cleaning my breech bolt: slide cover question

[tnaka]

Hey,

I was cleaning my gun and stripping it down as manual instructed. When i got to breech bolt assembly, i removed the port cover as instructed in the manual. When i got the cover of the port cover spring looked funny, like somebody been trying to pull it straight. I dot't know if it's normal and should it look like that or did i do a mistake when is was disassemblin it? Any experience on this topic anyone? I was able to assemble it normally, but the port cover slide action maybe feels a bit more sticky than previously. I added few photos if it would explain the situation better, you can see the spring sticking out on left side. Gun is obviously 870, but to be more precise, express supermag (3 1/2).

[Synchronizor]

Looks like you managed to tweak the thing somehow. The port cover spring is just a straight helical spring.

[tnaka]

Ok, thanks. Wasn't careful enough, because there was no mention in the manual that that could happen. What's the function of the port cover anyway? It's in supermag only, maybe because the ejection port is longer and breech bolt assembly is the same as in 3"?

[Synchronizor]

The 870's receiver was never designed for 3.5" shells because they didn't exist back in the 1940s. When the design was modified in the late 1990s for the 3.5" shell, the ejection port had to be lengthened to accommodate the longer hulls. However, the breech bolt couldn't be lengthened to match, because that would have made it too long for the receiver. So to avoid having a gap that would allow dirt or debris to fall directly into the trigger plate assembly, Remington added a spring-loaded port cover that would cover the rear end of the ejection port when the action was closed, and collapse forward when it was open.

[tnaka]

Might it be possible to fix the spring?

[MStarmer]

Might it be possible to fix the spring?

Once a spring has been kinked or modified in shape at all it's just easier and cheaper to replace. Call Remington or get one from Midway or Brownell's.

[Synchronizor]

You can get replacement springs from Remington for just a few bucks. I wouldn't bother trying to fix it.

[tnaka]

Here it costs $33 from local midway dealer.
So thats why asked. I need to ask from remington dealers if they have more decent price.

[Synchronizor]

Remington has it listed for $3-$4. Hopefully you can get one for something like that in your area, I have trouble imagining $30 in shipping for something that could fit in an envelope.

[tnaka]

Yeah, hope so too. This is the wonderland of taxes and overpricing!