Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Rem 1100 bolt not even moving when fired.

I recently got my hands on an older Remington 1100 from my wife grandfather. He had just recently shot the gun and it was functioning. I took it completely down and did a thorough cleaning since it looked like it hadn't been cleaned in about 10 years! I ordered a new o-ring that goes around the magazine tube, and replaced everything the same way it was when I took the gun apart.

Now when the gun is fired, the bolt does not even move. It is obvious to me that I am losing gas pressure somewhere, but I can't figure out where. Both of the gas port holes in the bottom of the barrel are clear. New o-ring. Cleaned up the two parts that mate together and slide over the magazine tube.

Any suggestions???

where did you install the 2 pieces that go over the mag tube?

sure sounds like they are in the wrong place.

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Remington 1100

Go here Remington and download the owner's manual. Be sure that you got the piston and seal on the magazine tube the right way. Easy to mix up.

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Beat me to it

They are installed properly. I have noticed that they seem to be much more lose on this gun than my other 1100. If I lock the bolt back on this gun and tilt it forward and back. The rings will just slide up and down the magazine tube. My other 1100 does not do this. Could that potentially be the problem?

From working to getting zip just screams assembly problem, wouldn't hurt to take it apart and reassemble following the owner's manual step by step. I'm coming up blank otherwise, something's changed besides removing gunk.

The local 4-H has a couple 1100's and the piston and seal slide around as you say on at least one of them and they work fine. They do wear after very many rounds but the action should at least short stroke.

I'm assuming it's the proper O-ring, and not a hardware store replacement. Should be a little tight over the mag tube and not tight in the groove.

Is the link in right side up? did you take off the stock and make sure the spring is moving free?

Yes the o-ring is the replacement that carlson's sells. Ordered it from midway.

I took the entire gun apart again today. Removed the butt stock and pulled the recoil spring. It was clean and in surprisingly good shape. I figured it would be bad.

I watched some 1100 trouble shooting videos on youtube. One of them showed a linkage on the left side of the trigger group. Said it would not cycle if this was not put together properly. It was.

Double checked and made sure the gas systems as put together properly. Used some gun scrubber with the straw attached and sprayed through the two gas ports in the bottom of the barrel to make sure they were not clogged. I had good flow through there.

Took the o-ring off the magazine tube and made sure it would seat in the barrel lug beyond the gas ports like it should. Then placed it back on the magazine tube in the groove. Everything is clean.

Also the extractor is good. It will pull loaded and fired rounds from the chamber no problem when the bolt it operated manually.

I will try and fire it again and see if it is working properly now. If it doesn't I will probably order the two gas pieces that slide over the mag tube and replace them.

what ammo are you using?

Any luck with it? If not, any other symptoms when you work it manually? Replacing the seal and piston wouldn't hurt but even if it's leaking the action should at least try to open.

The only time I've seen the gas system do nothing (and the shotgun work properly manually) was when the seal and piston weren't assembled properly after cleaning. Did see a 20 ga. O-ring on a 12 ga. once and it looked almost right. Was caught before the shotgun was fired so I don't know but suppose the action would do nothing. Every other related problem resulted in failure to eject, short stroking. So I'm intrigued.

I lightly oiled the outside of the mag tube and took the gun out to shoot. I ran some AA's through it and the first one stove piped. Pulled it out and the next several ran through fine. Shot a light loaded estate. Stove piped. Shot a high brass #5 pheasant load and it cycled it fine.

We bought some release pheasants and put them out the next day. Let the dogs work a bit and I killed a few with the 1100 and no hick ups. I went ahead and ordered a new piston and piston seal to see if I can get it cycling with lighter loads as well. For 20 bucks I might as well give it a shot.

When you're on the edge like that one thing that can give you problems with light loads is roughness or residue in the chamber. It can provide just enough extra drag on extraction. You may not even see or feel it in the chamber. A good workout with 00 or 0000 steel wool on a bore brush may help, removing any residue at least. Steel wool will not hurt the chamber, the steel in the wool is softer than the barrel.

Try giving the two gas ports a good cleaning again. Don't just spray some cleaner in the holes. Get a drill bit or allen wrench that will fit in the port holes and GENTLY TURN IT BY HAND. Follow up with a pipe cleaner soaked in solvent

This is one place where you can screw up. You do not want to enlarge the holes even the least little bit. The proper drill number varies by barrel length and type as well as gauge, so be careful.

Using 3" ammo?

There was this embarassing incident years back, as a gunsmith......

I'm with las.

If it is a 3" chamber, light 2 3/4's can be a problem.

He said, "the two gas ports " which indicates not magnum.

It is a 2 3/4" barrel. I got the new gas piston and seal in today. Should be able to run some rounds through it in a few days. I am thinking the new parts are gonna seal the deal. They seem to fit a lot better to me.

Right you are. Missed that.

My Dad's 1100 had the barrel plugged with some mud and my brother thought he got it all out with a stick.

When the rabbit came by and he fired it went off in a cloud of smoke.

The barrel was bulged and the gas ports were blown out,as well as a few parts inside were damaged.

After that it would only cycle with magnum loads.

It's in the gas system,the new ring should fix it.

New gas piston and piston seal fixed the problem. I ran half a box of rem heavy dove loads through it the other day with no problems. Thanks to everybody who made comments. I thought I was gonna lose my mind over this deal!