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Got a new to me 930 SPX with mag tube problems. New follower

HotorCold

.22LR
So I found a 930 SPX in really good condition at a local pawn shop. I tend to dislike used guns but it was too good a deal to pass up. $413 out the door. Background and all. So I got it home and was fully prepared for rust, corrosion and grime. It is surprisingly clean, no corrosion under the gas spacer. Just light surface rust on the barrel. I haven’t got to shoot it yet but I was practicing loading and unloading when I found that sometimes the mag tube will stop at 4-5 rounds. But the first time I loaded it I got 7 rounds of Hornady TAP 2 & 3/4 in it. But the 2 & 3/4 Federal slugs and buckshot wouldn’t load more than 4-5 rounds. And the TAP would do it to, just less often. It has the Choate extension with a ~35” spring that I’m guessing is factory. One at a time, I lightly chamfered the front of the magazine tube, both sides of the follower and the inside of the extension. The extension had a slight lip at the transition from the threads to the extension tube. I rounded that over so it didn’t catch my finger. But it still hangs up occasionally. I found that if I get to five and it stops I can work the rounds back and forth to free it. It works fine after that one spot. I believe it is the spring hanging up but I don’t know what else to do.
There is a separate issue with mag spring OAL. I am going to get a Wolff 65165 and shorten it to 30”. The factory spring is just too long to fit 7 rounds of 2 & 3/4 if they shells aren’t absolutely the shortest oal. I got some Remington #6 and the 7th shell sticks out about 1/4”. I didn’t mean to word bomb for my first post but I had a lot to say!
 
I'm hardly an expert but if it were me I would start trimming the stock spring. If it's too long it may be bunching and hanging up on a some edge or other imperfection. It's probably a good idea to get the Wolff spring though...and welcome to MarlinOwners.
 
I'm hardly an expert but if it were me I would start trimming the stock spring. If it's too long it may be bunching and hanging up on a some edge or other imperfection. It's probably a good idea to get the Wolff spring though...and welcome to MarlinOwners.

I hadn’t thought about the spring bunching. I figured it was getting caught. I might trim off an inch or two and try it.
 
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I shortened the spring and tried to re create the end. I am not totally happy with how it looks but if it works, it isn’t stupid!
 

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Ok, so I finally got to sneak into the field and do some shooting! I had all 2 & 3/4” shells. 25 Remington #6 shot 1290 FPS, 25 Estate #7 1/2 shot 1145, Hornady TAP 8 pellet OO buck, Federal OO BUCK 9 pellet and Federal 1oz slug. The Remington shot great! If I could get it into or fed back out of the mag tube. Several times something caught in the mag tube and the rounds were just sliding back and forth in the tube. No spring tension. I know I fixed it at least once by mortaring the gun lightly and I would get spring tension back. Twice a shell would feed part way onto the lifter and just jam. The bolt would lock back and there would be a shell about 3/4 way onto the lifter stuck somehow. I could not pull it back, probably because of the lifter, and I think I pushed them back into the tube and racked the bolt. And still the problem with occasional not wanting to load more than 4-5 rounds. The Estate was the second lowest FPS and the second most reliable! I did have two FTE (stovepipes) and one where the fired shell was sitting backwards in the action (rim toward the chamber) with the bolt locked back. I don’t believe there were any tube related problems with the Estate this time, only the Remington. I only fired two rounds each of the Federal buckshot and slugs, as I only had five of each and wanted to save some. Both of them worked but I don’t know if they would have loaded if I had gone past 4 rounds. Sometimes they will and sometimes they won’t. And finally the TAP was a almost complete failure. It was the nicest shooting load but would not cycle the gun reliably at all. Less than 50% successful on cycling the action. Most of the time, I don’t even think the bolt moved. No FTE, just a closed bolt on a fired hull.

Plan of action: I am going to order two or three Wolff springs from Brownells. And maybe a Nordic follower. I split 50/50 between it and the gg&g follower. But brownells doesn’t carry the gg&g, so Nordic it is! I really don’t think the follower is the problem but it’s a fairly cheap thing to try.
 
I tried to edit and add a phto and it didn’t like it. Here’s a picture of my baby! Edit it came with that really nice, metal, 8round side saddle!
 

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Well, I bought some more 7 & 1/2 shot but 1290 fps to try. And I got 5 rounds in and it would go about 1/2” father but couldn’t load anymore. So I put on safety glasses and REALLY CAREFULLY unscrewed the extension. The follower was about a 1/2” in the mag tube from the extension. I pulled it out and the back (spring side) is chewed up in two or three places where it has caught. There are smaller places on the front (action side) where it caught but mostly on the back. Strange I didn’t see them when I first had it apart. Well, I am going to sand some more on the follower. Now that I know, I will probably replace the follower, so sanding the old follower won’t hurt.
 

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Well, she ran like a banshee today. The cheap Estate 1250 FPS 7 & 1/2 shot was flawless! :ripper: Over 50 rounds and I gave up. My shoulder is sore!!! I don’t know. It seemed like they weren't loading more than the 5 at first but once I got out shooting, I didn’t notice any problems. I could load and shoot 7 at a time.
 
Pick up a brake hone from Autozone or O'Reilley's ( https://www.autozone.com/test-scan-...djustable-disc-brake-cylinder-hone/531780_0_0 ). Chuck it in a hand drill, drop some Marvel Mystery oil in your extension, and run the hone back and forth for a couple of minutes. Before you stop, back the hone out until the stones are just slighlty splayed out the back of the extension, and spend a couple of minutes there to chamfer the opening. Clean/degrease your extension, and re-lube it. You can hone inside your mag tube too, if you see any rough spots.

Get a good, smooth, chamfer on the extension throat, and I guarantee you'll never have your follower hanging up again. Speaking of, the Vang-style stainless followers, with a large center-hole, are excellent.
 
Ok, I wasn’t sure it would help but for $20 ($15 for hone & $4 for oil) I’ll try it.

I had heard the GG&G follower won’t fit the factory Choate extension. That is why I ordered the Nordic Components follower. I would have ordered the Vang Comp, had I known about it. Oh well. I might still get it and the enlarged safety. I don’t have a problem with the plastic safety, except it can be hard to feel for sometimes cause it is small.
 
Heck, if you have a few ounces of 5-20 or 5-30, and some automatic transmission fluid, you don't need to buy the oil. For light cutting or honing, I do about 50/50 mix of oil & ATF. The key is getting a good bevel at the mouth of the extension, and having a follower without crisp edges.:cheers:
 
I might have the 5-20 oil but don’t have any ATF. I try to keep away from them!

I really worked the follower over, so I think that helped. The mouth of the extension is where I think most of my problems are. So I’ll work it over.
 
Sigh. It was feeding ok but I went ahead with the hone job. Big mistake. She’s totally quit taking 7 rounds. 5 only. Period. Anybody want a CHEAP shotgun?! I sure don’t want it! And I realized the mag tube tightens on the handguard very slightly canted. I don’t think it should hurt but I guess it doesn’t help...

Pick up a brake hone from Autozone or O'Reilley's ( https://www.autozone.com/test-scan-...djustable-disc-brake-cylinder-hone/531780_0_0 ). Chuck it in a hand drill, drop some Marvel Mystery oil in your extension, and run the hone back and forth for a couple of minutes. Before you stop, back the hone out until the stones are just slighlty splayed out the back of the extension, and spend a couple of minutes there to chamfer the opening. Clean/degrease your extension, and re-lube it. You can hone inside your mag tube too, if you see any rough spots.

Get a good, smooth, chamfer on the extension throat, and I guarantee you'll never have your follower hanging up again. Speaking of, the Vang-style stainless followers, with a large center-hole, are excellent.
 
I am going to try the Nordic follower and if that doesn’t work idk what I’ll do next. I am running out of ideas. Any suggestions?
 
You may as well try the Nordic extension too. Check with OR3GUN. They are a sponsor here and are very helpful. There are lots of people here that know their s*** about these guns but they are not online all the time so use the search feature. Don't weaken pilgrim! The gun runs and you will beat this mag tube thing.
Also search Google for Mossberg 930 SPX mag tube problems.

http://mossbergowners.com/forum/index.php?threads/930-spx-mag-extension-keeps-jamming.3862/
 
Ok, not easy to meet up with you then, unfortunately. Two other thoughts:

1, Primary Arms has Magpul 590 mag tube clamps on sale. They're a best-of value, right now, and if you're having minor alignment issues, having one just behind your front sight assembly can help.
https://www.primaryarms.com/magpul-forward-sling-mount-remington-870-mossberg-500-590

2, I suspect a new follower is likely to take care of the problem, if you have a good chamfer at the mouth of the extension. Nordic makes a good tube, I'm just fond of the steel Choate product on a hard-use gun.

Lastly, you can chamfer the throat of a stainless follower to much better effect than an aluminum one. I'll look to see if I still have my Vang parts in the extras box. If your Nordic follower has trouble (it shouldn't), let me know.
 
I didn’t know Magpul made a clamp. I like that one. I backordered the nordic clamp at Brownells. I’ll call and see if I can cancel it. I wanted the rail but want a sling too, so I can use the magpul for sling and and a clamp on light mount.

As far as the Magpul clamp goes, they make two different ones. One for the standard Remington 870 and Mossberg 500. And one for the heavy walled barrel 590A1. Wouldn't I need the heavy walled barrel for the 930 SPX?
 
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