REMINGTON M870 SHOTGUN

The M870 shotgun, used by the Navy for guard work, is a manually operated, magazine fed (tubular), pump-action shoulder weapon.

Figure 8-24.-Remington M870 shotgun.

The M870 shotgun can be loaded and unloaded in several different ways. The following paragraphs describe the different options for loading and unloading the M870 and how to operate the mechanical safety. Single-load puts a round directly into the chamber for fast firing, while magazine-load fully loads the tubular magazine but does not chamber a round. Loading the barrel from the magazine chambers a round from the loaded tubular magazine for firing.

SAFETY.- Before loading or unloading, push the safety (fig. 8-25) across the rear of the trigger, left to right, to the safe position (the red band on the safety will not show).

FIRE POSITION.- Push the safety across to the fire position (the red band on the safety will show). The trigger can then be pulled to fire the gun.

SINGLE LOAD.- Push the safety to the safe position. Press in the action bar lock (fig. 8-25) if the action is cocked and pull the fore-end fully to the rear.

Figure 8-25.-Remington M870 receiver nomenclature.

Place the shell into the open ejection port upon the downthrust carrier. Slide the fore-end toward the muzzle to load the shell into the barrel chamber and lock the action closed,

MAGAZINE LOAD.- Push the safety to the safe position. Slide the fore-end completely forward to close the action. Turn the gun bottom upward and press the shell against the carrier, then forward fully into the magazine. Make sure that the rim of the shell snaps past the shell latch to prevent the shell from sliding back over the carrier. Should this occur, open the action or, if necessary, remove the trigger plate assembly (fig. 8-26), if the gun is cocked, to remove the shell.

LOADING THE BARREL FROM THE MAG-AZINE.- Shells can be fed from the loaded magazine by simply pumping the fore-end. Press in the action bar lock if the gun is cocked. Pump the fore-end back and forth to open and close the action.

UNLOADING THE GUN.- Push the safety to the safe position. Press in the action bar lock; pull the fore-end (figure 8-27) slowly rearward until the front end of the shell from the barrel is even with the ejection port in the receiver. Lift the front of the shell outward and remove it from the ejection port. Continue pulling the fore-end back fully until the next shell releases from the magazine. Roll the gun sideways to allow the released shell to drop from the

Figure 8-26.-M870 trigger plate assembly.

Figure 8-27.-M870 fore-end assembly. 8-16

ejection port. Close the action by pushing forward on the fore-end. Continue this same method until the magazine and gun are empty.

CAUTION

Open the action and check the shell chamber in the breech and magazine to make sure no rounds remain in the gun.

UNLOADING THE BARREL ONLY.- Push the safety to the on safe position. Press in the action bar lock and pull the fore-end rearward until the front end of the shell from the barrel is even with the front end of the ejection port. Lift the front end of the shell from the receiver as described previously. A shell with different powder and shot combination may then be placed in the chamber and the action closed without disturbing shells in the magazine.