# Remington 1100



## Gohon

Earlier this year I bought a Remington 1100. I've always owned and used pump shotguns so little experience with autos. So far, up to now the gun has operated flawless but the only thing I have put through it was Remington Nitro 27 Handicap loads as these work great for what I was hunting. Anyway, I picked up a couple boxes of Remington Club target loads the other day which are rated at 1145 FPE. The Nitros are at 1230 FPE. To my surprise the Club Target loads won't cycle the action. Thought something was wrong to took the gun apart for a good cleaning. Same results after cleaning. I had a box of Peters target loads so I tried them. Same result, so I tried some low brass 1 oz Federal game loads. Ditto on these, no cycle of the action. Loaded the Nitros back in and everything worked fine. Tried some Peters High Brass game loads, and some Remington Long Range high brass at 1330 FPE and these also worked well cycling the action normally. Okay, long way to it but my question is do I have a problem or have I discovered the drawback to some/all autos in that it takes a certain/minimum amount of muzzle velocity to cycle the action. The magic number seems to be 1200 FPE at the muzzle for my gun to work properly.


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## tumblebuck

Are you using a "magnum" barrel? Take the barrel off and look into the sleeve that slides over the magazine. Do you see one or two gas ports (little holes)? I have two barrels for my 1100. The magnum barrel only has one gas port and ejects nothing less than 3" shells. The other barrel has two gas ports and will eject low brass. If only one port, you may want to buy another barrel or visit a gunsmith.

Also, check the o-ring that sits beneath the gas port. A bad or missing o-ring can cause ejection problems also.


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## Gohon

Oops................ after making the above post I took the gun apart and discovered I hadn't cleaned out the gas ports in the barrel as well as I thought. After proper cleaning the ports it is now kicking out the low brass about three feet. Guess I need to pay more attention to my cleaning details. I wasn't aware that there was a barrel for 3 inch shell for the 1100. Thought that was only the 11-87 and the 1100 was designed for 2&3/4 only. I'll have to look into that.


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## tumblebuck

I bought my 1100 used in 1989. They may have changed since then.


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## Robert A. Langager

I may be wrong, but I think early 1100s were 2.75 only and later were 3 inch. I also thought that 1100 were not meant to cycle low base/target loads, whereas the 11-87 will shoot them all. I have an 11-87 and it will shoot everything, from low-base to 3 inch mags. Not much help I guess, just what I think I know about the 2 models.

Here is some more from the web:

http://www.trapshooters.com/cfpages/thr ... messages=3

Robert


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## Gohon

Reading Remingtons web site I found this.

"Model 1100 Steel Shot Barrels are designed for use with 2-3/4" or 3" Magnum steel or lead shot shells when used on Magnum receivers and 2-3/4" or 3" Magnum steel or 2-3/4" lead shotshells when used on non-Magnum receivers."

I don't see a 1100 magnum listed on their site so I assume it was discontinued when the 11-87 was brought out. Since my gun doesn't have a magnum receiver I can't just change barrels and shoot 3" shells. That's okay as 99% of all my shooting is with 2 & 3/4 shells anyway.


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## steelcommander

I know what your problem is. Most autoloaders need a load that will generate a chamber pressure of at least 8,000 psi in order for the gun to fully cycle the load. I'm gonna guess that those Remington Club target loads are under 8,000 psi. A lot of the low velocity target loads are. When I shoot high velocity steel shot loads through my 1100, it spits them out close to 20 feet.


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## Browning Hater

Gohon said:


> Earlier this year I bought a Remington 1100. I've always owned and used pump shotguns so little experience with autos. So far, up to now the gun has operated flawless but the only thing I have put through it was Remington Nitro 27 Handicap loads as these work great for what I was hunting. Anyway, I picked up a couple boxes of Remington Club target loads the other day which are rated at 1145 FPE.  The Nitros are at 1230 FPE. To my surprise the Club Target loads won't cycle the action. Thought something was wrong to took the gun apart for a good cleaning. Same results after cleaning. I had a box of Peters target loads so I tried them. Same result, so I tried some low brass 1 oz Federal game loads. Ditto on these, no cycle of the action. Loaded the Nitros back in and everything worked fine. Tried some Peters High Brass game loads, and some Remington Long Range high brass at 1330 FPE and these also worked well cycling the action normally. Okay, long way to it but my question is do I have a problem or have I discovered the drawback to some/all autos in that it takes a certain/minimum amount of muzzle velocity to cycle the action. The magic number seems to be 1200 FPE at the muzzle for my gun to work properly.


 Try Kent sporting loads they are 1360 fps and have 11/8oz of shot they work for me.


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## Jeff82

From the Remington website:
"The 11-87 with a pressure compensated barrel is designed to cycle field loads or heavier. This would consist of 3 ¼ dram 1 1/8 oz shot or more. The Model 1187 Super Magnum is designed to cycle field loads or heavier. This would consist of 3 1/4 dram 1 1/8 oz shot or more. The Model 1100 12 gauge is also designed to cycle loads of 3 ¼ dram 1 1/8oz shot or more. These firearms are not designed for target loads. We do offer the Model 1100 Sporting, Trap and Skeet firearms that are specifically designed for target loads and should be used with up to 3 ¼ dram 1 1/8oz shot."

I just bought a Tactical 18" model and follows this exactly. Won't cycle with club/sport loads but does fine with several styles of buck shot. I'll try heavy dove loads next for 3-gun use.


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## Gohon

Thanks Jeff but I discovered my problem was the crud in the gas bleed off ports. Apparently the crud will bake hard on the ports and normal cleaning doesn't remove it. I took a section of a thin coat hanger really gave the two ports a cleaning and it cycles fine now with all loads.


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## flytier231

Glad you figured out the problem. Here's some info to support your discovery - I knew two people who shot an 1100 for skeet. One cleaned his gun pretty regularly, the other didn't. Guess whose gun NEVER had a cycling problem, and whose gun continually failed to cycle. Both guns were the target model too. Shooting with the one guy was a pain.
One more tidbit - just shot sporting clays with a friend who let my wife shoot his 11-87. I had loaded some 7/8 oz., light, 12 ga. loads for her. They cycled just fine through that Remington. I was impressed. With her shooting too! She hit 29 out of 50, first time ever shooting sporting clays.


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## careyasu

where are those gas ports again? I can't seem to find them on my 1100


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## Gohon

Pull the barrel off and look down inside. You can't miss them............. on the 1100 2&3/4 only, there are two of them side by side. On the 1100 3" mag I believe there is just one gas port.


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## careyasu

Ok gotcha

thanks


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## Burly1

I used to keep an old aluminum pop rivet in my cleaning kit just for knocking the crud from the dual gas ports on my old 1100. Worked perfect. I noticed that the gun kicked harder when the ports would start to plug. A couple pokes with the aluminum nail and back to business. Good shooting, Burl


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## SDHandgunner

I picked up a new Remington Model 1100 Synthetic this past fall. I have a buddy that has 2 or 3 1100's that he uses for Trap Shooting all summer. he is a Remington Model 1100 FANATIC. He showed me what to keep clean and what to lube. I noticed in the Owners Manual that came with my 1100 it says to clean the gas port holes with a drill bit (don't remember the size of bit, I'd have to dig out the owners manual to be sure).

At any rate when I was looking for a Remington Model 1100 my buddy told me that IF I bought an older 3" version he knows a gunsmith that will drill the extra gas port hole in the barrel. He then taps threads into the extra hole and when 3" ammo is to be used it is a simple matter of putting a set screw in the hole with the threads in it so only the one gas port is operational.

I cleaned and lubed my 1100 at the start of Pheasant Season and have not taken it apart since. It still works like it is supposed to and doesn't mis a beat.

Larry


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## Horsager

Pipe cleaners dipped in nitro solvent work well to clean gas ports.

Some of the cheap ammo won't generate the pressure needed to cycle a semi-auto because the wads are crap and don't make a good seal.


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## hunter3705

Yeah, the gas ports on an 1100 are the single most important element for proper functioning. Glad to hear you worked it out, you can't beat an 1100 in my opinion, they're great guns.


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## MOB

I have a 1100 Magnum 28" modified choke barrel with only 1 port, got it in 1976 and still hunt with it today. It's a great shotgun, but will not cycle low base target loads.


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## Gohon

MOB, IIRC the barrel with the one large port is for the 3 inch chambered model 1100. And you're right they won't eject target loads. You can get a 2&3/4 barrel that has two small gas ports and use that for all 2&3/4 shells and target loads. Just don't forget to switch back if you intend to shoot any 3" shells. Your gun should have 3" mag stamped on the barrel. One of the reasons the 11-87 was brought out was so you didn't have to switch barrels as is required on the 1100.


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## MOB

Thanks for the info Gohon. It is a 3" magnum 1100. I looked into buying a 2 3/4" IC barrel, but I have both a 28" mod and full choke barrels already. 
I shoot sporting clays during the summer months, but use a Citori for that. It really isn't that much of an adjustment going back to the 1100 for hunting seasons. The biggest adjustment to switching from clays to birds is the amount of lead on the target. The hunting loads I use for pheasant (Fiocchi 5 shot 1485 fps) are much faster than the low base target loads and sometimes early in the season I think I miss a few birds by too much lead. That may be odd as most misses I see by most people is by not enough lead or poor follow through.


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