help shotgun rookie load a shotgun (870)

[Lon]

Lon - I don't mean to cause any trouble, but for a novice user(s) I think it is important to caution the OP that a shotgun safety generally only blocks the trigger from being moved to the rear. Although it happens very rarely, a sharp impact - say from the shotgun being dropped - can cause the hammer to come forward and strike the firing pin, firing a shell that is loaded into the chamber.

Therefore, OP, in most circumstances it is best to store the shotgun with the chamber empty. OP, this simply means omitting step #3 - drop shell into open action and close the action on an empty chamber.

No trouble at all, Dan. It’s a valid point and well advised. What I should have clarified was that was a suggestion for if you’re going to load it up and shoot it immediately. But you’re absolutely right, storing it that way isn’t smart and I store mine in cruiser ready.

[DacoRoman]

Yes. It looks like the magazine tube might be blocked, but the second photo shows that there is room to slide a shell into the tube.

Thank you for the clarification. Most odd indeed what’s happening w his scattergun. I’m still waiting for pics from him.

[farscott]

I think I see the flat tab, when the action is closed, in the superior portion above and in front of the mag follower, that is the thing that was preventing the shells from going into the mag. It seems like it recedes out of the way when the action is open.

The verbiage above is confusing, so this may be totally off base. Is the "superior portion above and in front of the mag follower" that "recedes out of the way" the forearm? Below are two pictures of my 870 Classic Trap. One is with the action open (first picture) and one (second picture) is with the action closed. When the action is open, access to the magazine tube is blocked by the sporting forearm. When closed (forearm locked forward), the loading port is accessible.

[DacoRoman]

Lon - I don't mean to cause any trouble, but for a novice user(s) I think it is important to caution the OP that a shotgun safety generally only blocks the trigger from being moved to the rear. Although it happens very rarely, a sharp impact - say from the shotgun being dropped - can cause the hammer to come forward and strike the firing pin, firing a shell that is loaded into the chamber.

Therefore, OP, in most circumstances it is best to store the shotgun with the chamber empty. OP, this simply means omitting step #3 - drop shell into open action and close the action on an empty chamber.

Yes I store my own lowly beat up Mossberg 500 w shells in the mag on an empty chamber/hammer down. I think my buddy wanted to do the same but he can’t feed a darn shell into that mag! I’m going to tell him to just take it to a gun smith and be done w it.

[DacoRoman]

The verbiage above is confusing, so this may be totally off base. Is the "superior portion above and in front of the mag follower" that "recedes out of the way" the forearm? Below are two pictures of my 870 Classic Trap. One is with the action open (first picture) and one (second picture) is with the action closed. When the action is open, access to the magazine tube is blocked by the sporting forearm. When closed (forearm locked forward), the loading port is accessible.

It’s not the forearm. It is a small metal tab that occludes the front of the tubular mag opening, by maybe 20%, in a semicircular fashion. I’m still waiting for a pic from him.

[farscott]

It’s not the forearm. It is a small metal tab that occludes the front of the tubular mag opening, by maybe 20%, in a semicircular fashion. I’m still waiting for a pic from him.

Sounds like a displaced shell latch.

[DacoRoman]

Sounds like a displaced shell latch.

Yeah... something certainly seems to be off, that’s for sure. Everyone pretty much confirmed that it’s not normal for the gun not to accept shells in the mag, cocked or not.

Thanks everyone for your input. He still hasn’t sent a pic, so it is time for me to bow out and let him take the gun to a smith.
Thanks again everyone and if I get a meaningful update to this mystery I’ll update the thread.

[farscott]

If the gun was field stripped and a shell latch was displaced, it is possible the trigger pins are not going through the hole in the shell latch that acts to retain the latch. That usually makes it impossible for the front trigger plate pin to be installed -- unless the pin is smaller than specified as used by some accessories. If that is the case, the gun can be field stripped again, the shell latch put back into its proper location, and assembled. That should solve the loading issue. If it does, the root cause of the issue is known.

It also means the gun should go to a smith to have the shell latches inspected, replaced (if needed), and staked into position. I have seen this issue when people use smaller diameter pins to retain the trigger plate. The smaller diameter pins allow the shell latch to move under recoil and can break the staking.

[DacoRoman]

Mystery Solved!

Ok if you’d have told me there was such a thing I’d have thought that surely, it can’t be so.

Introducing a ONE SHOT - hence that tab that was blocking the darn mag tube - pump shotgun... with a Gas System for recoil reduction:

The 870 Competition!



I truly thought I was in the twilight Zone

[SW CQB 45]

when I started LEO in 89, I had zero time behind a shotty.

My first training officer would get angry with me as my fumble fingers would somehow get a round to feed under a closed bolt and on top of the shell lifter and tie up the gun as I was checking it prior to duty.

I don't know when the flexi tab system was introduced but they would make me take the 870 apart to free up the stuck round.

Now a single shot 870... I have been to at least 4 maybe 5 870 armorer classes. The first few were taught by (Lyle... cant think of his last name) who would tell us Remington stories as he used to work the floor.

Never heard of this particular model.

glad it was figured out.