The 1187 jammed the other day. That is the action wouldn't open after a stand. I pulled that barrel in order to get it unloaded and got it going. It did it one more time when I was test cycling it without ammo. I think it opened after I pushed the follower in in the magazine tube.

Anyone have any adv

Check the link, make sure it seated in the cup that goes into the action spring in the stock. These pop out from time to time and wont let the action come back.

The follower wont/should not effect anything.

What did you do to "get it going"? Is the gun clean?

If its clean and nothing in the action like a chunk of target, it should cycle fine. If its clean and not cycling then something is amiss..

After further testing the lock up happens intermittently. When it locks up I am able to make it work by pushing in the follower in the magazine tube.

Something simple I think. Any thoughts?

The follower is inside the mag tube, no way its causing any issues. The action bar doesn't even get close to it. Are you sure there is nothing binding under the forarm? The mag tube is not loose is it?

I know, it's crazy, but pushing in the follower works every time.

Mag tube has no play.

Seems to lock up when I have let the action slam shut several times.

I took the spring and follower out of the tube, replaced the end cap and the action will not lock in the closed position now.

Passport,

Seems like I should know this but I'm drawing a blank today. Lift the carrier to move the follower and clear a hang up at the carrier latch? Assuming the fire control group is clean, lubricated and all the parts are assembled properly, as in nothing shook loose.

The carrier is about an inch from the follower, so moving the carrier up should not/will not touch the follower.

Im lost on this one. Been shooting these for a LONG time and have never heard of this one. I still think the diagnosis is incorrect and my gut is now thinking is a trigger group issue, may be assembled wrong, that I have seen before.

I bought a 11-87 from a guy that he said would not open, and it would not. When I looked at the gun I needed to take the barrel off to remove the LIVE round. So I took it off his hands for 150 :-) After further investigation bubba the g-smith had it put together wrong..

Re-assembled the trigger properly and the guns been perfect ever since, still have it.

Yeah, the connector and disconnector must be assembled properly before installing the trigger group but that wouldn't cause an intermittent. (Covered in Owner's Manual because it's easy to misalign IIRC.) I suppose I'd instinctively move the carrier out of the way to get to the follower but dunno.

Don't have one to look at so to Kuhnhausen's manual. The troubleshooting section for shotgun "does not open" covers mostly other than worked manually. So filtering...

Action bar/sleeve assembly bent, damaged (binds action)
Ejector altered, damaged, broken or broken loose
Early carrier latch release
Barrel misaligned
Hammer binds on recock (damaged hammer or hammer plunger)
Hammer binds on recock (trigger plate housing damaged)
Firing pin retaining pin loose, slipped down (pin drags, binds side block)

I'd take a close look at the carrier latch and related. Probably mainly because I fixed one once (long time ago) with a twisted latch. Being at the front of the trigger group it's likely to catch more hell than the rest of the group. Probably would check the firing pin, retaining pin and the bolt/block first because it's easy.

Hard to figure out without having it in one's hands.

Addendum to last post:

Re-read OP's last post about now not locking. Not much can cause both not unlocking AND not locking except maybe a messed up action bar. Misassembly somewhere along the line? When I have a tough one I sometimes follow the Owner's Manual step-by-step as a double check on my work. Then I KNOW at least that part's right and can move on.

Hold the action upside down. With the bolt in fully closed position take a close look at the proximity of the end of the carrier tip and the magazine follower. The carrier MUST clear that follower upon the up-swivel travel. There should be a gap of about 1/8" between the carrier tip and the follower.

If there isn't then you have either a worn/damaged magazine follower or you have a broken 'throat'...it's a piece that sits on top of the magazine tube inside the receiver..

If that's gone or broken, you need to send it in to a Rem repair facility - and IIRC, it's not especially cheap to fix..

Though I never experienced it I have read about issues where the protrusion on the plastic magazine follower. Catches the carrier. I believe that brownells carries a steel or aluminum replacement follower that remedys the problem.