Tube nut wrench doesn't fit!

[knestle]

I'm trying to change out the fore end on my 870P.
I bought a wrench but it won't fit into the stock fore end.
The wrench fits fine in the replacement fore end.
What's up?

[Synchronizor]

What specific wrench do you have?

If it's just not going to work with your fore-end, you can also use a pair of pliers to loosen the fore-end tube nut:

[BurstBarrel]

I have the ATI Remington 12 GA Mag-Socket Wrench Forend Removal Tool
http://www.atigunstocks.com/remington-1 ... ket-wrench

For $19.99 it's an excellent tool to have on hand, much more professional than pliers, etc. Does not damage or scratch the nut, tube or fore end at all.

[Synchronizor]

A dedicated fore-end tool can be nice to have, especially if you swap fore-ends frequently. But if you're just going to change the fore-end once and leave it, and/or you have limited spending money that you'd rather use on accessories or ammo, pliers work just fine as long as you use a little care & common sense. Remember, you only really need a tool for that first or last fraction of a turn, you can use your fingers to thread the nut on or off the rest of the way.

Do what you're comfortable with, obviously, but I've changed fore-ends countless times with my Leatherman, and it never caused a problem.

[knestle]

Thanks for responding, guys.

I saw the Leatherman tool routine on you tube and tried it.
I applied enough force that the Leatherman was seriously flexing and I was concerned about damaging the tool, or even breaking the tool and damaging myself. The nut did not budge.

I bought the proper tool for the job (a tool that should have come with the gun), but it won't fit into the original forend. The tool fits perfectly into the aftermarket forend that I want to install. I
am reluctant to buy another tool that probably also will not fit.

It appears to me that the original forend is somehow distorted or improperly installed, and cannot be removed short of destroying it (and possibly the forend tube as well).

I am leaning toward buying a replacement forend tube/nut assembly.

[riverbear]

Sounds like part was cross-threaded or gaulded during original installation. Would the removal be a service that Remington would provide? Seems they might have encountered this before and would be willing to remove it for a small fee if you cover the shipping.

They seem like decent folks so it's worth a phone call.

[knestle]

From my viewpoint a phone call/shipping/downtime are all too much trouble.
I just ordered a replacement forend tube assembly and nut.
The chrome part for the 'Marine Magnum' was $7 cheaper than the painted part for the 'Police Magnum' so that's what I went with.
I'll know Friday if I made the right choice.

Cartoon: Service manager to irate customer.
"How about we give you a replacement, double your money back, burn down the store, and shoot the manager. Would that satisfy you, sir?"

[knestle]

My replacement forend tube assembly and nut arrived Friday.
Everything fit perfectly.
My Remington 870 Police Magnum is now reassembled and ready for action, with the added benefit(?) of exposed shiny chrome action rails.
Not quite 'custom', but 'different than the average bear'.

[BurstBarrel]

My replacement forend tube assembly and nut arrived Friday.
Everything fit perfectly.
My Remington 870 Police Magnum is now reassembled and ready for action, with the added benefit(?) of exposed shiny chrome action rails.
Not quite 'custom', but 'different than the average bear'.

Good to here! I would have done the same thing. Say hi to Yogi the Bear

[redgoat]

I realize that I'm a little late in my response to this post, but I'm going ahead to respond anyway in the hope that it will help someone in the future.

@knestle: I'm glad that you got the parts. I've considered ordering some of the Marine plated parts to "beautify" one of my 870s with. I bet the contrasting silver and blue colors looks sharp!

I ran into a similar, if not identical, issue in the very recent past. At first I thought that the forend itself was preventing any of my wrenches from seating. The 870 forend piece in question was one of the older "corn-cob" style and the forend tube nut was cinched way down tight so that the top edge of the tube nut was flush with the tube. This was the most deeply seated forend tube nut that I have encountered on an 870. None of the wrenches that I own would seat cleanly because, it turns out, the lugs of all the tools are too "thick." The lugs of every wrench were prevented from fully seating because their thickness protruded into the interior, and the deeply seated tube nut had absolutely no engagement surface exposed past the end of the forend tube. The threaded portion of the forend tube itself prevented the wrenches from seating due to the engaging lugs of the wrenches protruding INTO the interior of the tube nut past the the thickness of the tube nut itself.

So.... I applied some WD-40 and then while waiting for it to soak (at that point, it didn't appear that rust or damaged threads were an issue, but a little lubrication never hurts), I took one of the poly-whatever wrenches which come with the Magpul forends and carefully filed out the interior of its lugs so that it would slide into the notches of the tube nut without catching on the forend tube itself. Once done, I carefully slid the modified tool into place, tapped around gently with a small nylon-head hammer, twisted and Voila! ... off it came.

I may at some time in the future purchase another steel tool from Brownells and modify it in a similar fashion as the poly-whatever Magpul toy, just in case I run into another of these. I don't want to permanently modify the the ones I already have, but it'd be nice to have a "specialized" version ready.