Rem 1100 Problem child

[shufigo]

Seeing that this appears to be the week for 1100 posts, I'll try to get some help on mine. Mine was bought back in the mid 70s. Seeing I was very heavy into competition skeet, it's got mega rounds thru it. I picked up a TB barrel, wanting the higher sighting plane, and sent it to Baker to have a screw in installed. So far so good. Now the problem. It has never had the reliability of other 1100s. After about 50-75 rounds, I'd have to wipe down the piston to avoid a malfunction (bolt not going fully forward into battery). I can definitely hear it start to slow down after the second box of shells. Just about every moving part has been worn out and replaced at one time or another. Also, it does not eject the empty cases very far, tho I credit this to the little tit on the ejection port surface of the TB barrel. Those trap shooters get a little fiesty when the shooter to their left spits empties on their shoes! Anybody got an idea why I need to wipe this puppy down after two boxes? (90%+ of the rounds thru it have been light target loands - 18gr of Red Dot behind either 1 or 1 1/8 oz of shot, and 2 3/4 dr factory loads, predominantly 1 oz.)

[JDC]

Just my thoughts and experiences with my 1100:

1) Avoid Red Dot. (it has supposedly been reformulated to burn cleaner) but it has been the foulest powder I have ever used

2) use gunpowder solvent to clean the slide/magazine tube and all related parts. Put a small amount of Rem Oil on the mechanizm.

now you can shoot till the barrel melts!!

[shufigo]

JDC - Oh I wish it were simply a matter of a dirty gun/shells. I've had my team mates run cases of my reloads thru their autos, 1100s included, with no problems. And during my Alaska tour, I shot the 1100 bone dry, so the type of solvent/cleaner isn't a factor. I'm pretty sure I've got a bit more of a unique problem here.

[JDC]

Indeed, you may have a unique (yes I caught the pun!) problem here, but I'm not sure of such.

I used to have a lot of fouling problems with my 1100. 2-3 boxes, and I had to pull the forearm, suck off the barrell, and wipe all the residue off for it to cycle properly. It would get even worse when I used Red Dot, sometimes just over a box.

I was convinced it was the lube, or lack of lube I was using, so I tried everything from household oils, to super oils like Slick 50 etc.. some better some worse, but all still fouled. One day I picked up some RemOil, used some brake parts cleaner and a green scrubby pad and went to town. I finished it of with an extremely light coating of RemOil. So far this season the gun is on it's 11th or 12th box of shells, hasn't been cleaned, and will still cycle properly.

[shufigo]

JDC - One of the reasons I'm pretty sure it's not shell and powder is that I'd shoot factory ammo at the big shoots. -- same problem. I am going to try the RemOil approach though. It certainly won't make anything worse. What the heck, I've lived with the thing for 20 odd years, so it's not really that important.

[JDC]

You may want to PM Gundoc and see if he has any other thoughts.

My only other thought would be a cracked carrier between the two gas ports allowing excess residue in, but then you should be really chewing up the o-ring.

[Gun Docc]

Howdy shufigo,

seems I've been pretty busy lately and just now getting to your post..lol

two questions of your setup :
1. before you went to the trap barrel did the problem you speak of exist ?
2. have you tried a standard barrel to see if the problem persists ?

now for a stab in the dark..hehehe

if the problem you speak of started after switching to the trap barrel and the bolt seems to be tardy returning to battery after only a few rounds due to the gas piston being very dirty , then i would first suspect the gas piston area

first , inspect the port area of the barrel but mainly the O ring sealing area and then measure the size of the gas piston versus the barrel ring as there must be sufficient clearance between the two for the gas system to clean itself properly

otherwords what i am suggesting is that maybe the gas piston ring fits too snugly into the barrel ring which in turn causes the ring not to be able to move freely during firing to allow the proper gas letoff and self cleaning scrubbing action of the two parts

it may be a good idea to compare the measurements you find on the trap barrel versus a standard barrel as to the clearances

on another note does the trap barrel you have still have the small protruding stud on the receiver tang on the upper side ?

if so then you may need to remove this as it interferes with the bolt during firing on a standard gun(not a trap grade model)
but for a trap guns the bolt has a small recess cut into it that this protrusion rides in during firing

this pin i am referring to was designed as a preventive measure by remington to deter placing trap barrels on standard grade guns

get back to me with any more info you can supply after inspecting the things i have mentioned

Good Luck !

[shufigo]

Docc - Blinding flash of revelation!!! I had no idea of the protrusion being to prevent TB barrels being used on std guns -- which is EXACTLY what I'm doing. First thing I'm going to do is file that puppy off. Then I'll go into the other possibilities that you raised. One more factor, that I hadn't mentioned. My wood is not from the factory. I came across a nice walnut blank and had a local gunsmith cut and fit it. I've looked it all over and don't see any signs of moving parts leaving marks. I do still have the factory fore end, and the problem still persists using it. I don't have the factory stock, tho. Does proper operation require a "sealing" fit anywhere where the wood could be cut too loose?

[Whistler]

Last article I read on the Rem 1100 was that it was designed to be shot without any type of lube, believe it was Guns & Ammo.....Are you using WD-40 or similiar type lube? This will definately gum up the piston. Have you tried contacting Remington?? I have known several people over the years that had similar problems with the 1100 at one time. ALL washed the piston and gun down with hot water, dried all parts and have had no further problems..... If you must use a lube, rem oil is probably the best.