870 won't go into battery on empty chamber

[jwilson67]

Hello-
I have an older (circa 1990) 20 gauge wingmaster that is having issues. The gun will not go into battery on an empty chamber. It will work with rounds, but on empty it's as though the extractor is "diving" below the notch on the barrel. I replaced my old extractor with a new non-MIM extractor as the old one was rounded off in the middle. This sadly did not fix the problem. Short of getting a replacement barrel, I'm not sure what else to do. All info is appreciated. Thanks!

Best regards,
Joshua

[72Cheyenne]

I have a Winchester model 1897 that was doing the same thing. The notch for the extractor was so worn out it would dive into the chamber
and not allow it go into battery. My smith fixed it up for me. You could try a new barrel but a smith should be cheaper. Good luck.

[jwilson67]

Thanks for the info. I may just get a new barrel. Something in the 18" range and with adjustable chokes. Just wanted to see if it was the barrel and not the bolt before I dropped 150 bucks on it.

[Kentactic]

Seems like the bolt would be worn to the point that the extractor could dive past the barrels notched ramp. Not sure a new barrel is the answer.

[72Cheyenne]

Seems like the bolt would be worn to the point that the extractor could dive past the barrels notched ramp. Not sure a new barrel is the answer.

Good point. I'm still learning.

Sent from my two-story outhouse.

[Banshee]

I very seriously doubt the the barrel is bad, more than likely the problem is the extractor. Have you had it out of the bolt? It may not be positioned correctly.

[Synchronizor]

I'd take a look at the bolt and the extractor spring. If the spring isn't giving the proper tension, or the extractor notch in the bolt is worn, that could be what's giving the extractor enough movement to dive under the extractor notch in the barrel.

Also, while the barrel may not have been what caused the problem initially, it may be contributing now. Jamming a nosediving extractor against the extractor notch in the barrel too many times can chew up the "ramp" inside the notch, causing the malfunction to continue even if the root cause has been addressed. Kind of like when you bite your cheek, once it's swelled up from that first bite, it's much easier to keep biting it even if you're actively trying not to. It's hard to tell from these pictures, but if the notch in your barrel is too messed up, it may need some gunsmith work, or the entire barrel may need to be replaced.

[jwilson67]

Thanks for the info guys. I just put a new extractor in the bolt, so I'm pretty sure it's not that. How would I be able to tell if it's the bolt that's worn? I don't have a spare barrel to throw on there to compare, nor a spare bolt. I don't really want to play the "start buying parts until it works" game as that can costly pretty quickly. All information is greatly appreciated!

[Synchronizor]

If the extractor notch in the bolt is severely worn, it should be fairly noticeable. Just take out the extractor parts and give it a detailed inspection. Also look at the inside of the extractor notch, where the bottom of the extractor hooks into the bolt. It's possible that a build-up of powder residue, grease, or other debris in there could be keeping the extractor from seating properly.

As for spare parts; do you have a friend with a 20ga 870 that would be willing to let you swap parts around to try to identify the causes of your issue? If not, you could check the gunsmiths in your area. It's not uncommon to find 870s and 870 parts knocking around in gunsmith shops, and someone with an experienced eye could probably help you diagnose the problem even without a full set of spare parts.