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Work order — Remington 11-87

Taking the firearm apart for a job such as refinishing, and putting it back together to specification. Generated from the Pew-Takedown entry last updated 2026-10-29. Confidence: high.

Shop difficulty: Tier 2 of 3

About 98 listed items, a gas system whose piston and seals are orientation-sensitive, the same carrier-dog trigger plate as the 870, a stock nut that needs a proper wrench, and a staked feed latch and interceptor latch spring that need a staker if removed. Several Tier 2 traps but no timing; top of Tier 2. 91 parts ('Model 11-87 Parts List' in the combined 1100/11-87 owner's manual). Pew-Takedown's rating, not the manufacturer's.

Bench time: strip ~55 min, rebuild ~80 min (estimate). Actual: strip ______ rebuild ______

Special tools:

• Stock nut wrench (Remington 1100/11-87) or long slotted socket bit — Buttstock nut over the action spring tube
• Shell latch staker — Feed latch and interceptor latch spring after refinish
• Punch set incl. 1/8 in. — Trigger plate and bolt pins

Watch for:

• The gas piston and piston seal/O-ring must go on the magazine tube in the right order and direction; reversed, the bolt does not close fully and the gun will not cycle or fire. (reassembly; Canadian Gun Nutz)
• Removing the buttstock (needed to reach the action spring tube) means breaking loose a recessed stock nut that usually wants the proper wrench or a long socket-drive bit. (disassembly; Canadian Gun Nutz)
• Pulling the carrier pivot tube to strip the trigger plate lets the carrier dog follower and its spring fly; refitting means holding the carrier down against that spring while the holes in carrier, dog washer and plate are lined up for the tube. (both; Rem870.com Forum)
• The feed latch and interceptor latch spring are staked into the receiver; refinishing the bare receiver means restaking them with a dedicated staker. (both; Brownells)

1. Clear and make safe

1. Point the muzzle in a safe direction and keep your finger off the trigger.
2. Engage the crossbolt safety behind the trigger.
3. Pull the bolt handle rearward to eject any chambered shell and lock the bolt open.
4. Cycle the action repeatedly, catching each shell as it ejects, until no more shells feed from the magazine tube.
5. With the action open, inspect the chamber and look up the magazine tube with a light.
   Warning: The chamber AND the tube.
6. Physically confirm the chamber is empty and remove all live ammunition from the work area.

2. Disassemble

Field Strip

1. Complete the Clear and Make Safe procedure, checking both the chamber and the magazine.
2. Point the firearm in a safe direction and engage the safety mechanism. The red band must not show.
   Warning: Keep the safety mechanism engaged throughout — red band not showing. The manual's reason is specific: with the trigger plate assembly out, an unengaged safety lets the hammer snap forward.
3. Pull the operating handle fully rearward until the bolt is held open by the carrier latch.
4. Unscrew and remove the magazine cap.
5. Slide the fore-end forward and remove it from the magazine tube.
6. On 12-ga. models, remove the gas cylinder collar. The 12-ga. Super Magnum does not use one.
7. Hold the barrel in front of the gas cylinder and pull the barrel from the receiver.
8. Slide the gas components from the magazine tube. What comes off depends on the variant: 12-ga. Super Magnum has barrel seal, barrel seal activator and piston/piston seal assembly; 12-ga. 2 3/4 in to 3 in has barrel seal and piston/piston seal assembly; 20-ga. has barrel seal, barrel seal activator, piston and piston seal.
   Tip: Note the order and orientation as they come off. This is the part people reassemble wrong.
9. Hold the operating handle and close the action, then pull the operating handle from the bolt.
   Tip: Close the action first. Pulling the handle with the bolt locked back is how handles get bent.
10. Push the carrier release and push upward on the carrier.
11. Reach into the bottom of the receiver, press and hold the feed latch, pull the action bar assembly from the receiver and magazine tube, then release the feed latch.
    Tip: The feed latch is the step that makes this work. Without it held, the action bar assembly will not come out and forcing it damages the latch.
12. Lift the breech bolt assembly from the rear of the action bar assembly.
13. Replace the magazine cap so it is not lost.
14. If you need the trigger plate out, tap out the front and rear trigger plate pins, then lift the rear of the trigger plate assembly, slide it rearward and remove it.
    Warning: Do not allow the hammer to snap forward with the trigger plate assembly removed. Keeping the safety engaged throughout is the manual's stated way to prevent it.

3. Refinish

The components the procedures above separate. Coating, masking and cure are outside this database; follow your coating system's instructions. A part the manufacturer marks "factory fit" should not be swapped or reworked.

No manufacturer statement of materials or finish is recorded. Identify each part's material before choosing prep and cure.

The manufacturer's full parts list (98 parts) is on the reference page.

4. Reassemble

Reassembly

1. Point the firearm in a safe direction and engage the safety mechanism. Red band not showing.
2. If the trigger plate was removed, fit it into the receiver front first, seat the rear, and tap both pins home.
3. Fit the breech bolt assembly to the rear of the action bar assembly.
4. Press and hold the feed latch, slide the action bar assembly into the receiver and over the magazine tube, then release the latch.
5. Close the action and fit the operating handle into the bolt.
6. Refit the gas components to the magazine tube in the order and orientation they came off.
   Tip: On an 11-87 Super Magnum the barrel seal activator is used with 2 3/4 in loads and Remington recommends removing it for 3 in and 3 1/2 in loads.
7. Hold the barrel in front of the gas cylinder, place the gas cylinder over the end of the magazine tube, and align the long slot at the rear of the barrel with the stud projecting from inside the receiver.
   Tip: 28-ga. and .410 barrels have short extensions: align the ejector slot in the end of the barrel with the ejector inside the receiver, and do not jam the barrel against the ejector.
8. Seat the barrel firmly into the receiver, slide the fore-end over the magazine tube, and thread the magazine cap on firmly.
   Warning: Model 1100 and Model 11-87 barrels are not interchangeable in either direction. Remington states this explicitly.
9. Cycle the action several times and perform the function check.

5. Torque

No manufacturer torque values are recorded for this firearm.

Reported by other sources — not the manufacturer

Notes: The manufacturer's documents give no torque value. They say: "Tighten the choke tube snugly but DO NOT OVER-TIGHTEN." (Owner's Manual, Models 1100 & 11-87 (REV 0926), PDF p. 10) "Replace and tighten the magazine cap." (Owner's Manual, Models 1100 & 11-87 (REV 0926), PDF p. 10)

Fit or check on rebuild

• Gas piston and seal order/direction — Reversed parts keep the bolt from closing fully and the gun will not cycle or fire.
• Feed latch / interceptor latch restaked — Staked latches removed for refinish must be restaked or they loosen.
• Function check: safety, trigger/sear release, disconnector and feeding with dummy rounds — Standard after any detail strip; a mis-assembled sear or disconnector can double or fail to fire.

6. Function check

• Verify the shotgun is unloaded — chamber and magazine tube — before each step.
• Cycle the action fully and confirm it locks closed.
• With the hammer cocked, engage the safety and press the trigger. The hammer must not fall.
• Disengage the safety and press the trigger. The hammer should fall.
• Load two dummy shells into the magazine and confirm they feed and eject one at a time.
• Confirm the magazine cap or takedown fastener is tight.

If any check fails, the firearm is not safe to fire. Stop and see a licensed gunsmith.

Sources

1. Remington Model 1100 / 11-87 Owner's Manual — RemArms LLC primary
   https://www.remarms.com/sites/default/files/2026%20Revised%20OMs/1100%20&%201187%20Manual%20(REV%200526).pdf
2. Owner's Manual, Models 1100 & 11-87 (REV 0926) — RemArms, LLC primary
   https://remington-arms.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/1100-1187-Manual-REV-0926.pdf
3. XS Sights Banded Shotgun Front Sight / Winged Ghost Ring — Installation Instructions — XS Sights secondary
   https://xssights.com/content/Install%20Instructions/Banded%20Shotgun%20Winged%20Ghost%20Ring%20Instructions.pdf
4. model 1100 won't fire — Canadian Gun Nutz anecdotal
   https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/threads/model-1100-wont-fire.1225346
5. Stubborn Rem-1100 stock nut — Canadian Gun Nutz anecdotal
   https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/threads/stubborn-rem-1100-stock-nut-pics-added-on-page-3.2106243
6. Carrier on Trigger Assembly Protruding? (page 2) — Rem870.com Forum anecdotal
   https://rem870.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=10978
7. Remington 870/1100 Shell Latch Staker instructions — Brownells secondary
   https://www.brownells.com/userdocs/learn/Inst-187%20Shell%20Latch%20Staker.pdf

Educational guide only. Some information comes from non-authoritative sources. Always consult your manufacturer's manual and a licensed gunsmith. Verify your firearm is unloaded before every procedure. Full disclaimer: https://github.com/Fundamental-build-LLC/Pew-Takedown

Legal notice: this material is third-party information compiled from sources of varying reliability and is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not gunsmithing, technical, safety or legal advice, it is not verified or endorsed by any manufacturer, and it must not be taken as fact. Any work on a firearm beyond the routine field stripping described in its own owner's manual should be performed only by a licensed and insured gunsmith. You use this material entirely at your own risk. Fundamental Build LLC and the project's contributors make no warranty of any kind and accept no liability for death, injury, damage or loss arising from its use. Full terms: LEGAL.md.