Am I just getting soft?

M

MDS

New member
When I shoot slugs or buckshot from my old 870, the slide seems to always slide back to open the breech from recoil. Is my gun in need of a repair? Or am I just getting old and soft. I have a lot of trouble keeping the slide forward.
 
Its normal. Its not going to hurt anything, my mossberg does that occasionally. Most pump guns will do that with the heavier loads.
 
Its normal. Its not going to hurt anything, my mossberg does that occasionally. Most pump guns will do that with the heavier loads.
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No MDS, you aren't getting soft. Rifleer is correct, but I'd go a step further.

The momentum from recoil is trying to operate the slide. Help it out! Continue the rearward operation of the slide manually while the gun is in recoil, and then shove the slide forward as the gun comes back on target. :cool:

As Louis Awerbuck points out, that's the secret to fast operation of the pump shotgun. Of course, he's a SD instructor. Nothing wrong with using the same priciple for hunting, or skeet.:cool:
 
Lol, I don't remember doing this a few years ago. Then again maybe it did....and I just don't remember You know I didn't think of it that way.
 
My turkey gun does this since I put on a synthetic stock. I think the lighter weight has contributed to the issue. The only time it happens is when firing the heavy turkey loads. I always assumed it was just the recoil from the heavy load.
 
Well, Mtnman, the lighter gun may very well contribute, since it produces more recoil. As soon as you fire the gun, the action unlocks and the the slide wants to come rearward. The lighter gun/heavier recoil, contributes to the rearward slide momentum. When actions smooth up after use, that can also be a contributing factor.

LOL, It hasn't been easy convincing folks that this can be a good thing. That is: using the guns own rearward momentum to start the slide rearward and using the hand to keep it going. The only real secret there is to fast slide operation--even if you don't need the followup shot, it's ready if you do. Or, once one has learned to do it, it can be done just on demand when followup shots are necessary. ;)
 
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Yeah, I'm going to work on that too. I don't know why I didn't look at it as a positve. The simple things sometimes.
 
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