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3rd gas ring?

OsteKuste

OsteKuste

.22LR
While doing a routine cleaning I was reassembling my 930, and while I was sliding the barrel on I felt it catch a little. I gave it the little wiggle that usually seats it, and it dropped in. However, a small thin little split ring only about a couple mm thick popped out the top of the barrel lug. It is as I said only a couple mm tall, split, and has no really noticeable chamfer on either top or bottom. It is sized so that it slides perfectly over the mag tube. The only reference to this I have found is one other member who had this issue and seemed to track down where it went by looking at another barrel, which showed that it went into a small groove just under the heavy main gas spring. Mine also has this groove, and I can place this ring into it but it will not really fit very tight. I have to keep my finger on it till I slide the barrel down far enough that the mag tube passes it. I then finished assembling it, ran the action a few times, and disassembled it again. At this point when I removed the piston this small mystery ring found its way down onto the top of the piston/gas ring assembly. So, what the heck is this thing, where did it come from, and how do I get it back in its home? Am I putting it where it goes? Here's the kicker. I called and spoke to a Mossberg service tech, and after describing this issue they stated that this little ring was supposed to stay somewhere inside the barrel lug. It was not supposed to come out, but they couldn't tell me how it came out or really where it should be exactly or what it was. They only stated that I would have to send my barrel back for service. This is a brand new SPX of recent manufacture with less than 100 rds fired, and this does not make me happy, especially since the tech couldn't really tell me any details including how to keep this from happening again. I'm not really sure they were understanding the issue. If this ring does go where it seems to fit into that groove, I don't see what keeps it there anyway. I don't see it referenced in any dissassmbly video or diagram. Please help! So far I love this gun, but this has not built any confidence for sure!
 
Ok, so 14 views and nobody has a clue yet. Well, I've answered the question for myself. This ring does go into the groove just before the main gas spring. I just had to start one end of it into the groove and then work it around until it snapped into place. Now it is staying in there. Only thing I can figure is I barely grabbed the edge of it with the end of the mag tube and peeled it out of there. Was a little bit of a pain to get in there, but by NO means a reason to be told to send it back for service. Took it out and ran a few through it, broke it back down, and everything looks peachy. What started this whole thing was hat I installed an Or3gun marine spacer tube and adjustable spring plunger to help with some issues when using target loads. Well, now it runs fine with Federal low power target loads. Don't buy the Winchester Universal target shells, though. They are junk. My extractor tore right through two of the shells at the lip and I had to knock them out of the chamber. The Winchesters also would not even knock down some steel pop up targets they were so weak, while the Federals worked just fine.
 
Welcome to the forum, sir. I'm glad you figured out the answer to your problem. The likely reason you did not get any feedback was that your message was only up for 5 hours in the middle of a workday. There a alot of people here that eager to share their knowledge and experience to analyze problems like this. I'm not a 930 guy so I just follow along here.

The thing I liked about your post is that you sound like you have some good experience that will make you a valuable resource to us when we have problems. It's good to have you with us.
 
Ditto what Scoop posted previously. Sorry I couldn't help. Personally, I don't have a clue about your gun, but if I may?

:oldman:... one day is not a long time to wait for an answer on a forum full of busy old men. We did not avoid comment because we don't like you. This isn't quite like Facebook.

:idk:...of the 22 views your post enjoyed, a few were probably GoogleBots and several of them were certainly people who come here more to learn rather than teach. There are many of us.

:gift:.... thank you for posting about your problem and your solution, and I would like to suggest that you also post some photographs of what you're talking about, both now and for any future situations which may arise.

It will be a huge assistance.
 
Thank you for your responses, fellas. I've noticed things move a little slow in here. I was just surprised this issue and/or specific part I was referring to seemed to have no history anywhere I searched. Sorry if I came across any other way. Any suggestions on how to easily post pics? Seems every forum I dive into is different in this regard.
 
Re: inserting pix.
it depends on the source. I mostly steal from the Internet. Find a picture you like and right click on it, select "copy image" then paste into a message.
images


From my phone or camera I use a USB cord and copy using the filing system. It doesn't always work due to size limitations, and I have to use an editor occasionally. Experiment a little. If you have any problems, drop us a note and we'll be happy to help.
 
I post photos all the time and I just click the button that says "upload a file." Then browse for a file.

The photos must be less than 1 Megabyte each. If the smallest photo your camera takes is bigger than this, just zoom in a bit before you take the photo and check your file size.
 
Just for the record, in most modern Windows file viewers, if you don't have details enabled, you hover your cursor over the file icon and a window pops up that tells you the file size and name. If you want to see all the file sizes just put it on "details view" .

If you have an Android phone just view the picture and pick "more" and then pick "details". If it's just a little too big you can sometimes crop the photo down and make it small enough without any problem.

But if the photo is way over a megabyte you need to adjust the camera down.

The minimum picture size my camera takes is 2.4 megabytes, so I always zoom a bit before I take a picture. But the picture size doesn't depend only on the zoom Factor. Evidently the lighting and other things play a part.

Even when I zoom the picture I still stand back enough that I can allow for a crop and thus I can reduce it in size after the fact, plus center up the subject of the photo a little better by cropping.
 
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OsteKuste said:
While doing a routine cleaning I was reassembling my 930, and while I was sliding the barrel on I felt it catch a little. I gave it the little wiggle that usually seats it, and it dropped in. However, a small thin little split ring only about a couple mm thick popped out the top of the barrel lug. It is as I said only a couple mm tall, split, and has no really noticeable chamfer on either top or bottom. It is sized so that it slides perfectly over the mag tube. The only reference to this I have found is one other member who had this issue and seemed to track down where it went by looking at another barrel, which showed that it went into a small groove just under the heavy main gas spring. Mine also has this groove, and I can place this ring into it but it will not really fit very tight. I have to keep my finger on it till I slide the barrel down far enough that the mag tube passes it. I then finished assembling it, ran the action a few times, and disassembled it again. At this point when I removed the piston this small mystery ring found its way down onto the top of the piston/gas ring assembly. So, what the heck is this thing, where did it come from, and how do I get it back in its home? Am I putting it where it goes? Here's the kicker. I called and spoke to a Mossberg service tech, and after describing this issue they stated that this little ring was supposed to stay somewhere inside the barrel lug. It was not supposed to come out, but they couldn't tell me how it came out or really where it should be exactly or what it was. They only stated that I would have to send my barrel back for service. This is a brand new SPX of recent manufacture with less than 100 rds fired, and this does not make me happy, especially since the tech couldn't really tell me any details including how to keep this from happening again. I'm not really sure they were understanding the issue. If this ring does go where it seems to fit into that groove, I don't see what keeps it there anyway. I don't see it referenced in any dissassmbly video or diagram. Please help! So far I love this gun, but this has not built any confidence for sure!
Click to expand...

Sorry I'm late here, don't come here too often lately........The first time I took my Blackwater SPX apart to clean it right after I picked it up, the same thing happened to me, the little gas ring fell out of the barrel lug and I didn't know what it was or where it was supposed to go. Finally found another thread on this forum that identified this part and mentioned that it goes back into a groove on the inside of the lug. Can't remember precisely which one, but finally found the smallest one which seemed to be the only one where this ring would fit. Was fortunate that it snapped in very easily, and I've never had a problem with it since, the gun cycles like a champ. A break-in with about 200 rds of slugs prolly helped seat it for good. And I take it apart for cleaning every time I take it to range.

I too was very disappointed when I first got this Mossy - seemed to have a few glitches right from the factory - the loose gas ring, screws in the top rail and front and rear sights were loose, in fact I lost my front XS sight because of it. A little blue Locktite and a call to Joe Zahker (for a replacement) solved the problem. Trying to load a full eight rounds in the mag tube was a problem at first, but taking a couple inches off the spring and replacing the factory follower with a GG solved that one. And last but not least, early on I would have sporadic cycling problems with light target loads and the Orgun spacer immediately took care of that one. Now that I've had it for a few years, is broken in, and with added a few minor modifications, it is about as reliable as a semi-auto will get, now am very pleased with it, and have all the confidence that it will work when I need it.

And all the info I needed to get my Mossy in tip top shape is right here on this forum, thanks to a bunch of friendly, informative members...........BOL with reinstalling your gas ring.
 
Thanks for sharing your experience. I did get the ring back in its home and spent another day at the range. I used only Federal target loads and still have a few fte and ftl issues, but I'm only at about 100 rds through it so far. I do have the Or3gun spacer tube and adjustable spring plunger installed, but at this point I feel I just need to run it and finish breaking it in. It does keep getting better.
 
Well - I guess I wasn't the only one. The first time after picking up this shot gun, I notice lots of gunk. I decided to disassemble and clean the shottie up. During re-assembly, guess what happened, this little gas ring pop'd out and I said WTF ???? This was before I even joined this forum. I contacted Mossberg about this problem. Their response was ship it back. Again I said WTF - I haven't had a chance to shoot it once and they want me to ship it back. So with a little bit of looking I found where that ring belonged.

2zdwzep.jpg


Took it out, cautiously shot the first round and never looked back. I may have posted this but can't remember.
 
anm2_man said:
Well - I guess I wasn't the only one. The first time after picking up this shot gun, I notice lots of gunk. I decided to disassemble and clean the shottie up. During re-assembly, guess what happened, this little gas ring pop'd out and I said WTF ???? This was before I even joined this forum. I contacted Mossberg about this problem. Their response was ship it back. Again I said WTF - I haven't had a chance to shoot it once and they want me to ship it back. So with a little bit of looking I found where that ring belonged.

2zdwzep.jpg


Took it out, cautiously shot the first round and never looked back. I may have posted this but can't remember.
Click to expand...



so.... where does it go? lol
 
xLucidx said:
so.... where does it go? lol
Click to expand...
See my 2nd post above. I have had it back to the range a couple times and broken it down for cleaning as well and have not had it come back out. I see no signs of any abnormal issues or wear. I am now careful about how I slide the barrel over the mag tube during assembly so as to not catch it and peel it out again, which is what I think happened the first time. What frustrates me is that Mossberg tech wanted me to return an almost new gun to them for this problem when a little communication would have been all I needed to help me find where this ring came from. Once I felt I had the location correct it literally took me at most 15 seconds to reinstall the ring. No issues since and they wanted me to send it back? Seriously? If I couldn't have done this myself I have no business even cleaning a gun, much less working on them.
 
xLucidx said:
so.... where does it go? lol
Click to expand...

Well don't have a pic of where it went back, but if it ever falls out, all you have to do is look for the empty slot in the gas piston chamber (Its very obvious as long as you look for it). And yes after re-inserting it, the gun function just fine. See OsteKuste response.
 
OsteKuste said:
22 views and not even a comment, but over 111k about how to bling up my gun. Wow.
Click to expand...

Thank you for posting this info on here. I just bought a Mossberg 930 spx and took it apart to clean it and literally had the same damn problem! Tonight i hope to finally fix it and than take it out tomorrow for a test. I don’t know why this should happen and i’m not really happy it did but with your info i’m hoping i can get it to work and in its proper place. Any info would greatly help as well.
 
If anyone please can send some pics of where it actually does and a good close up pic at that i’d really appreciate it. I pretty sure from what i’ve read that it’s in the place it needs to go but it’s not like tight in there. I can still twist the little ring but that might be the way it is. If anyone can get back to me id appreciate it.
 
I found my "3rd gas ring" on a cleaning brush that was recommended by Jerry Miculek to clean the gas piston area. I used my 930 in a match before I realized the gas ring was still on the brush and it ran flawlessly. I searched the internet and put together enough info to get it back in the right place which is a small groove just inside the shooter side of the piston chamber right before the big spring and it does fit loose. Good luck!

a1k4A.jpg


Credit for the photo above goes to Not_A_Llama who is a member of this forum.
http://mossbergowners.com/forum/index.php?threads/mystery-ring.3532/
 
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