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I have a remington 1100 12 ga. than i have hunted with for the last 14 years. when i took it out this year i cleaned it up and tried to shoot it. it would click and not even dent the primer. i took it apart and cleaned again and found that if i loosen the cap on the magazine tube and slip the barrel out about 1/8" the firing pin will work. if i seat the barrel all the way and tighten the cap, i can't pull the trigger at all. is it possible my headspace is out of whack?

guess i posted this in the wrong spot.

shadowwalker wrote:I have a remington 1100 12 ga. than i have hunted with for the last 14 years. when i took it out this year i cleaned it up and tried to shoot it. it would click and not even dent the primer. i took it apart and cleaned again and found that if i loosen the cap on the magazine tube and slip the barrel out about 1/8" the firing pin will work. if i seat the barrel all the way and tighten the cap, i can't pull the trigger at all. is it possible my headspace is out of whack?

I'm not sure the term headspace really applies to a shotgun, since many are capable of using multiple length shells. It's more likely something keeping the bolt from locking properly. Have you completely disassembled and thoroughly cleaned and inspected the parts? There are many excellent videos available on the Internet showing how to do that. If it still doesn't function I would reccommend a good inspection and possible repair by a gunsmith. This probably goes without saying that you shouldn't fire it with the barrel loose. Good luck!

My fathers rem 1100 had the same problem. I took it completely apart and cleaned it VERY well and still nothing. He had to take it to a gunsmith to figure it out. I don't know what the solution was, but now it's 100%. I wanna say it had something to do with an internal spring. I hope you get it back up and going again soon.

Check the gas piston seal assembly. If they aren't put together correctly it will cause this problem. There are two types of these. The old two piece assembly and the newer snap together type. Here's a VIDEO from Brownell's how to install your gas piston seal assembly.

If you have the new style gas piston seal assembly and it is not snapped together it will cause the exact malfunction you have described. I have personal experience with that problem.

It is most likely not a headspace problem, Shotgun shells are rimmed and "headspace on the rim" unlike most rimless handgun cartridges that headspace on the end of the case, or on bottleneck cartridges that headspace on the shoulder. Anyhow, if loosening the barrel nut allows the bolt to lock up and the trigger to be pulled, then I would examine the gas system parts very well, something is pushing back against the bolt when you tighten the barrel nut and keeping it from locking up. On a separate topic, there is a plastic grommet in the bolt that surrounds the firing pin. This grommet " mashes out " toward the front of the bolt face over time, and eventually will cause misfires, or light primer strikes. I have had to disassemble the bolt in the field before and shave this grommet with a pocket knife to get the gun firing again. I ultimately replaced it and resolved the problem. Anyhow this problem will not cause your gun to not lock up, it will just cause light primer strikes.

thanks everyone for the responses. i have been invited to a pheasant hunt in december so i would love to have it up and running.

shadowwalker wrote:thanks everyone for the responses. i have been invited to a pheasant hunt in december so i would love to have it up and running.

Please let us know how you resolve the problem. I've always shot pumps and O/U, but I recently purchased a Rem 1100 Tournament Skeet in pristine condition. Due to eye surgeries have yet to shoot it and I don't anticipate any problems when I do, but I would be interested in what you find. Good Luck and Good Hunting, Stay Safe!