Remington 870 Break-In??

[Pastor Doogie]

New Question:

How many Shells does it take to break-in A New Remington 870?

A week or so ago I posted about some trouble I was having with a used 870 20 gauge I bought. I thought it might be a lubrication/ powder fouling issue. I cleaned the receiver & action bars, and that seems to have resolved my issue(s).

But I've also generally heard that the model 870 doesn't require much maintenance, and based on the condition of the gun, I'm pretty sure it's an all-but-new gun.

I read through the Remington 870 Owner's Manual looking for a shell count. If it's there I must have overlooked it.

This might seem like a finicky question, BUT... How many shells do you shoot through a new Remington 870 to break-in the gun?

[Chief Brody]

Without being able to get too specific, I'd say, "a few hundred". Keep it lubed up, shoot it, and lose count. It'll feel great afterward

[mercman]

The newer 870's aren't as smooth at the older Wingmasters. I picked up an Express HD a few years go and while I've had no functional failures and have about 500 rounds through it it's still not as smooth at my older 870's. I bought a couple hundred steel based field loads and ran those through it and it did smooth it up some.

'Break in' is a nebulous term and opinions on what/if/when will vary. Many shooters may not put 100 rounds through their 870's in a year while for others that's just a day of shooting. As for maintenance, these are just shotguns and are very rugged and forgiving. I only clean my 870's infrequently at best, but do keep them lubed.

Be safe and enjoy your new SG!

[Synchronizor]

It'll depend on when you'd consider the gun "broken-in". A good cleaning and one or two hundred rounds should be enough to shake off any out-of-the-box kinks and ensure proper function. The gun won't be fully run-in at that point - it'll probably take thousands of rounds before the gun really slicks up - but you should be able to trust it to work properly. The budget Expresses start out a little rougher than the higher-priced Wingmaster & Police models, so they might take more work to really smooth out, but they'll get there like any 870. My well-used Express is smoother than any new Wingmaster I've ever handled. Just keep on using the gun, and it'll keep getting better.

My brother works as a program director at a BSA camp up north. The 870s at their shotgun range get run hard, and tossed in a pile at the end of the day. They're true working guns, with thrashed furniture and next to no finish left, but they run like clocks, and they're so smooth the action almost falls open when you hit the slide release. Opening the action took so little effort I was initially concerned that their springs might be worn out, but I was assured that they were maintained properly.

[Pastor Doogie]

Well this is exceptionally good news!!

I guess what I meant initially when I asked about "breaking in" the 870--what I really mean is that the gun would function without much need for maintenance.

I had no Idea that 870's get better with age, like a timeless story, a fine woman, or a good wine.

I'd probably put 400-500 rounds through the gun without cleaning it, and the lack of lubrication in the Trigger Plate Assembly caused the carrier to raise the shell so high that the shell jammed between the carrier, the barrel hood, and the bolt.

After taking the gun apart and adding some Rem-Oil the issue was Instantly Solved!!

Maybe the question I'm asking is: How many shells do you put through your guns between cleanings?

[Synchronizor]

I clean my barrel bores and choke tubes after every shooting session, but unless it got really wet or dirty, I just wipe the rest of the gun down with a little oil to prevent corrosion. The 870 isn't some finicky semi-auto that needs to be kept spotless and run wet to function properly. Cleaning it every time you shoot a box of shells is overkill, and excess lube in the TPA and action is just going to collect crud faster.

[woodstock]

After about 4000 rounds my 870 exp feels as smooth as any, and smoother then most, used 870s I have picked up in gun stores.
Wingmasters or Express.