Rem 870 ejector spring question - The Firearms Forum

Helix_FR · 05-24-2010, 09:58 AM

I got at Remington 870 express that I just replaced the ejector housing on. The guy got pissed off at it for some reason, threw it down on the ground and it broke the ejector housing. I'm thinking I know why he got pissed at it. It won't eject when rapidly pumped. The gun is chambered for a 3in magnum but I can't even get a spent 2 3/4 to eject. If you eject slowly the hull will come out but it just barley clears the ejection port. If you rapid pump the gun the hull will extract, seems to start to eject but ends up staying in and resting on the carrier. My question is, can I our should I bend the angle of the spring where the hull contacts the spring? Right now its at a 90 degree angle. If I bend it at a say 110 angle where the ejection part of the spring faces more out towards the ejection port, it will delay the ejection just slightly but also increase the angle of ejection. Am I right in thinking this? This is the original spring, I have replacements but they look identical. I'm also going to stiffen up the extractor spring, it seems week and may be part of the problem too.
I believe this is truly a 2 3/4 receiver but he replaced the barrel with a 3in mag barrel. Right now I'm only interested in getting the 2 3/4 hulls to eject.

wpage · 05-24-2010, 11:11 AM

Contact remington B4 you start swapping parts...
www.remington.com

Helix_FR · 05-24-2010, 11:22 AM

Its not parts swappen its replacing broken ones. This is the 3rd 870 in a month with a broken ejector housing. The first 2 ejected hulls 4 feet away when done, this one sometimes can't even make it out of the port. I'm not using Win Universals either, I know they are a problem, I got AA and federals I'm testing with. Both do the same thing. I've never had a ejector spring do anything stupid like this.

Terry_P · 05-24-2010, 03:31 PM

Did he swap springs as well or use some sledgehammer gunsmithing when he had issues. If he's dumb enough to throw the ejector housing like a 5 year old then who knows what else he did.

Helix_FR · 05-24-2010, 03:48 PM

Nope, original parts. The rivets were finished like the receiver. If they were replaced at any time its quite obvious. Not sure why I care this much about it but I don't want him callen me complaining that it don't eject when I'm sure it didn't before.

Jim K · 05-24-2010, 06:56 PM

What you are describing is almost always the result of a bad extractor or a weak extractor spring, not a bad ejector. Those guns have a bad habit of losing extractors, and they often get replaced with the wrong parts, like a hardware store extractor spring or a piece of nail for a plunger. Replace all three parts and see what happens.

Jim

JLA · 05-24-2010, 07:37 PM

^^^ best recommendation ^^^

Helix_FR · 05-25-2010, 10:50 AM

got it all, thanks for the help Jim and Josh. I made a minor fitting adjustment to the extractor and now it at least gets the shells out. Not far but it is consistent and they do make it out every time.

Jim K · 05-25-2010, 04:57 PM

Like most guns except blowbacks, the 870 extractor must not only pull the fired case from the chamber, it must hold onto it while pulling it back against the ejector. If the extractor is not doing its part, it will drop the fired case/shell before it can reach the ejector. That appears to be what is happening in your case. I don't know what "minor adjustment" you have made, but I would replace the extractor, plunger and spring. The three parts cost only about $25, cheap to get a working gun.

Jim

grampawmike · 05-27-2010, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim K

Like most guns except blowbacks, the 870 extractor must not only pull the fired case from the chamber, it must hold onto it while pulling it back against the ejector. If the extractor is not doing its part, it will drop the fired case/shell before it can reach the ejector. That appears to be what is happening in your case. I don't know what "minor adjustment" you have made, but I would replace the extractor, plunger and spring. The three parts cost only about $25, cheap to get a working gun.

Jim

As a retired police armorer......Jim is right. Clean the bolt thoroughly and replace all three parts. Check and de-burr the extractor (if necessary) before instalation. Install the clean and dry bolt. Mike

Jim K · 05-27-2010, 06:26 PM

The Model 870 is notorious for dumping its extractors. The shops where I worked kept a handful of them as well as plungers and springs as replacements since often, the spring and plunger went into the tall grass along with the extractor.

It was pretty common in working on those guns to find that the owner had replaced the extractor, but cheaped out on the spring and plunger, using a hardware store spring and a piece of nail instead. The extractor didn't hold the shell tightly enough, with the results described above.

Jim

05-24-2010, 09:58 AM	#1
Helix_FR TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Imperial, MO Posts: 3,624	Rem 870 ejector spring question I got at Remington 870 express that I just replaced the ejector housing on. The guy got pissed off at it for some reason, threw it down on the ground and it broke the ejector housing. I'm thinking I know why he got pissed at it. It won't eject when rapidly pumped. The gun is chambered for a 3in magnum but I can't even get a spent 2 3/4 to eject. If you eject slowly the hull will come out but it just barley clears the ejection port. If you rapid pump the gun the hull will extract, seems to start to eject but ends up staying in and resting on the carrier. My question is, can I our should I bend the angle of the spring where the hull contacts the spring? Right now its at a 90 degree angle. If I bend it at a say 110 angle where the ejection part of the spring faces more out towards the ejection port, it will delay the ejection just slightly but also increase the angle of ejection. Am I right in thinking this? This is the original spring, I have replacements but they look identical. I'm also going to stiffen up the extractor spring, it seems week and may be part of the problem too. I believe this is truly a 2 3/4 receiver but he replaced the barrel with a 3in mag barrel. Right now I'm only interested in getting the 2 3/4 hulls to eject. __________________ Only cowards shoot with their eyes closed.... helixgunsmith.com -->

05-24-2010, 11:11 AM	#2
wpage Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 1,471	Re: Rem 870 ejector spring question Contact remington B4 you start swapping parts... www.remington.com __________________ "You shall recieve power" Acts 1:8 W

05-24-2010, 11:22 AM	#3
Helix_FR TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Imperial, MO Posts: 3,624	Re: Rem 870 ejector spring question Its not parts swappen its replacing broken ones. This is the 3rd 870 in a month with a broken ejector housing. The first 2 ejected hulls 4 feet away when done, this one sometimes can't even make it out of the port. I'm not using Win Universals either, I know they are a problem, I got AA and federals I'm testing with. Both do the same thing. I've never had a ejector spring do anything stupid like this. __________________ Only cowards shoot with their eyes closed.... helixgunsmith.com

05-24-2010, 03:31 PM	#4
Terry_P Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: NH Posts: 2,513	Re: Rem 870 ejector spring question Did he swap springs as well or use some sledgehammer gunsmithing when he had issues. If he's dumb enough to throw the ejector housing like a 5 year old then who knows what else he did. __________________ NRA and NAHC Life "Both oligarch and tyrant mistrust the people, and therefore deprive them of their arms." -Aristotle

05-24-2010, 03:48 PM	#5
Helix_FR TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Imperial, MO Posts: 3,624	Re: Rem 870 ejector spring question Nope, original parts. The rivets were finished like the receiver. If they were replaced at any time its quite obvious. Not sure why I care this much about it but I don't want him callen me complaining that it don't eject when I'm sure it didn't before. __________________ Only cowards shoot with their eyes closed.... helixgunsmith.com

05-24-2010, 06:56 PM	#6
Jim K Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 6,408	Re: Rem 870 ejector spring question What you are describing is almost always the result of a bad extractor or a weak extractor spring, not a bad ejector. Those guns have a bad habit of losing extractors, and they often get replaced with the wrong parts, like a hardware store extractor spring or a piece of nail for a plunger. Replace all three parts and see what happens. Jim

05-24-2010, 07:37 PM	#7
JLA TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Heart Of Texas Contributor Posts: 17,317	Re: Rem 870 ejector spring question ^^^ best recommendation ^^^ __________________ It takes 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 3 for proper trigger squeeze. The latest caliber or gear is no substitute for experience and skill. Rifles and cartridges don't make hits -- shooters do. Fact of life: After Monday and Tuesday, even the calendar says WTF!

05-25-2010, 10:50 AM	#8
Helix_FR TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Imperial, MO Posts: 3,624	Re: Rem 870 ejector spring question got it all, thanks for the help Jim and Josh. I made a minor fitting adjustment to the extractor and now it at least gets the shells out. Not far but it is consistent and they do make it out every time. __________________ Only cowards shoot with their eyes closed.... helixgunsmith.com

05-25-2010, 04:57 PM	#9
Jim K Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 6,408	Re: Rem 870 ejector spring question Like most guns except blowbacks, the 870 extractor must not only pull the fired case from the chamber, it must hold onto it while pulling it back against the ejector. If the extractor is not doing its part, it will drop the fired case/shell before it can reach the ejector. That appears to be what is happening in your case. I don't know what "minor adjustment" you have made, but I would replace the extractor, plunger and spring. The three parts cost only about $25, cheap to get a working gun. Jim

05-27-2010, 06:26 PM	#11
Jim K Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 6,408	Re: Rem 870 ejector spring question The Model 870 is notorious for dumping its extractors. The shops where I worked kept a handful of them as well as plungers and springs as replacements since often, the spring and plunger went into the tall grass along with the extractor. It was pretty common in working on those guns to find that the owner had replaced the extractor, but cheaped out on the spring and plunger, using a hardware store spring and a piece of nail instead. The extractor didn't hold the shell tightly enough, with the results described above. Jim