This discussion started here, but I didn't want to hog the thread.

"I have an 1100 with a 21", rifle sighted barrel w/screw in chokes. I was quite disappointed when the gun refused to cycle Remington game loads. It does, however cycle various brands and styles of full powered buckshot and slugs; and it cycled Winchester Super X Super Pheasant loads, but those are pretty hot at 1300fps with a 1 3/8oz shot payload."

MP5_guy- "What sort of loads have you tried? You may have to go with something pretty hot to get pressure up to cycle the action (something > 3 dram eq, with > 1 ounce shot). Certainly nothing that is one of the "promotional" loads. That, or have a 'smith open up the gas ports. A couple guys I know that have the JP comp on their 1100's have had to do this because the comp bleeds off so much gas just in front of the gas ports."

I had a similar problem with a brand new 1100 12ga. 2 3/4" chambered that I had bought.  It would go bang but fail to extract and wouldnt even push the bolt back far enough to try to laod another for a JAM.  I called remington and they said "you are using those cheap walmart winchester loads, arent you?" ..... I paused and fessed up "yeah".  They said you have to have atleast 3 dram and atleast 1 to 1-1/4 oz shot for the shotgun to cycle correctly.  The cheap walmart loads are 7/8 oz.....guess that old saying you get what you pay for applies here.  The gun did loosen up quite a bit once I ran some deer slugs through it first shotgun season that year. (about 3 or 4 years ago).  The 1100 works great with decent field loads.  

Just keep it clean.  Do a complete field strip of it after every hunting season and clean all grime out of the action and chamber face where extractor goes into the barrel face.  Clean out gas port holes.  And the 1100 will function flawlessly next season.  Do keep a eye on the inner face of the extractor for rounding.  The MIM will prematurely wear.  You can buy made in USA ones from brownells. (factory remington parts).

I have to say that my 1100 has cycled everything I've fed it, right down to light trap loads by both Federal and Winchester - with both the 21" slug barrel, and the 28" modified barrel I shoot trap with... Mine was made in '76, though - and maybe it's age has worked in it's favor???



   - georgestrings

There is a huge difference between a 1976 1100 and a 2002 1100.  While most parts are directly interchangeable between the 2, there is a vast difference between the mass of components such as the bolt, action, and even the receiver thickness.  

So no point in comparing apples to oranges......

Wow!  That's all good information; thanks guys.

The first question was about the ammo that didn't cycle.  Every year when Walmart puts out the huge display of ammo for hunting season, I grab several boxes.  These are the Remington "game loads" that come in a box (green and tan) of 25, and now cost about $3.27.  As I look at all the boxes, here's what I see

12gauge, 1390fps, 7/8oz shot, #6.
12gauge, 3 1/4 DR. EQ., 1oz shot, #6.
12gauge, 1290fps, 1oz shot, #7 1/2.

I didn't realize that they varied that much from year to year.  I'm kinda' shocked.  They pattern real well in my other guns and I've taken a lot of rabbit and squirrel.  It is probably time to realize that if they work in my other guns, then I should use them in my other guns.  

If you like running cheap gas that's fine, but if you buy a Mercedes, don't expect the same results.  I'll call the 1100 the Mercedes, so I need to bump the octane some.  If I spend an extra buck or two a box for ammo, that will probably be money well spent.  Point made; point taken.  Thanks guys.

I really started looking at the 1100 when I heard people singing their praises.  Mike, I know you love them and have several.  Another friend has one and has never had a problem (his is 30 years old).  I shopped around and found a NIB discontinued model (from 2004) that had synthetic stocks and a matte finish for about $200 less than the current models.  I'm not a huge fan of the 28" or longer barrels, so I ordered a Remington brand 21" with rifle sights and screw in chokes.  That right there is the issue.  If I want to shoot any run-o-the-mill birdshot loads, I need to put the 28" barrel back on.  I realize that now.

I clean my guns (97% of the time) after every shooting session.  This is a high quality arm and it deserves to be treated as such.  That barrel is the most beautiful barrel I've ever seen on the inside from a factory.  The forcing cone is the right length and the bore is highly polished.  I may hone the forcing cone a little and burnish the bore to make it more resistent to fouling.  Either way, I don't want anything sitting in it for more than 24 hours that may ruin it.  I've also found that the sooner you clean a gun, the easier it is to clean.  The longer it sits, the more you scrub.

I'm sure that if I keep experimenting and trying different ammo, I'll find something that works reliably at the lower end of the ammo spectrum.  I just need to keep buying ammo and shooting; there's certainly no harm in that!

Routine maintenance-
On the 1100, the rubber-like ring is the "barrel gasket" right?  
Then the two metal rings, one on top of the other, are the "gas ring"?  
Am I correct on this?  
I've been told to replace the "gas ring" periodically to ensure reliable function.  
What is the advisable duration for this?  
Every 500 rounds?  
1000 rounds?  
Once a year, or every two years?  
What's been your experience?  
Do I need to replace the barrel gasket at the same intervals?  
Is there anything else I need to replace at these times?

Yes, I did see the advice to watch the extractor for rounding.  Thanks for that!  Is that a real booger to get in and out?

Thanks in advance,

2guntom
454 Casull +
AntiAmerican
Destruction

My 1100 being approximately 4 years old now....All I have done is replace the O-ring seal and the extractor. (about 2 weeks ago).  The metal gas seal just needs scrubbed real good with a bore brush and solvent.  I do it yearly so it doesnt get buildup which is a pain to clean. You most likely will never need to rpelace the metal gas ring.  If you shoot lead slugs alot then your cleaning routine should be more often.

I use Remington saboted copper solids and the Core Lokts and my 1100 shoots very well with them.  (2 deer taken during first shotgun season last month).  The nylon form the sabots cleans up very easily.

For birdshot I use Federal Hi-power and the non-walmart Winchesters.  I have never had a jam or failure to extract with either.

My 70's 1100 had over 40k of round without a single piece replaced.   The key is to keep the shotgun clean, and use a light lube on all the parts to prevent rust.

As for the first part on the 1100 that goes south, it is the inner surface of the mag tube since everyone forgets to pull the spring/follower and clean out the dirt and water that gets into the tube over the long haul and causes rust.  The 11-87 are a little better since the mag tube is chrome lined (still will rust, but take a little longer).

Again there is a big difference between a 1970's 1100 and a current production 1100.  

Cant compare apples to oranges.

mjacvn71,

it is a real shame that they truly don't make them like they used to.  

So all you've done is replace the rubber o-ring (barrel seal/gasket) and the extractor in 4 years of use?  That's pretty cool and very good to know.  How bad was it to replace the extractor?

I clean my shotguns thoroughly after each use.  The piston and piston seal get scoured too.  I saw the comment on the mag tube; that is one major design advantage of Remington- it is extremely easy to swab the mag tube because of the relief in the receiver.  Mag tubes tend to collect all kinds of gook from shooting and cleaning.  There is enough of a gap that I can use my cleaning rod to brush and patch the mag tube from the receiver to the muzzle end of the tube.  Remington rules in this area.

My 1100 is far from being broken in.  I'm going to keep buying different shells and experimenting to see what cycles 100% and what doesn't.  It takes slugs and buckshot and does an absolutely splendid job so it may be my bedside hd gun.  I've got to spend some time in the shop today working on the new stock and buttpad.  Since my 870 now has a similar barrel, I may use it as my all-purpose gun.  I need to pattern it with birdshot using the Modified and Full choke tubes to see what it does at 25 - 75 yards.

Speaking of patterns, I've seen these
Carlson Choke Tubes
I'm thinking about trying a few of the "Sporting Clays" tubes.

A whole lot of ammo buying and shooting; that's what I live for!


2guntom
2guntom.com
454 Casull +
AntiAmerican
Destruction

Quoted: Again there is a big difference between a 1970's 1100 and a current production 1100.   Cant compare apples to oranges.

Just out of curiousity, what differences ARE there???



  - georgestrings

I dont know of any differences but Im sure there are some. I have a 1978 Remington 1100LT 20 gauge (My first gun ever). I still have it and it shoots like a champ. The only thing that ever needed replaced was the rubber O ring (gas ring). Last year it stopped ejecting the shells. It took me a few nights on www.shotgunworld.com to figure out the problem. I never knew that there were 2 holes in the barrel for the gas to get out and eject the shells. I took a paper clip and poked it through a few times and it works great. I feel bad about it because after almost 25 years it has never been cleaned and it ran all of this time.

I had forgotten about this thread, but am not too surprised that  mjacvn71 didn't post "all the differences" he kept telling us about - apples and oranges, huh??? I don't think so...



  - georgestrings

mark

more ammo tests to follow

The 1100's sometimes need a bit of tuning.  Drilling the gas ports slightly is all that is required most of the time.

I did some testing with Buckshot and different choke tubes at 25 yards.

Remington Express 2 3/4" 00Buck patterns @25yds
Improved Cylinder - 18 1/2" or 9"W x 16"H
Modified - 20" or 15"W x 15"H
Full - 13" or 9 1/2"W x 12"H
Modified Extended - 11" or 10"W x 8"H

Since the Steel Extended Modified choke seemed to be best, I left it in and tried some other ammo.

S&B 2 3/4" 00Buck
25yds - 17" or 13"W x 17"H

Federal 2 3/4" #4Buck
25yds - 14" or 14"W x 12"H

Winchester 2 3/4" buffered #1Buck
25yds - 19" or 16"W x 15"H

I also did a function test with just about all the different types of ammo I have in birdshot.  Previously, the Remington Game Loads had failed to even attempt to get the gun to cycle.  This gun is still pretty fresh, and far from being broken in.  From what I experienced this time, the gun is starting to loosen up a little.  I started with the Full choke tube first to try to get maximum back pressure to force the gun to cycle.  After the initial pass/fail list, I took the ones that worked and shot them through the Extended Modified choke.

These cycled fine-
Remington Game Load 1290fps 1oz #7 1/2
Winchester Upland Heavy Field 1 1/4oz #7 1/2
Winchester AA Super-Lite Target 1 1/8oz #9

These rounds failed-
Remington Hi-Velocity  Game Load 1390 7/8oz #6 - stovepiped
Remington Game Load 3 1/2dr.eq. 1oz #6 - worked initially, but started to stovepipe later
Winchester Heavy Game Load 3 1/4dr.eq. 1 1/8oz #7 1/2- failed to even try to kick the hull out of the chamber.

I have to say I am surprised and baffled with the Remington Game loads.  The #7 1/2 worked, the #6 worked part of the time.  I am assuming the cycle issues were magnified because the gun had to be getting dirty from all the different rounds I shot.  I have been told that if I want to shoot birdshot, I need to use the 28" barrel since the gas ports are designed for it.  The short barrel's gas ports are set up for buckshot and slugs.  I have also been told that for a semiauto, the shells need at least an ounce of shot, if not more, and over a 3 dram eq., but the data above does not support this.

It is a real pleasure to shoot.  This is probably the nicest shotgun I own.  If the weather holds, we'll be shooting clays next weekend for my brother's birthday.  That will be a good test and aid in the break in.

Quoted: I had a similar problem with a brand new 1100 12ga. 2 3/4" chambered that I had bought.  It would go bang but fail to extract and wouldnt even push the bolt back far enough to try to laod another for a JAM.  I called remington and they said "you are using those cheap walmart winchester loads, arent you?" ..... I paused and fessed up "yeah".  They said you have to have atleast 3 dram and atleast 1 to 1-1/4 oz shot for the shotgun to cycle correctly.  The cheap walmart loads are 7/8 oz...

condensed from here Forum

...The rifle sight has a white bead on it and I couldn't find it when it was against the sky.  I promptly removed the 21" barrel and installed the 28" vent rib barrel...

...I put all kinds of shells through it, and at least 100 of them.  
(Remington Game Load 1290fps 1oz #7 1/2
Winchester Upland Heavy Field 1 1/4oz #7 1/2
Winchester AA Super-Lite Target 1 1/8oz #9
Remington Hi-Velocity  Game Load 1390 7/8oz #6
Remington Game Load 3 1/2dr.eq. 1oz #6
Winchester Heavy Game Load 3 1/4dr.eq. 1 1/8oz #7 1/2)
All the shells worked just fine, with only a few hiccups.  The Remington Game Loads in all weights worked fine, including the ones that failed in the 21" barrel.  The Winchester AA Super-Lite target loads were fine.  Those darned Winchester Heavy Game loads still weren't up to par; they worked, but not reliably.  I had a few that hung up on ejection...Those shells are 3 1/4 dr and 1 1/8oz; it doesn't make sense.  Although, putting Winchester shells in a Remington shotgun, might be like towing a Ford with a Chevy- somethin's gonna' get squirly somewhere...

It's been a while since I used a barrel with a vent rib, and I have to say that I wouldn't shoot clays any other way.  I wasn't using the bead very much, I just sighted up the rib.  I did get the gun warm enough to get heat rise.  I now understand why the rib is there; the heat rise would completely obscure the bead from sight, and/or distort the vision enough to not be able to acquire the target.  The rib keeps the heat waves to either side so you can still sight right up the rib and keep popping targets...

I'm concluding that birdshot should be run through the 28" barrel, slugs and buckshot through the 21".  That's the way they made it and tuned the gas ports...

I can't dedicate this one to home or farm defense.  A shotgun in that role could see some abuse; I can't allow that to happen to this gun.  After all, that's what the 870 Express is for.