Guys,

I bought a used extra barrel for my 16ga 870 and it is not extracting shells, including new ones. They eject right out of the original barrel. Any ideas? Perhaps the extractor cut isn't quite deep enough?

Thanks in advance.

Either the cut isn't deep enough or it may have a small burr rolled into the chamber in the cut.

Polish the chamber some and look for burrs.

I had to do that with an improved choke barrel i got for my 16 ga.870 a few years ago.

Works better than i can hit.

I'd start by taking both barrels off, inserting a mix of live shells and spent hulls and upending them, to see if they drop free equally. Sounds like a good chamber polishing job may be in order (I do this even on properly functioning 1100/870's). If it's old and well used, I've heard of people replacing the ejector and ejector spring but never had to go that far myself.

ETA: I'm not a gunsmith.

If it's not even extracting 'new' shells, then something is definitely wrong.

1) upend the barrel (only) with a new shell in it. Does the shell fall out? If not, chamber polishing is certainly needed.

2) After polishing, and the shell drops out, replace the barrel in the action and try to extract a shell. If it does not budge, check your extractor nose. If fully intact, check extractor movement. The nose hook should fully cover the bolt face edge. If not ........

3) ..use a small screwdriver or punch to ease back the extractor plunger, tip the extractor forward and remove. Remove the plunger & spring. Check both for dirt/fouling/integrity - especially that area of the recess that comes in contact with the front edge of the extractor. Many times fouling/crap is there that prevents full forward movement. Use a Q-tip and clean those recesses, both the extractor base and the plunger. Reinstall and test for extraction. If the nose of the extractor refuses to grasp the shell base tightly enough to ensure extraction, remove it again and change the extractor spring to a stiffer (or brand new) one. Try again.

Last - closely eyeball that slot on the barrel where the extractor enters. Ensure there's no burr there that could prevent the extractor from fully seating and engaging the rim of the shell..

If all this fails - you might have use for a tomato stake..


(JUST KIDDING!!!)

Many thanks all. No burrs, factory rounds plunk in quite satisfyingly and drop out on their own weight. Using a jeweler's loop to look at the extractor cut with a shell in the chamber I could tell that there was almost no rim to grab compared to the original barrel. I VERY carefully used a small file to make the cut deeper and now it is ejecting some fired hulls without problem.

Now for the second question. It appears that the barrel hood is a separate piece which has been screwed onto the barrel. Is this possible? Is it safe?

Yes, it is screwed on {actually it might even be soldered on} and either way, yes it is completely safe...they have been that way for a long time. The only way it wouldn't be safe is if it is loose. I have never seen one come loose.

Pictures which might make it clearer:

Good to hear you found the issue. I have only had that problem once before - maybe a dozen years ago and you're correct in filing slightly to allow the extractor to engage.. Nice job.

Yes - as the others stated above..

Thank you again, gentlemen.

Hoping to bring home many dove with it next month.