what do you do when you buy a new turkey gun?

[Gen273]

This may seem like a silly question but I wonder what you do when you buy a new turkey gun? Do you break it down and clean it, polish the barrel, or anything else? Any ritual that you go through when you buy a new gun? I'm about to purchase my first dedicated turkey gun, the Remington SM 870 with the sure shot stock. I want to make sure I do it right. Any and al feedback is appreciated.

[Izzyjoe]

Everybody is different, and you're bound to get a bunch of different opinions. But I would get a 100 rd. value pack of birdshot, and have good time shooting it with some friends. And then give it a good cleaning, but it should be good to go out of the box.  This way you can build confidence in it!

[mightyjoeyoung]

A new shotgun always comes out of the box with some amount of kosmoline packing oil in it, some, like mossbergs, come with enough packed in them to grease the chassis of your truck!  Lol. I always detail strip and thoroughly clean every shotgun (every gun period actually), degrease, deep clean the bbl and relube before reassembling and ensuring everything is tight. 

[owlhoot]

Clean it good.
Check and mark lock cap/nut for barrel.

Bunch of field loads to get real familiar with it.
hunting loads to check for function
Make sure tube only holds 2 rnds.
Clean it.
Start pattern and load testing

[Gen273]

Great, thanks. And I'm sure there are plenty of videos that show what needs to be oiled and lubed.

[Philippe]

First off I will take into the range with a box or two of the cheapy shells and bust clays with it, maybe 25-50 rounds just to make sure it runs. Then its off to home where it gets stripped down and cleaned up after inspection. While apart I do my own version of the deep clean and polish process. Once everything is cleaned up from the Polish I either have the gun dipped in camo or leave it as is. Then its time for optics and patterning.

[BINK McCARTY]

 :OGturkeyhead  I firmly believe when you go to pattern your gun you should shoot at a target that is at least 3'x3' ( I use 4'x4' targets ) so many folks shoot at a turkey head target only slightly larger than standard size notebook paper and they usually get one of two results....it either litters the paper with holes in various places and confuses the poor soul and gets them thinkin' maybe I need a tighter choke when in fact if they could see the entire pattern they would have a true understanding of whats goin on.Or, the shot is high,low,right ,or left of the target and there are but a few holes on the target and they say well...this combo sucks,and they go and spend $$$$ they in fact may not have needed to. And also there is the issue of POA vs POI ....if your able to see the entire pattern then you will know if your gun shoots high or low...left or right and then you can address that issue accordingly. Moral of the story...LOL... shoot at BIG targets. Good luck and if you need any help /advice / opinion there are a bunch of us willing to help!!!

[Dtrkyman]

If it  is loaded up with oil from the factory I will degrease it and then run some rounds through it to check function,an auto may not cycle cheapo loads very well or at all.

Most will after a break in period but some of those loads do not have enough umph!  For autos get some 1 1/18 oz loads so it
cycles.

I check poi/poa to make sure it shoots where I point it!!!   Then pattern some turkey loads and chokes.

[Phire Phite]

Shoot it.  Especially if it's a pump like your SM.  Not going to hurt anything doing that.  That being said, I did it with my M3500 too, and it didn't work for beans.  Was way too dirty and didn't like the cheap shells (walmart federal's.  I found out it did like the cheap Winchester's though).

[Gen273]

Thanks guys, I look forward to giving it a go.

[houagie]

Hide it from the wife!   

[davisd9]

Clean that barrel good before you shoot it.


Sent from the Strut Zone

[knightrider]

Clean it good.
Check and mark lock cap/nut for barrel.

Bunch of field loads to get real familiar with it.
hunting loads to check for function
Make sure tube only holds 2 rnds.
Clean it.
Start pattern and load testing

make sure tube only holds two rounds? whats reasoning for that? just wondering

[tha bugman]

Go hide it under the bed...the Boss Hen never looks under there!

[340_Dart]

Clean it good.
Check and mark lock cap/nut for barrel.

Bunch of field loads to get real familiar with it.
hunting loads to check for function
Make sure tube only holds 2 rnds.
Clean it.
Start pattern and load testing

make sure tube only holds two rounds? whats reasoning for that? just wondering

I'm thinking he said that because it is illegal in almost every state to hunt with a gun capable of holding more than 2 in the magazine and 1 in the chamber...