870 issues

[thesav]

I have an 870 that has two issues

1. The bead sight isn't "on" at 25 yards. I'm putting slugs about 1-1.5 feet left on target.
I know it's not a precision weapon, but that seems outside the normal deviation. The barrel is smooth, no rib, just the bead hole. Any ideas on fixing that? Are there replacement adjustable beads?
2. The mag spring and follower stopped feeding shells 4 and 5 after about 200 rds. What are good durable replacements?
Thanks guys.

[snaggletooth]

For the mag spring, you can get a wolffe extra power mag spring, or or a mag spring from wilson combat, or vang comp.

However, first double check if you have a barrel/mag clamp that it is not pinching the mag tube.

[HOGLEG]

You need to add another wrap of duct tape to the barrel in a clockwise rotation.

[thesav]

Why didn't I just use more duct tape? I'm such a fool.

[P5Ret]

Adjustable bead? Nope never seen one. Is it new or used? Springs are easy to replace, and they wear if it is a used gun it may have worn a bit. As for being that far off at 25 yards I'll bet it isn't the gun, no one can say for sure without seeing you shoot though. Not putting you down in anyway we have all had a flinch at one time or another. You can get several types of different barrels for an 870. Try a slug barrel with sights, if you are going to be shooting slugs a lot. There are also a couple of aftermarket add on sights that you can put on the existing barrel.

[HOGLEG]

I would consider using a set of adjustable ghost ring or rifle sights if you intend to use slugs.

Maybe it's in the way you cheek the weapon. Experiment using a different cheek weld.

Have someone else shoot the gun and see if they are shooting left.

Are your results shot from a bench or free hand. If free hand you may be flinching in anticipation of recoil. Normally this will show up as left and low for a righthand shooter.

Of course, it could be the barrel or bead sight as well.

Pull the spring and check to see that the follower still travels through the tube smoothly. you can stretch the spring a bit if it's still in good shape as a temp way to get more spring pressure. Also check to see if the mag tube isn't bent.

[thesav]

The springs seem easy enough to just replace. I'll check the mag tube to see that it's not obstructed. The last shells come most of the way out, but stall before feeding all the way

It's not my flinch. I sandbagged it and others have verified. I shoot slugs out of my other guns and get one ugly hole. This 870 is an ugly hole, just a foot left.
I lock it down pretty tight with bags and leverage, and with a slow surprise trigger break, it's still off.
I think rifle sights or ghost rings are a pretty expensive fix to install on a bead, that I'm not sure about though.
I honestly think the barrel and bead don't match up.

[aippi]

Take the barrel off and put it back on and tighten the magazine cap or mag tube coupling. Your POI may very well change. Check to see if the pedestal is canted as the bead is pressed into the center of it. If the pedestal and bead are in the correct place then it could be the ammo or the shooter. Try different ammo and have another shooter try it.

Sounds like you have an extension on it and if it is a Remington extension the problem is the install of it. On my web site www.aiptactical.com is a How to Video showing how to properly install the tube extension kit. If not done correctly you can have a gap in the threads between the coupling and tube and this is what is causing your feed issue and not you spring or follower.

[thesav]

No barrel extension. It's a 5 rd tube.
I'm gonna disassemble it all and verify the mag tube is clear, straight and replace springs.
I clean it up after anyways and I'm don't lube the tube, so I don't think it's dirty, I just need new springs.
This gun must've been built on a Monday.

[swifty]

Make sure the ejector is not broken.

[hermosabeach]

The high Visability followers and plastic followers can and do absorb oil and cleaning solvents. They then expand under pressure and can drag as the spring is released. If you have a plastic follower, you might want to replace it.

http://www.brownells.com/magazines/shotgun-magazines/magazine-parts/magazine-followers/shotgun-followers-prod20384.aspx

http://www.brownells.com/magazines/shotgun-magazines/magazine-parts/magazine-springs-amp-parts/remington-870-extra-power-magazine-spring-prod16499.aspx

As far as the bead, it is about your face and the stock most of the time. If you are 5' 10' and weight 135 or 255, your cheek (rear sight) will be in a different position and will change the point of impact.

Clamp the SG level in a vice and verify with a level on the receiver. Use a square to verify that the Bead is in the top of the barrel.

A right handed shooter can sand the right side of the stock to shift the group right or add a neoprene recoil pad to shift the POI left.

If you are shooting a tight group, your cheek weld is solid and your weight is stable, it is an option to fix the problem.

[thesav]

The sanding for POI is interesting.
I'm gonna have to try that out. The stock is just the cheap synthetic anyways.
What's goofy to me is I have another 870 with the same stock, also a bead, and it works fine. I'll tinker with cheek welds I guess.

[thesav]

Hermosa
Thanks for the links.
Looks like what I need.

[hermosabeach]

Check the firearm to start.. level the firearm receiver and use a square or even eyeball to verify the bead is in the right spot.

If you have 2 model 870's, swap the stocks.

Does the point of impact change or stay the same with the other stock????

You can work backwards with the sanding if you want to go that route.

Pick a typical range for slugs.. say 50 yards.

Add 6 layers of duck tape. The group should shift farter to the left.

If you were 12" off to the left and then add 15 layers of duck tape to where you are now 24" left, that thickness is the amount that you should need to take off. So mark the tape as to where your cheek weld is and then remove the tape and measure the thickness.

You can then remove 75% of the amount and fine tune from there...

As the stock is synthetic you obviously need to see how thick the stock is as you might not have enough material to remove. If so, sell the synthetic and buy a used wood stock.

Martine-tex is a fun epoxy that you can use to finalize the synthetic stock if you go to far and need to build the stock back up.

http://www.amazon.com/Marine-Tex-Might-Repair-Ounce/dp/B001446LKO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1379285433&sr=8-3&keywords=marine-tex+epoxy

[TempleKnight]

Don't worry about it. I read on the internet that as long as your 870 can make the terrifying slide-rack sound bad guys will run away. That's what I read, anyway.