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Not Happy with my Remington 870

4K views 35 replies 16 participants last post by  soundguy 
#1 ·
Yesterday I was finally able to shoot my brand new 870 Tactical Express. Boom...and then I could not eject the spent shell...what the heck. I wiggled the forend for a moment and finally it ejected. I looked over the chamber and spent shell and everything looked normal. Chambered a second shell and the exact same thing happened again. After a couple more failures I gave up.

When I got home I broke it down expecting to find something assembled wrong from when I broke it down for its initial cleaning. Nope, everything was fine, pretty simple gun, not much you could screw up.

I contacted Remington, phone not an option, just an email request for service.

I then did a Google search for "Remington 870 wont eject shell" and was blown away by the number of hits! Bottom line, sloppy manufacturing, there is roughness inside the chamber where the rim of the shell rests opposite of the ejector. When the eject pulls on the shell, on the opposite side of the ejector, the rim of the shell hangs on that roughness. I broke down my gun again and sure enough the inside of my chamber where it meets the barrel feels like crap-- a few raised edges.

I'm waiting to hear from Remington, I suspect they will have me send in the barrel for repair/replacement. I've had a few shotguns since I was a kid but this is my first Remington. I recall back in the 70s lusting over the highly desired 870 Wingmaster. Today I'm not impressed or happy with Remington, I'll see how their service goes.

Anyone experience or are aware of this (what sounds like to be a fairly widespread) problem?
 
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#2 ·
I own a 870 TC Trap and If I don't clean the chamber religiously I will have the same problems. I doesn't take much crud in the chamber for the shell to start sticking. Of course this being a trap gun I often shoot 100 or more at a time, much more than a sporting shotgun would be shot in a session. I use a brass brush and solvent to get it clean.
 
#4 ·
Just got back from the range shooting pistols. On the way out I talked to the gunsmith and asked him about the 870 problem and if he was aware of it. He chuckled and picked up a brand new 870 he had just finished working on with the exact same problem. He told me he gets 870s all the time with this very problem. He continued by telling me my how Remington's QC has gone down the toilet.

I also just received an email from Remington asking me to send the shotgun back (I think to NC). I asked them about a prepaid label and box to ship the gun in. I'll wait for their response first, but I'll probably take it to my local gunsmith so I know it gets fix right. Not sure if I trust Remington to fix my gun right the second time when they have failed so many times the first time.
 
#8 ·
I also have put many rounds though my wingmaster, and never had it fail. I think I'd really have to work on it to cause it to have a problem. My nephew has the express and has had no failures either. But I have heard that this has been a problem lately with newer 870s. Most fixes required polishing the chambers. Being a new gun either trust Rem. or your gunsmith to fix it. Good luck.
 
#10 ·
Remington customer service sent me a label to have my gun shipped back for a repair. Because I don't have the box and since I don't want to hassel with boxing, shipping, waiting, and being home to sign for the gun when it returns, I'll take it to my smith and spend about $45 to have it fixed. I hate to let Remington off the hook so easy but I think I'll write them a letter.

I got to examine the repair made by my smith on another 870 and it felt as smooth as a ramp on a pistol.
 
#15 ·
Remington customer service sent me a label to have my gun shipped back for a repair. Because I don't have the box and since I don't want to hassel with boxing, shipping, waiting, and being home to sign for the gun when it returns, I'll take it to my smith and spend about $45 to have it fixed. I hate to let Remington off the hook so easy but I think I'll write them a letter.

I got to examine the repair made by my smith on another 870 and it felt as smooth as a ramp on a pistol.
You did exactly what I would have done. By the time you pay for the shipping, and then wait for your gun to return, hopefully fixed, you could have had a local gun smith fix the problem, and had your gun back in days instead of weeks.
 
#12 ·
My son has one and never had this problem. He did have it lockup when he pumped it but someone at the TFF BBQ 2 years ago told him how to fix it. It was no big thing.
 
#13 ·
My Wingmaster has given no problems. I do have an H&R Pardner pump and an ATI semi that I use for 3-gun, they both had the rough chamber issue.

Being these were both inexpensive guns, I didn't send them back. My solution may be considered crude but it worked. I simply wrapped a 12ga brush with 0000 steel wool, hooked it up to the drill and cleaned up the chamber, no problems since.
 
#14 ·
I should have included in my previous post that my dad bought an 870 Wingmaster in the first or second year of manufacture. and used it to hunt behind settings dogs. He had the chock opened up. Not one problem ever. Bought a 1100 later as he got older and hated it, problems with the ports plugging up. Went back to the 870.
 
#16 · (Edited)
I've killed many birds in my days with my Mossberg 500 and never ever did that gun hicup. And I know how reliable the 870s are but something is going on at the Remington plant with these recent guns. I've got a neighbor who bought an 870 (not sure which model) a couple of months ago and he has not had any issues.
 
#18 ·
I agree, my mb500 is now about 24 ys old. Its as loose as the day I got it, and never a problem. The 870 is newer, but still about 14-15 ys old or so. Its action is much stiffer, almost tight, but it has never failed me either.
 
#17 ·
Hey, they are cranking them out as fast as they can. Probably not paying attention to quality the way they should be. It happens!
 
#21 ·
We all have different experiences with our guns. I bought a Mossberg 500 Many years ago, with a 31/2 inch chamber. The first time I hunter with it I had it pieces in the bottom of the skiff. I was able to fix it. A lief spring didn't have enough tension. Never gave me another problem. But it kicked like a mule and I sold it to a friend that had a cousin in eastern Washington that wanted it for hunting geese. Good bye to the 500.
 
#22 ·
Got my 870 back today from my gunsmith. The chamber is as smooth as glass. Happy to have a fixed gun but not happy that Remington cost me an extra $50 to have it repaired.

I ordered a Remington choke set (full and modified with a choke wrench) last week via Walmart. It should be delivered to my local store this week for pick up.
 
#23 · (Edited)
Mine works flawlessly.
Not surprising though. Virtually any manufacturer of anything these days is utilizing any means they can to improve "efficiency".
As a country we're switching to the Chinese model of manufacturing....
"make it as inexpensively and quickly as possible, fix the problems after, and call it customer service"
 
#26 ·
The ironic and somewhat scarey thought is that the Chinese model does work.
Case in point; A SIG 224 I purchased new. Had a little problem with it. Emailed SIG, in 5 minutes I had a prepaid label. In 1 week the gun went out and came back. I was very satisfied, although inconvenienced.
Now if SIG had made absolutely sure that gun was perfect before it left, they would've had to charge me more for it. This way I got the gun for less and was inconvenienced. I could've been in the other 98% that got the gun for less and weren't inconvenienced. It's a valid argument.
 
#27 ·
Well I finally got to take my brand new repaired shotgun out after my gunsmith smoothed out the chamber. First shot, boom, and it would not eject. Can't believe this crap, deja vu! I realize I'm shooting cheap Estate brand shells but I have shot thousands of shot shells in my life and never ever had a failure. Working with the pump I finally got it to eject. I repeated this for 4 more Estate rounds and they all jammed. I tried 3 Remington low brass field shots, first 3 Okay, 4th jammed. The next 3, they ejected but not smoothly. I've shot less than 25 shells out of this brand new shotgun.

Wish I had my cheaper Mossberg 88 back, at least it was reliable. I'm so furious with this piece of crap 870 I'll never by anything from Remington again.
 
#28 ·
Update 2 months later:

Okay so I've cooled off and won't be burning down the Remington plant. I just got my 870 back tonight from Remington and their findings were: "Barrel-to-bolt misalignment, recut back wall."

Heading out in the desert this Saturday to test it out. [fingers crossed]
 
#32 · (Edited)
Every year when Dove season opens, usually about 3-4 days into it I get a bundle of Remington 870's in because the shells are jamming up in the chamber... A Small investment in a Flex-Hone gets the job done and out of our shop fast. Don't know why Remington can't take the extra small bit of time to do this, but at least their screw ups make me money :)
 
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