Hello from a new member, with an 870 problem (please help!)

General discussion about Remington 870 shotgun.
gatorpilot
New Shotgunner
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Oct 08, 2013 12:07 pm

Hello from a new member, with an 870 problem (please help!)

Post by gatorpilot »

Hello everyone, new member, nice to be here. I have an issue that I could really use some help with!

I'm posting about my Remington 870 Police Magnum. This gun is new to me and I treated as a project gun. I received it as a police surplus gun in perfectly serviceable but worn condition. It was given to me by a friend of mine. He also gave me a Choate Tool 2-shot mag tube extension.

First, a look at the finished gun - I duracoated it in Magpul FDE, dressed it with Magpul furniture and a Mesa Tactical Picatinny rail, and some other stuff.

Image

Turned out really nice. Now, the issue I have is that I can't feed but 5 total shells into the mag tube. Before we go in the wrong direction with this, an important note:

The mag tube is not dimpled. So, no need to drill them out or flatten them.

Also, I read this advice: http://www.aiptactical.com/Page_2.html at AIP Tactical about popping the extension with the heel of your hand to make sure that the spring doesn't bind up in the tube. So I've done that too.

Here's the Choate extension screwed onto the mag tube.

Image

Here's the extension removed from the mag tube along with the spring.

Image

Here's the GG&G enhanced follower.

Image

Finally, here's the spring laid out next to the barrel so you can see how long it is.

Image

First thing I did to troubleshoot was to remove the spring completely and make sure that the follower and the shells would slide smoothly into the extension, that they weren't binding at the seam between the extension and the mag tube. And they do slide smoothly through. Nothing gets hung up. That seems to leave only the spring as a possible culprit, does it not?

I noticed that Choate Tool sells the mag extension kit with an orange guide rod of some kind. It's not a "plug" to reduce capacity for hunting (I don't think so, anyway). But I don't hav this guide rod. All I have is the spring and the mag tube extension itself.

Does the spring look too long? Maybe cut it down?

Maybe I need a new spring? (What could be wrong with a spring? It isn't perfectly straight, I guess.)

Ideas/suggestions greatly appreciated.
Chief Brody
Senior Shotgunner
Posts: 223
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2012 4:19 am
Location: Long Island, NY

Re: Hello from a new member, with an 870 problem (please hel

Post by Chief Brody »

The spring looks fine to me, it's not going to be perfectly straight or stiff or anything. One thing that comes to mind, are you loading 2 3/4" shells or 3" shells? I personally haven't tried loading my 870P up fully with 3 inchers, but I don't imagine it'd take more than 5.
Let us speak courteously, deal fairly, and keep ourselves armed and ready. - T.R.
gatorpilot
New Shotgunner
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Oct 08, 2013 12:07 pm

Re: Hello from a new member, with an 870 problem (please hel

Post by gatorpilot »

Chief Brody wrote:The spring looks fine to me, it's not going to be perfectly straight or stiff or anything. One thing that comes to mind, are you loading 2 3/4" shells or 3" shells? I personally haven't tried loading my 870P up fully with 3 inchers, but I don't imagine it'd take more than 5.
Thanks. 2 3/4" shells are what I'm using.

I think I finally figured out the problem. It's the GG&G follower. I took it out and put the stock Remmy follower back in, and I was able to load 6 shells. I examined both followers and placed the spring into the well of each and discovered that the thickness of the GG&G aluminum follower's construction does not allow the spring to compress neatly inside the follower like it does with the flimsy Remington follower. It stacks up "behind" the follower which robs capacity.

So either I need to ditch the follower ($33, ouch) or find a narrower diameter spring to use.
Chief Brody
Senior Shotgunner
Posts: 223
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2012 4:19 am
Location: Long Island, NY

Re: Hello from a new member, with an 870 problem (please hel

Post by Chief Brody »

I haven't heard of these springs coming any narrower, unless 20 gauges come with a slimmer spring. Odd problem with that follower. I use the delrin hi-vis S&J Hardware follower and haven't had any issues, and it's got that 'tail' on it to keep the spring in order. Might be an option if you have to ditch the GG&G.
Let us speak courteously, deal fairly, and keep ourselves armed and ready. - T.R.
User avatar
Vitaly
Owner
Posts: 1274
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2012 11:27 am

Re: Hello from a new member, with an 870 problem (please hel

Post by Vitaly »

My spring goes inside the Vang Comp Systems follower... Maybe walls of GG&G follower are too thick?
By the way, my article: Remington 870 Followers Overview

Also, shotgun looks very good!
http://www.Rem870.com - Blog about the Remington 870 Shotgun
gatorpilot
New Shotgunner
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Oct 08, 2013 12:07 pm

Re: Hello from a new member, with an 870 problem (please hel

Post by gatorpilot »

Vitaly wrote:My spring goes inside the Vang Comp Systems follower... Maybe walls of GG&G follower are too thick?
By the way, my article: Remington 870 Followers Overview

Also, shotgun looks very good!
Vitaly, you have a great website. I'd actually already found your review and read it before purchasing. I decided to try the GG&G follower. It's a very high quality follower, beautifully made with a nice high visibility red color. Unfortunately it seems to cost me a shell in total capacity!

And yes, I think the walls are simply too thick.
gatorpilot
New Shotgunner
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Oct 08, 2013 12:07 pm

Re: Hello from a new member, with an 870 problem (please hel

Post by gatorpilot »

gatorpilot wrote:
Vitaly wrote:My spring goes inside the Vang Comp Systems follower... Maybe walls of GG&G follower are too thick?
By the way, my article: Remington 870 Followers Overview

Also, shotgun looks very good!
Vitaly, you have a great website. I'd actually already found your review and read it before purchasing. I decided to try the GG&G follower. It's a very high quality follower, beautifully made with a nice high visibility red color. Unfortunately it seems to cost me a shell in total capacity!

And yes, I think the walls are simply too thick.
I called GG&G's tech support and naturally they had never, ever heard of this problem before. But they recommended I try replacing my spring with a Wolff model. So I'll give that a try. Actually I already have one on order from Wilson Combat so I'll try that first.
User avatar
Synchronizor
Elite Shotgunner
Posts: 3022
Joined: Fri Dec 28, 2012 8:04 am
Location: The Inland Northwest
Contact:

Re: Hello from a new member, with an 870 problem (please hel

Post by Synchronizor »

My guess would be that the coil diameter of your spring is too large for that follower. My aftermarket +1 extension came with a tailed follower, not a cup-style one, and its spring is much wider than my factory ones. I believe the Choate extensions come with this same style of follower.

One option to deal with this would be to order one of the factory springs Remington uses in their Police and Express Tactical models. I use one of these with my Remington +2 and +3 extensions (the same spring is used for both), and it has fairly small-diameter coils to fit inside the extension tube's follower-stop ring and bayonet-mount tip. They're just $3-$4 (plus shipping), and you can order them directly from Remington's customer service line.
EdwardE
Experienced Shotgunner
Posts: 58
Joined: Tue Oct 08, 2013 3:55 am

Re: Hello from a new member, with an 870 problem (please hel

Post by EdwardE »

looking at the spring in your pictures, it looks like it goes to a taper at each end. Holding the follower and spring in your hand, will the taper not fit inside the follower?
User avatar
Vitaly
Owner
Posts: 1274
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2012 11:27 am

Re: Hello from a new member, with an 870 problem (please hel

Post by Vitaly »

By the way, the Choate magazine spring is the worst of all that I've seen. I really like Nordic Components magazine spring which can be ordered separetely for just $7.55: Extension Tube Springs
http://www.Rem870.com - Blog about the Remington 870 Shotgun
Post Reply