I've owned Model 1100s for years in 12 and 20. Love them, but I'm getting irritated at my 12 gauge. I'm about to give it to my son, and it's started to not chamber rounds occasionally. It fires the first round and then about one out of each box will get picked up but not thrown into the chamber, and the bolt closed. You will find it hung on the lip. It used to do this on what we used to call low-brass shells; field rounds. When I reloaded "Hi-Powers" it never failed to cycle. The problem started again a few weeks ago when shooting AA, 2 3/4", 3 Dr Eq, 1 1/8 oz, #8s on sporting clays.

I had the gun serviced just prior to that; cleaned, lubed, barrel seal replaced, and function tested without incident. What do you think is going on here?

Just a shot in the dark, but I'd take a mini-drill bit and run it through (BY HAND, we're talking cleaning, not enlarging)the gas ports on the barrel. There may be just enough carbon build up to not allow enough gas to work the action on some of the lowered powered shells.

In addition, try cleaning the outside of magazine tube, wiping it off, leaving no real residue, then shooting it dry and see what happens.

Thanks Gato. I'll see what happens.

If it was failing to eject I would agree with the above poster and add a few things to look for. In ths case it is failing to feed which would make me check the return spring located in the butt stock. Either the tube and spring is really gummed up, or the spring has weekened.

I'll replace the spring. The gun has had a lifetime of use.

Thank you

I've used 000 steel wool on the OD of the mag tube and the ID of the rings.

The spring seems OK.

Looking down the barrel I couldn't see any evidence of the two gas ports so I got a 5/64" drill and worked it back and forth through the ports. It wasn't hard to move through the ports, but there was significant residue showing in the barrel after I finished. Maybe that was enough to reduce the flow of gas. Once I was done I could easily see the two ports when I looked in the barrel ID.

Here's hoping the problem is solved.

+1 on working a similar sized Drill Bit through the two gas ports.

I also use a steel mini-bottle brush (@ 3/16" diameter) that's for cleaning the AR-15 series gas tubes and it removes the all the carbon & gunk build-up from the Gas Ports with just a coupla swipes.

I'd not want to do this with mine but a Pal drilled his Gas Ports out to just a smidgen over the 5/64" and it would then cycle all sorts of low pressure stuff. Don't know if I'd want to put a stout Duck Load down the tube after that though.

Mine still refuses, read = has never, regardless what I do to it; cycled European 24 gramm (13/16oz.) loads. Funny, it will cycle 24 gramm Spreader loads but not standard fare.

Sad, but the newer genre of Semi's will pretty mcuh digest everything you stuff in the magazine; regardless - you can even mix 'em up.

This morning I bought a new magazine spring and a couple of the rubber barrel (o-ring) seals. Some references call it a rubber gas ring.

The replacement spring is longer and narrower than the one I removed. I don't know whether they gave me the right part. Would the 20ga and 12ga take the same spring?

I just put a box of the same ammo my 12 Ga. 1100 was having trouble handling last month, and experienced no problems this time. While I changed about three parameters, my gut tells me manually shifting a drill back-and-forth through the gas ports on the barrel to clear carbon build-up did the trick.

I feel we are set for pheasant in Kansas. We'll buy ammo in Amarillo (or Liberty, as a last result).

Thanks for the help.

Sending the 1100 back to Remington. Same problem this weekend after doing everything possible. Problem had never occurred with high-brass shells before, but hung some of them this weekend.

If you haven't already sent it, I'd talk to one of their techs first and see if the problem rings a bell.

And if you haven't already done this, I'd try some different brands of ammo. Especially if any of those AAs were unsized reloads. Non re-sized reloads can do stuff like that.

Finally. If the gun's got as much use on it as I'm thinking, you know I suppose, that the one big drawback on semis is, mechanical problems. I've already had that myself (spent a lot of effort trying to make an old, old Model 11 work right). When it came down to it, it couldn't be restored to original working condition even by a good gunsmith.

Like my old favorite car from the '80s that I hated to part with. But it had 200K plus miles and parts were no longer available. So I had to kiss it goodbye. It was a painful parting.

The good news is, 1100s are easy to replace. I'd think about moving on.

Still got it. I noticed another problem when cleaning it after my pheasant/chukar hunt last weekend. The fore-end is split longitudinally. You can't see it from the outside, but it is very obvious on the inside.

I'm debating whether to fix the gun's problems, or just keep it as a momento of some great hunts back in the 80s.

That gun used to be sudden death on quail, dove and pheasant. The body count would be in the 1000s. That 12 Ga. 1100 made me buy a 20 Ga. 1100 simply because I was killing too much game. I ended-up using the 20 early in the season, then as the birds got wilder due to hunting pressure, I would switch to the 12, and reach-out and say Hello.

quote:

The fore-end is split longitudinally

Ken,

Whoops - sorry to hear about the forearm. It could be replaced or fixed; either one - it's your call.

My 1100 still functioning strong but she's semi-retired now and only goes out on really Special Occasisons.

As a replacement purchased a 28" L/H'd Akkar 12 ga. Magnum Synthetic Camo (IIRC marketed in US as Charles Daily) gotta admit, here's the sad, naked truth:

1. Cost $450.00
2. Half the weight
3. Doesn't rattle at all compared to the 1100
4. Has 4 different spacers to Cast-On/Off & change Pitch
5. Changeble (Remington) Chokes
6. 50% of the moving parts
7. Stock extention for warm/cold weather clothing
8. Has sling swivels
9. 100% cleaner after being shot than the 1100

I guess that sorta sums it up ......

quote:

..... or just keep it as a momento of some great hunts back in the 80s .....

I feel your pain but sometimes it's just simply time to move on.

Two things. My 11-87 has the same problem with splitting fore-ends. It's always just a little horizontal crack on one side only where the fore-end starts, closest to the receiver. On the side, not underneath. I'm told it's due to over tightening the fore-end (but I have doubts). Since 1987 it's needed two new fore-ends. The good news was, Remington replaced them both free. I'd talk to them about that.

The other thing is, if your stock is starting to get a bit loose or wobbly, that too can be fixed but you're now putting imo too much money in a gun that's sounding worn out. I'd go on and get another one. They aren't that expensive. And put yours up for sale or unload it at a gun show.

If you'd bought a Beretta you wouldn't have these problems. You could just shoot, and shoot, and shoot..............