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Turkey Guns & Shooting => Turkey Guns => Topic started by: strum on March 31, 2023, 03:55:34 PM

Title: 870 jam question
Post by: strum on March 31, 2023, 03:55:34 PM
 Ive got an 870 express youth 20g
its been my favorite gun for a couple of years ow and never let me down untill last week
I took a shot at a bird (see alabama hunt in general topics) and it jams on me . Ive not been able to repeat it .
Thinking possibly i didnt have the breach fully shut and the 3" federal heavy weight shoved it open enough to partially cycle a new shell without fully ejecting the spent one. So the new shell was jabbed so tight i couldn't move anything and had to take it apart to get it lose.
since then ive fully disassembled, cleaned and lube the gun. its firing and cycling properly.
any thoughts?
Title: Re: 870 jam question
Post by: 2eagles on March 31, 2023, 04:41:07 PM
I'm thinking operator error. Goofy things happen in the heat of the moment. I'd forget it ever happened.
Title: Re: 870 jam question
Post by: tnanh on March 31, 2023, 05:06:22 PM
I have seen thousands of rounds fired through an 870 in police training. They rarely jam unless there is some kind of operator error.
Title: Re: 870 jam question
Post by: g8rvet on March 31, 2023, 05:23:12 PM
Mostly happened to me (very few times) because I was duck hunting and shucking as it fired-rapidly trying to follow up and short shucked it.
Title: Re: 870 jam question
Post by: runngun on March 31, 2023, 05:39:59 PM
Classic short shuck, I was shooting my 870 compact and the 1st shot kicked out the hull by itself.  I shot it again and the hull was out of the chamber 1/2 way.  Much further and I could definitely see where it would cause exactly what you experienced.  It absolutely shouldn't fire without having the chamber closed. 

Have a good one, Bo

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Title: Re: 870 jam question
Post by: strum on March 31, 2023, 10:23:17 PM
 Thanks guys. I was trying my best to blame it on the gun.  :turkey2:
Title: Re: 870 jam question
Post by: Teamblue on April 01, 2023, 05:39:40 AM
Sometimes these things only happen at the worst possible time.  You may never duplicate it under controlled conditions.  Get the blood flowing and pressure on and dumb things happen.  Sounds like you handled it well and took out a variable with the cleaning


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Title: Re: 870 jam question
Post by: DMTJAGER on April 09, 2023, 09:54:18 PM
I'd take a look at your shell fallower. I have a 12ga 870 ESM I bought the vary first year it was offered for sale has to be close to 20 years ago now and several thousand 3.5" turkey shells.
Last year occasionally it would jam and either wouldn't eject a shell or would eject but not chamber a shell.
I found out the plastic shell fallower has worn out a bit and was protruding to far into the chamber and making contact with the shell carrier preventing the gun from cycling. 
I promptly replaced it with onr made from machined stainless steel.