[jcronk]

Hello: New guy here. I have enjoyed hunting from the time I could walk with my Dad. He has now passed away and left me his guns. Dad believed mostly in oil and more oil. Dismantle, clean, light lube and reassemble never happened. The XL 900 is in relatively rough condition but salvageable. I have it mostly dismantled but for the mag tube. (There is no plug) It is very grungy inside. The muzzle end appears to be slightly rolled, which is stopping me from popping the retainer. The receiver end is not rolled and the follower moves in and out under spring tension but I cannot remove either the follower or the retainer. I have turned the follower a full 360 degrees in the event there is an opening for it to be able to pop out. I have tried (gently with a wooden dowel) to pry the retainer free but no luck.

Any help on this one is appreciated. Jack

 

[jcronk]

Hello again: Problem solved. A local gunsmith told me that the muzzle end of the mag tube would not have a rolled lip from the factory. He said he has seen this happen if the magazine cap was not fully tightened and the gun used for many rounds in that state. The slight movement of the mag tube against the mag cap eventually rolls the end of the mag tube. Solution was to cut off the lip (about 1/16 inch). The retainer was also very loose and had to be spread a bit to hold the spring in place. All is well now. Will put the gun back into service. Although Dad wasn't much for preventive maintenance, he was a mighty fine shot. Hopefully I will bag some pheasants with his 900 before the season ends. Regards, Jack