I recently picked up a used 870 police. This 870 will feed, extract and eject a single round from the magazine when only that round is in the gun. If there are two rounds in the magazine, the first round will feed and chamber but on the extraction stroke the action binds up at 75% open. This limited stroke is too short to eject the first round. It looks like the second round, lying directly below the partially extracted first round is causing the problem but I'm not sure. Once or twice I have had the action bind when extracting the first round with no second round present, but generally this works OK. I'm stumped. Any help would be appreciated.

Welcome to the Remington Owners Forum Steve !!

When you cycle a properly lubed shotgun...it must be a fast and deliberate action.

I would also check the magazine spring...depending on how old the gun is...it may need replacing.

If that doesn't help...I would take it to the place I bought it or a competant gunsmith...

since I'm not there to see what is going on, it's the only help I can offer !!

Let us know how you make out...

Thanks for the response. I did clean and lube the gun first so I should be fine there. The slide feels and acts normally when empty or when fed a round into the open action. But, in addition to my earlier, I now notice the binding occurs on the first round drawn from the magazine. It looks like the shell is rising too high too soon and is jamming the linkage or the bolt. I will seek some professional help and advise.

That's what I would do...

sorry I couldn't help further...and I wasn't sure if you were new to shotguns and short stroking it.

Just back from the gunsmith with the answer. I finally realized I was seeing the shell travel out of the magazine too early and jamming under the rear traveling bolt well before the timing point where it could be lifted to the chamber. I began to suspect a broken shell latch (aka shell stop). Since this was my first pump gun I wasn't sure but the gun smith figured it out quickly and pointed out the broken off shell latch on the left side of the receiver. Repair cost is minimal. And, now I know a little more than zero about my new backroads companion. Thanks again for the ideas.