Questions about new to me 870, choke related

[jadek44]

Started to clean up the factory oil? and there is no number on the left side of the barrel. Looks like they may have tried to stamp it. Also had I looked a bit closer I would have NOT bought it. What a piece of crap. Chamber unpolished ,barrel looks like a sewer pipe and the thing rattles worse than a Mossberg. I guess Remington has gone the way of Ruger . I'd like to meet the gorilla that put the choke tube in. Had to use pliers on the wrench to break it free. I was afraid it was rusted in(after the way the rest of the thing is). There was no lube whatsoever in the threads. Remington is getting a call Monday. Not a happy camper....

[Synchronizor]

You may have gotten a defective gun, but I wouldn't jump to conclusions. I've heard Remington coats the barrel bores and chambers with something to protect them before shipping them out, so they don't degrade in storage. Leaving that stuff on can cause hang-ups in a brand-new gun (especially if it was stored for a while, and the protectant collected dust), so you should thoroughly clean them out and polish the chamber before you shoot it for the first time.

As for the choke tube, that does sound a little worrying, but are the threads damaged at all? Some Remington gun oils (specifically the product they recommend for choke tubes in the owner's manual) are designed to dry and leave a lubricating film on the parts. I use a paste on my choke tubes, but I don't know what might have been put on at the factory.

[jadek44]

Going to get a couple honey dos done and then I'm going to scrub the snot out of it. The threads were ok. I use a Dow product. I cost me $30 for a 4 oz tube about 30 yrs ago. Goes a long way. Good to like 600degree heat ant 80 below cold. Good stuff. I'll keep you advised on how it cleans up....

[jadek44]

Well it cleaned up. Went through 16 patches until I got a clean one. Remington should be ashamed of letting something like that out to a customer. I cut the tape on the factory box so I know its a virgin. The action wasn't too bad . That's why I was surprised with the crap in the barrel. Oh well alls well that ends well...

[Synchronizor]

Glad you got it cleaned up.

I'd rather spend time cleaning than have it be rusted after sitting in a warehouse or some gun store's back room. Too many people think these guns are ready for duty right out of the box without any breaking-in, cleaning, or lubrication, then they complain when it doesn't run as well as their granddaddy's old 870 that's had tens of thousands of shells run through it.

I bought mine brand-new, and while the chamber wasn't too bad (it still got better after some work with a drill and a steel wool polisher, though), the box had gotten knocked around at some point, breaking the Styrofoam packing, and the trigger assembly was clogged with the little beads. The action also felt rough at first, but it's gotten much smoother with all the shooting I've done. Now, I'll handle a top-of-the-line Wingmaster in a gun store, and the action will feel tight and rough by comparison.

[Tomo]

I just bought a new 870 Express a couple of weeks ago and mine too was full of that black, dirty, greasy looking substance. It took a lot of scrubbing but cleaned up nicely in the end. My choke was screwed in too tightly as well. It must just be the way they ship them these days.

[tom]

I just bought a new 870 Express a couple of weeks ago and mine too was full of that black, dirty, greasy looking substance. It took a lot of scrubbing but cleaned up nicely in the end. My choke was screwed in too tightly as well. It must just be the way they ship them these days.

I also made a post about the "dirtiness" of my new 870, because at first I didn't realize it was just the factory grease. One definitely needs to give brand new 870 a good scrubbing before shooting it the first time.