I absolutely love the way this shotgun shoots. It is fantastic.

Anyway, I have some questions about it because I don't know very much about these things. If you guys could shed some light on this newb I would greatly appreciate it.

1.) I'm having a HELL of a time removing the magazine cap from the gun. I ended up ripping it up pretty bad and am purchasing another one. How do I prevent this in the future? Is there a special tool for this? If so, is there a place I can guy them online?

2.) Whenever I hand-cycle the pump and after the bolt carrier is all the way foreward, there is a little "TINK" sound when I remove my hand from the grip. It's high pitch and doesn't sound normal to me. I can't figure out what  it is. Do your 870s do the same thing? If so, what the heck is it?

3.) How often should I clean the 870? I don't shoot it very much. Maybe 100rds/year.


Thanks a lot in advance to those who can help!

--Rekced

Clean it after every use. As for the other stuff I really dont know.

clean after ever shoot, but do some routine maintenance also, lube, wipe, etc. once a month

the little tink may be the lifter dropping back down, somebody else chime in

Mike will be here to answer all your questions shortly...

On the magazine cap, you might try to find an older one as a replacement.  The older 870 caps had 2 cross slots in them, so you could use a large screwdriver or a quarter to gain a little leverage.  

As for the new style, I don't like them, but if you're stuck you might try using a large set of channel-locks with the jaws taped up.  Make sure you don't overtighten it when reinstalling it.

I can't help on the odd sound.  As for cleaning, I think I've done a complete cleaning twice in the last 6 years.  I keep it lubed and check things over regularly, but I don't do a thorough cleaning very often.

Do you have a magazine cap? I thought you had a extension on that.
The only time I've ever "cleaned" my 870, was after I dropped her in a river bottum and she got sand inside.

I use a strap wrench on my 870's mag extension, inexpensive and simple.

As for the "TINK" sound, mine makes a tiny one whenever I release the foregrip and the action bars settle. Nothing to worry about.

On magazine caps, and extension couplings, you're not supposed to tighten them down THAT tight.
You just screw either down until it gets snugged down then turn it one more "click".
You should be able to unscrew the cap or coupling with just your fingers.  (Assuming you have normal strength hands).

Over tightening the collar or coupling can cause the barrel to actually bend slightly from the excess tension and cause problems.

I know, people sometimes get guns from Remington with super tight caps or couplings, but this is wrong and a factory error.

On Remington factory extension tubes, DO NOT tighten the tube itself down tightly.
This can cause the extension to mis-align with the gun's magazine tube and cause the follower or shells to jam or stick.
Screw the extension tube down into the coupling until it JUST contacts the gun's tube, then install the barrel clamp.  
The clamp will prevent the extension tube from unscrewing.

Bottom line is, magazine caps and extensions do not need to be installed super tight, and doing so can cause problems.

On cleaning the gun, since I'm not independently wealthy and I have to pay for my own guns, I take good care of them.
This means I clean them EVERY time I fire them, no matter if it's one shot or 1000.

No one deliberately intends to let a gun rust or deteriorate.  Finding rust or damage from not cleaning is ALWAYS a shock, and you always hear "But I never had this problem before".
Once a gun rusts, it can't be undone or really restored.

There is NO good reason NOT to clean a gun after every time it's fired, and some very good reasons you SHOULD clean it.

It all depends on how long you want the gun to last in good condition, and whether you take pride in owning good guns.
If you don't care, don't clean them.

Oh, I hose her out with brake cleaner and soak her in WD-40 and run a bore snake through her, but that's it. I can't take my 870 apart now, because I installed the mag extension on it, so it's a bitch to un clamp it.


D fariswheel: with the advent of non-corosive ammo, there's no reason to clean a weapon after just one shot.

To each, his own.

I used to make good money de-rusting guns that were put away uncleaned after only a shot or two.  
And I usually had to listen to lots of wailing and crying when it was an expensive gun.

In almost every case it was "But, but, but I've been doing that for YEARS and it NEVER did that before".

There are NO, ZERO reasons for not cleaning, other than laziness.

Again, I have to buy my own guns, and I've seen too many examples of what eventually happens when you don't, so I'll clean mine.

This is America.....You're quite free to do as you wish.

Last week I had to soak my 870 in Hoppes No.9 for 4 hours so I could derust it. It was my trunk gun and I didnt know how easily it would rust.

Protect it and clean it, or you will be filled with fury as I was

ETA I had never shot it before, it was just in my trunk for about a month with some brief removals. I repeat, it rusted and I NEVER SHOT IT.

the mag nut on my new 870 was really tight from the factory.  A big channel lock pliers with electrical tape wrapped over the teeth did the trick.