly, knowledgeable bunch, and they treat their customers well.

[MrOrange]

"Cruiser ready" eh?

Wonder where you got that idea...

That's how I used to store my social shotgun when I had one, a Mossberg with a 5-shot magazine that I only kept two rounds in.

As you noted, when you rack the slide back in order to load a round through the ejection port, the first round in the mag is going to be released from the magazine. Loading through the ejection port is only for when the gun is empty or you need to load a different type of round, in which case you have to shake the gun on it's side to get rid of the unfired shell before slipping the new one in the port. In other words, with rounds in the mag and the trigger released just pick it up and rack it and yer G2G.


Be careful who you point that at, the nasty evil thing on the muzzle might scare somebody!

[BigDogatPlay]

Combat loading... I think I'd just stick with the shells in the mag tube, chamber empty, bolt closed, hammer down for simplicity's sake. When you run the gun, the bolt coming fully open triggers a shell to release from the mag tube onto the carrier. That's as designed and there is no magazine cut off that I am aware of. I suppose you could leave the action open, having carefully used your thumb to hold the shells in the tube when you opened it before putting it away, and just drop a shell into the open port. But to my mind, that's too much to remember and would require a lot of drill, I think.

To aippi's well raised point, shells deforming in the tube over time, if left unchecked, can and does happen. I've seen it in neglected LEA guns. If you store your gun with shells in the mag tube you should get them out of the tube periodically to check for settling / deformation. Many buckshot rounds are the pellets stacked in and surrounded by some type of fine granular buffer material, such as Grex. The weight of the shells, combined with the force of the follower under spring pressure can cause shells to bulge and deform in the tube. Deformed shells may not chamber.

FWIW, I pull the shells out of the tube on my own gun once a month when I perform my regular check for functionality. I'm probably more anal about it than I should be, but I want to be sure my gun will work if it has to. If you haven't really run an 870 since the academy, it might be worthwhile to pick up some dummy shells or snap caps (I use A-Zoom's) and practice loading and unloading a bit.

[ThePeaceMaker707]

You remove the mag tube exstension before you remove the barrel. Go to www.aiptactical.com and click on the red link "Install and Cleaning" and install the mag tube extesnion per the instructions on that page as that is why you had issues with all the rounds not loading.

So just to clarify, this process needs to be done every time the barrel is removed?

[BigDogatPlay]

So just to clarify, this process needs to be done every time the barrel is removed?

Yes... every time. Loosen and remove the clamp, then remove the extension, then dismount the barrel from the receiver.

[Redeyejedi]

might be some help if you do not have.

http://www.remington.com/~/media/Files/Owners-Manuals/om_870.ashx

[MossbergMan]

Did an Owners Manual come with this gun? If so, your disassembly and re-assembly is explained there. As suggested by all manufactures it should be read before playing with any new toy. Since you've done it a couple of times and it looks like it would shoot in the picture. How about purchasing some dummy rounds and practicing the various loading techniques. If you had tried your ejection port load with a condition 3 gun with the dummies you would have found out....it don't work and in fact you just made a pretty good simulated Type 3 (failure to extract) malfunction to clear.
I'll also suggest attending a shotgun school or two. Academies only go so far into training. POST doesn't focus much on the scattergun.
Nice looking gun...but seriously get outside, professional training.

[aippi]

I listed the install procedure for the Remington tube extenison on my web site simply because that method is not in the owners manual and every time a guy post an issue like this the proper install procedure I recommend corrects the issue. Having it there keeps me from have to repeated it so often.

Yes, install it like that every time or you may have issues.

[5539]

It seems to me if you store your shotgun, one or two rounds short, you can load your choice of choice of rounds normally.

John