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FIXED My Ruined new 870's bolt!

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I am posting this simply as a warning/lesson to other people and to show what can happen... If anyone is fortunate enough to take care because of reading this I guess it will be worth it.

 

 

As many have known, I have an awesome 870 that I took from a Dick's Sporting Goods-store bought 870 [Express] Tactical and painstakingly made into an 870 Tactical Magpul Police.  I added a ton of extra Magpul accessories, a badass sling system that affords me the use of an amazing Blueforce Vickers quick-adjust 2 point sling OR the Magpul single point/two point MS2 sling sytem and several sling attachment points, the adjustable comb, an Aimpoint Micro, etc.

 

In addition I replaced all parts with Police-standard parts and had had a spot of trouble with the extractor.  I have since learned there is a known problem with Remington factory not properly 'tapering the non-MIM (steel) extractors, I did not know this, and so I had a lot of problems.  I decided to ensure 101% reliability I was going to replace the extractor plunger, extractor plunger spring, and try tapering my (quite new) steel extractor with a few file strokes, if not I had another brand new extractor.  Anyway, while attempting to remove the plunger and plunger spring, the plunger got crooked and stuck in the bolt.  This has happened before and is a big pain in the self , but I had dealt with it before.

 

 

Except this time, I actually snapped off the tip of the Leatherman tool in the extremely small area underneath the stuck plunger.  Its never getting out , neither of them are.  Can't remove one without the other being removed, and vice versa.  I tried boiling to contract the metal, freezing to expand, oiling up to slick it for slip n slide , nope.

 

 

 

So I am now with a $1000+ 870 that is beat until I buy a new 870 breech bolt assembly.  Cool $100 bucks.  so everyone be careful when you are doing any bolt work.... it's VERY easy for that damned plunger to get stuck and while I had unstuck'ed it before, this time I lost a perfectly good older Leatherman and the bolt ...so be careful everyone.

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Yeah to be honest i had considered something along those lines, with that exact thought process, got nothing to lose.  I do have one question ppl can chime in... there are 870 Express and 870 Police breech bolt assemblies for sale.  I of course assumed I would buy POLICE but-- I remember one thread online said someone was going to buy Marine Magnum extractor plunger and extractor plunger springs because "they're probably better" and someone made very good points that they would be therefore different metals on different metals which in the presence of an electrolyte would cause corrosion immediately.  So I am concerned the 870 Police bolt is parkerized or something like that and the 870 Express has the junky black powder coat oxide whatever they are calling the piss poor finish they use.  Any issue here?

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Yeah to be honest i had considered something along those lines, with that exact thought process, got nothing to lose.  I do have one question ppl can chime in... there are 870 Express and 870 Police breech bolt assemblies for sale.  I of course assumed I would buy POLICE but-- I remember one thread online said someone was going to buy Marine Magnum extractor plunger and extractor plunger springs because "they're probably better" and someone made very good points that they would be therefore different metals on different metals which in the presence of an electrolyte would cause corrosion immediately.  So I am concerned the 870 Police bolt is parkerized or something like that and the 870 Express has the junky black powder coat oxide whatever they are calling the piss poor finish they use.  Any issue here?

 

Typically galvanic corrosion of the type you are describing requires dis-similar metals, the most famous of which are steel and copper (found in plumbing and heating systems) and steel and aluminum (found it seems everywhere it shouldn't be).  There may be some corrosion between stainless and mild or hardened steels but I don't know about those.

 

With something like a Park bolt vs a steel bolt I believe the only difference would be a grade of steel and will likely not cause the problems you are fearing.  Furthermore, if you are diligent about cleaning and greasing, most of these corrosions will not have a chance to occur.

 

my 2 cents - subject to Obama's inflation

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You could try placing the bolt in the freezer over night. Take it out and using a propane or map gas torch heat the area around the broken leathermen. You want to avoid heating the broken piece. The whole point is to keep that piece shrunken and expand the surrounding area. Can't hurt to try. With a little bit of luck maybe you can get it out.

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It was probably an insidious plot hatched by Mayor Mike for anti-gun Tim Leatherman's tools to break when using them to repair firearms, rendering said firearm inoperable. Usually it's a screw head twisting off or getting buggered up using a Leatherman.  This time, you fell into their trap head-first.

 

Seriously, Night prowler's suggestion (above) might be your best bet.

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just wanted to make sure I chimed back in to say thank you to everyone I am in the process of trying lots of different things... I thank everyone hopefully I can give some status updates , the Cutting wheel might not be a bad idea!

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Would you guys believe I actually got them out???!!!  Thanks everyone sometimes a little encouragement is all ya need loool!

 

 

Basically I went to find the Dremel, and I found it with dead battery packs and no accessories.  So I started charging them while looking at other solutions.  We recently got a dual-wheeled grinder I momentarily considered but it would be WAAAAY too difficult to get the edge of the bigass wheel into the little space and grind etc.  Then I see on the floor of the area the new grinder got installed last month is an OLD, I mean, Grandfather or Great Grandfather, huge bench vice.  And I figured, WTF Right?  It's broken anyway?

 

I secured it and tried whacking at it with a few flat screwdrivers, which basically knocked the bolt loose in the vice and marred the screwdriver a little, that was it.  SO I reconfigured my attack----- with a rubber mallet I had for beating a piece of the new Saiga 12 into place, and a drywall screw I saw sitting there.  I tightened the bolt in the vice really good, gave a few love taps, and then whacked the stuff outta it with a drywall nail, which did three things-

Took off the tip of the drywall screw,

Sent the plunger flying across the floor,

and deposited the offending piece of Leatherman tip metal neatly on the vice lip.

 

 

 

WOOHOO.  

 

Now I am in the process of cleaning it up real good and trying to reinstall everything without screwing something else up, lol..

 

 

 

THANKS AGAIN Everyone.  I really didnt' expect to be able to fix it, I thought it was hopeless and in need of a $100 replacement- thanks for the kind encouragement and ideas.  Really from the bottom of my heart thanks much.

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