Remington 1100 deep clean

S&W&J

Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2020
Messages
11
Reaction score
46
Hello all.

I inherited my Father's Remington 1100 12 gauge that he purchased around 1967. He duck hunted with it and always cleaned it, but I doubt it ever had a deep cleaning of the trigger assembly.

I plan on taking it apart and clean as shown in this video:
Remington 1100/1187 Firearm Maintenance Series: Part 1 Disassembly - YouTube

My question is how to clean the trigger assembly.
Will a product like Gun Scrubber and a can of compressed air work best.

Thank you in advance.
 
Last edited:
Register to hide this ad
I don't completely degrease an assembly unless I take it completely apart so I can lube it properly. CLP and Q tips get it clean and leave it lubed.
To be perfectly clear, I'm suggesting NOT disassemble the trigger group, and NOT use spray cleaner or spray oil. :)
 
Last edited:
Hello all.
My question is how to clean the trigger assembly.
Will a product like Gun Scrubber and a can of compressed air work best.

That should work fine. You can give everything a light coat of your favorite gun oil afterwards.
 
There’s really no reason to take the trigger group apart, unless something’s broken. Gun scrubber or even solvent, a toothbrush and some Q-Tips works just fine. You can release the hammer and slowly lower it to access more area.

Get a few O rings for the gas system. They’re cheap and you can often find suitable replacements at the hardware store in the pull-out hardware drawers. You should also check the butt stock and make sure it’s securely tightened. Wood can shrink over time a loose stock is more likely to crack.
 
My first attempt at disassembling a M1100 ended with me at my gunsmith’s house at 8:30 p.m. with a grocery bag full of parts and a six pack of beer (my customary offering).

He laughed, invited me in and he reassembled it while we drank a beer.

Moral of the story: always have a backup plan!
 
Last edited:
There’s really no reason to take the trigger group apart, unless something’s broken.

Other than just pulling the trigger assembly out like in the video I definitely will not try to take it apart. That's why I want to use a spray on cleaner.
 
Last edited:
1100

be careful after removing the trigger group when reaching down into the receiver.
there may be a sharp edge down there- i've sliced myself and not known it until i saw the blood.
i agree do NOT take the trigger group apart.
 
my only advice is to go lightly with the oil...very little is needed..clean out the reciever also...keep the oil away from the gas system..check the gas rings for cracks, replace the 'o' ring as needed.....smooth shooters
 
I put My trigger group in My Lyman sonic cleaner using Lyman metal cleaner. Then blow dry and then drip rem-oil in front of the airstream and lube it. Then let it hang over nite to drip and then a light blow dry and re-install.
 
I realize some have a need to "deep clean", especially nowadays, but I'd never do this to a gun that has been properly maintained, works as it should, and hasn't been dropped in a lake or subjected to a day of rain where water got into into a gun's innards.

I have shotguns, rifles, and handguns that I bought new well over forty years ago that have seen no such disassembly and they work fine. If there's an obvious problem that would necessitate pulling a trigger group or a complete disassembly, that's different.
 
Carbon build up is usually a semi-auto's worst enemy.

Plugged up gas holes, pistons, cylinder walls, what ever, can slow down a guns action and even stop a newer model Beretta from firing.

A can of "Gunk" remover and a rag or air spray is all that is really needed, besides a "Q-tip" and a old tooth brush, to keep a shotgun in good working order.

Screwdrivers and punches, can get a guy into trouble, if he does not know what he is doing.

"Zing, pow, rattle, rattle, ding" then silence.......................

Your worst nightmare.
 
The Remingtom 1100 has been my shotgun since I was 16. I have never disassembled my trigger group in 45 years of use. I clean mine with a tooth brush, solvent and gun scrubber followed by a careful use of lube. The 1100 trigger group is a simple robust unit that in my experience can last a lifetime with simple maintence. Enjoy your shotgun.
 
Hello all.

I inherited my Father's Remington 1100 12 gauge that he purchased around 1967. He duck hunted with it and always cleaned it, but I doubt it ever had a deep cleaning of the trigger assembly.

I plan on taking it apart and clean as shown in this video:
Remington 1100/1187 Firearm Maintenance Series: Part 1 Disassembly - YouTube

My question is how to clean the trigger assembly.
Will a product like Gun Scrubber and a can of compressed air work best.

Thank you in advance.

YEP. The 1100 has been my favorite shotgun for years ( I own 4). I've found the best way to clean the trigger assembly is liberally spray with a good aerosol "scrubber". Let dry THOROUGHLY then lube with a tiny drop of oil in the hammer area. And that's all I do. BTW, remove the gasket from the magazine tube, wipe tube and gasket DRY, and reinstall the gasket. Also, use a punch, or toothpick to clean the gas ports. As you can surmise, I've found the 1100 does not like to be wet. Good luck.:)
 
The most common problem with 1100 other than O rings is the recoil buffer spring. Guys that take care of their gun generally know about gas tube and O ring. They clean it good and stand it in rack. Over the years everything drains into buffer spring. First symptom will be misfires & light strikes. The struts that ride into buffer get deformed from bottoming out and hammer is slowed down before it strikes firing pin. Most bring gun in saying they need new firing pin. This war page can progress until recoil is short stroked enough to restrict ejection, causing jam.
 
I disassembled the shotgun as shown in the video. The trigger assembly had only a light build up of gunk. This is how the 53 year old assembly looked (see photo). A couple of blast of Gun Scrubber cleaned it out. I used some gun oil with a toothpick on all the pivot areas. I also gave the receiver good cleaning. The hardest part was lubrication. In the past on my handguns I would over oil. My mantra was “when in doubt… slop more oil on it”. I still have to fight myself to not over apply oil.

I had a good time cleaning and seeing how a semiautomatic shotgun works.

Next on the to do list is a inherited 1971 Remington 870 that I last shot back in the late 1970s. I know it hasn’t be touched since then. That should be fun.

Also, the shotgun has a Cutts Compensator Body Tube with a MOD tube threaded on. Did is come from the factory with it?
 

Attachments

  • 1100.jpg
    1100.jpg
    105.4 KB · Views: 22
  • lyman.jpg
    lyman.jpg
    74.7 KB · Views: 14
Last edited:

Latest posts

Back
Top