Putting the $%#!!*&& thing back together

[bakerla]

I am generally a pretty handy guy, so I have waited before exposing my difficulty in reassembling the Remington 870 20 gauge tactical. The shotgun shoots, ejects, etc. just fine. It is after the cleaning that I have trouble. It takes me 45 minutes to assemble the gun so the fore-end moves freely as it should – that is if/when I finally get it together. Last week I went to the range and I just cannot get the thing assembled correctly. Mind you, this is not a B production shotgun. It was purchased at Bass Pro Shop.

I thought I had discovered a “trick” to this when one YouTube video mentioned that the trigger must be cocked (action bar lock extended) for firing before attempting to place the slide block and breach bolt on the action bars and inserting past the right and left shell latches. I get them past the latches successfully and apparently snug. At this stage the slide block/breach bolt combo slides freely inside the ejection port. I am unable to slide the fore-end freely at this point. I then assemble the barrel and insert the magazine spring and retainer and then screw on the magazine cap.

Per the YouTube video, I then am to pull the trigger. This has worked in the past after several tries. But usually the result is a fore-end that does not move forward but a fraction – jammed. That is where I am now.

The Owner’s Manual instructions are pretty brief (like all manuals), so it has been little help. So I am appealing to this august group for detailed assembly instructions or for the secret binary code that will lead to successful assembly. This is pretty embarrassing.

bakerla

[Synchronizor]

From your description, it sounds like you're installing the barrel with the fore-end locked in the forward position. In this state, the bolt will be trying to lock into a barrel that isn't there yet, so then when you install the barrel, you could be causing some mechanical hang-up. Before you install the barrel, you should press the action bar lock and move the fore-end halfway back, so that the action is half-open and won't interfere with the barrel.

If you haven't come across it yet, my take-down & reassembly video shows these steps in detail.

[72Cheyenne]

That's good info to know.