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Work order — Remington 870

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 78 listed items, more than the Mossberg pumps, with a trigger plate whose carrier dog follower spring must be held while the pivot tube goes in, twin action bars that must both track, and staked shell latches that need a staking tool if they come out for a bare-receiver refinish. No timing and nothing a shop cannot do with punches and one staker. 69 parts (Remington's single 870 list written for the 12 ga Express Super Magnum; some rows are Super Magnum only). Pew-Takedown's rating, not the manufacturer's.

Bench time: strip ~40 min, rebuild ~60 min (estimate). Actual: strip ______ rebuild ______

Special tools:

• Shell latch staker (Brownells 870/1100) — Restaking shell latches after refinish
• Fore-end (magazine tube) nut wrench — Fore-end tube nut
• Long stock-bolt bit on extension — Stock bolt
• Punch set incl. 1/8 in. — Trigger plate pins and firing pin retaining pin

Watch for:

• 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 shell latches are held by staked receiver metal; if they are pulled for a full refinish they must be driven out rearward and restaked with a dedicated staker. (both; Brownells)
• The magazine spring retainer has to be pried out of the tube with a screwdriver and eased out against the spring. (both; American Rifleman (NRA))

Tools

• Punch (roughly 1/8 in) — Pushing out the trigger plate pins if they are tight.

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. Press the action bar lock and pull the forend rearward to open the action and eject any chambered shell.
4. Cycle the action repeatedly, catching each shell as it ejects, until no more shells feed from the magazine tube.
   Tip: Alternatively, press the shell latch and roll the shells out of the loading port, which is gentler on the shells.
5. With the action locked open, look into the chamber and up the magazine tube. Use a light.
   Warning: Check the magazine tube as well as the chamber. A shell hung up in the tube is easy to miss.
6. Physically confirm the chamber is empty with a finger.
7. Remove all live ammunition from the work area.

2. Disassemble

Field Strip

1. Engage the safety mechanism. The red band must not show.
   Warning: Keep the safety engaged for the whole procedure.
2. Push the action bar lock upward and pull the fore-end rearward to open the action.
3. Look into the ejection port and check the chamber and magazine to make sure there are no shells in the firearm.
   Warning: This is the manual's own check, and it names both the chamber and the magazine.
4. Slide the fore-end forward approximately halfway.
   Tip: This intermediate position matters — the parts will not come apart cleanly without it.
5. Unscrew and remove the magazine cap.
6. Take hold of the barrel ahead of the magazine tube and pull the barrel from the receiver.
7. Push the carrier upward.
8. Reach into the bottom of the receiver, and depress and hold the left shell latch.
   Warning: Depress the latch. Do not pry at it — the latches are staked and prying causes feeding problems.
9. Slide the fore-end forward and off of the magazine tube.
   Tip: If the top right edge of the slide binds on the bottom front edge of the ejection port, push the front end of the bolt down to free it.
10. Lift the breech bolt assembly and slide assembly from the rear of the action bars.
11. Tap out the front and rear trigger plate pins.
12. Lift the rear of the trigger plate assembly, slide it rearward, and remove it from the receiver.
    Warning: Do not allow the hammer to snap forward once the trigger plate is out. Keeping the safety engaged throughout is how the manual says to ensure this.

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.

The manufacturer's full parts list (78 parts) is on the reference page.

4. Reassemble

Reassembly

1. Carefully insert the trigger plate assembly, carrier first, into the receiver.
2. Position it to align the holes and tap in the front and rear trigger plate pins.
3. Set the breech bolt assembly onto the action bar slide and feed the fore-end and action bar assembly back onto the magazine tube and into the receiver, guiding both action bars into their grooves.
   Warning: Both bars must run in their grooves. One out of its track will bind the action or bend a bar.
4. Set the barrel into the receiver with its extension entering squarely and its ring over the magazine tube, and push it fully home.
   Warning: Seat the barrel fully. A barrel that is not fully seated will not headspace correctly.
5. Thread the magazine cap back on and tighten it firmly by hand.
6. 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 OVERTIGHTEN." (Owner's Manual, Model 870 & 870 Super Magnum (RD7058 REV 0926), PDF p. 9) "Replace and tighten the magazine cap." (Owner's Manual, Model 870 & 870 Super Magnum (RD7058 REV 0926), PDF p. 10)

Fit or check on rebuild

• Shell latches restaked tight — A loose latch causes feeding problems; latches removed for refinishing must be restaked.
• 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. It should run smoothly without binding and lock closed.
• With the action closed and 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.
• With the hammer down, confirm the action will not open until the action bar lock is pressed.
• Press the trigger and hold it, then cycle the action. Release the trigger and confirm the disconnector resets.
• Load two dummy shells into the magazine and confirm they feed and eject cleanly, one per cycle.

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

Sources

1. Remington Model 870 Owner's Manual — RemArms LLC primary
   https://www.remarms.com/sites/default/files/documents/870%20Manual%20Final.pdf
2. Mossberg 590 / Remington 970 Stock - MI-SG-590 / MI-SG-870 installation instructions — Midwest Industries, Inc. secondary
   https://midwestindustriesinc.com/content/installation-instructions/Mossberg-590-Remington-970-Stocks-Instructionrs.pdf
3. Owner's Manual, Model 870 & 870 Super Magnum (RD7058 REV 0926) — RemArms, LLC primary
   https://remington-arms.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/870-Manual-RD7058-REV-0926.pdf
4. The Model 870 — 870 Series — Remington Arms (remington-arms.com, Frontier Defense Group, LLC) primary
   https://remington-arms.com/870-series/
5. Magpul MAG508 Forward Sling Mount – Remington 870 & Mossberg 500/590 — Installation Instructions — Magpul Industries secondary
   https://magpul.com/media/wysiwyg/Instructions/MAG508_SGA_Forward_Sling_Mount_Rem_Moss_INSRT.pdf
6. Mesa Tactical Telescoping Stock & Adapter Shotgun Conversion Kit — Assembly Guide (#47371 Rev II) — Mesa Tactical secondary
   https://mesatactical.com/content/manuals/47371_Stock_Adapter_Manual_rev_ii.pdf
7. 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
8. XS Sights SHOTRAIL (Remington/Mossberg) with Banded Front Sight — Installation Instructions — XS Sights secondary
   https://xssights.com/content/Install%20Instructions/SHOTRAIL%20Banded%20Front.pdf
9. Carrier on Trigger Assembly Protruding? (page 2) — Rem870.com Forum anecdotal
   https://rem870.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=10978
10. Remington 870/1100 Shell Latch Staker instructions — Brownells secondary
    https://www.brownells.com/userdocs/learn/Inst-187%20Shell%20Latch%20Staker.pdf
11. Exploded View: Remington Model 870 Shotgun — American Rifleman (NRA) secondary
    https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2017/8/2/exploded-view-remington-model-870-shotgun

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.