It ain't workin, 870 problem....

Jamie Young

New member
I got my 8 shot magazine extension on my 870 and it won't load properly. I took the barrel off again and noticed the rounds won't load into the extension because there are two dimples that won't allow the rounds to pass through?

What is going on here?
 
Ah, the dreaded dimples. There are several ways to deal with these (according to Remington non-PC) dimples.
The easiest thing is to drill them out. They are covered by the barrel ring so you'll never see the holes.
I can not bring myself to touch my guns with a drill so I opted for another way.
The one's that I've done, I used a socket that just fit into the mag tube as an anvil and flattened the dimples with a ballpeen hammer, dressed it with a dremel, sanded and painted and it looks terrific. Careful not to pound the mag-tube out of round! Both of my Express guns were dimpled originally.
I've read that some folks have had good luck with hones as well.
Some just go at it with the dremel.
The most important thing is to get that tube smoooooth inside so you do not hang up the follower.
After finishing, please write or call Remington to express your distaste of the alleged non-PC dimples.
They will claim that they are a convenience to hold the new style follower. Of course if they had not gone cheap and removed the locking ball-bearing from the barrels so the old caps would hold tight.......grumble grumble mutter mutter........
Note that the police guns (which accept extensions) do not come with these things.
Mike
 
For those who might be reading this and are concerned about removing the dimples, let not your heart be troubled. Brownells still lists the old style retainer used before dimples were used. So if you remove the dimples you can still retain the spring using the old style retainer.

Or you can screw the cap on without the retainer, whatever.

I personally hate the new style retainer, but for different reasons than 9mm Mike. It is plastic, I hate plastic parts on guns. Especially classics like the 870.
 
I drilled the dimples on my 11/87, used a hand reamer for plumbing pipe, and finished dressing them with a dremel. Worked good and took about 30 minutes.
 
Where did you get that?

I dug it out of my garage. Go shooting with us and I will try to find it and bring it along.

Or you can screw the cap on without the retainer, whatever.

That's what I do. Never had a problem with losing a spring. They are pretty darn big afterall.

Regarding the drill method. I have a pre-dimple 870 that came with holes in the mag tube, under the barrel lug. They don't look terrible and do not show at all when the weapon is assembled.

Mike
 
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

I'm off one Saturday every month now. And it just dawned on me that I'm off this Saturday. I actually have more money since I got married so I don't have to work so much. :D

Where? W&W or French Creek? I still haven't shot my Sig 228 yet. French Creek has those dopey 3 round limits. I HAVE 13rd MAGS I WANNA TRY OUT!!
 
W&W is preferred. If it is as crowded as last weekend (four people) then I can pattern shotguns on the pistol range again.
The backstops are all garbage as usual though.
I also want to try some 200+ yard .308.
 
Ok.

I have to go early and leave around 12:30 though.

I forgot I did some stock tweaking that Art Eatman suggested. I might be able to shoot some 30/06.

Shotgun
Sig
Winchester

That's all I have time to shoot.
 
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