Stripping Down A Remington 1100
I've been working on these semi-autos since the late nineties, and the Remington 1100 is still one of the most common shotguns I see on my bench. They're straightforward mechanically but they have a few quirks that trip people up. Here's how it actually goes. Start with an empty chamber and magazine. Always. Don't skip checking the tube twice. I once had a new tech assume a gun was clear because the chamber looked empty — there was a shell wedged between the follower and the spring. Happens more than you'd think. Pull the bolt handle outward and rotate it clockwise about forty-five degrees until it stops. Pull the bolt assembly straight back out of the receiver. That's it for field strip. You don't need to do more than this for routine cleaning after a day at the range.
Remove the forearm next if you want to get to the internals. There's a forward locking screw near the tip of the forend, usually phillips head. Loosen it about two full turns — don't remove it completely, you'll lose it and they're tiny. Slide the forend forward off the barrel. The gas ring should come with it.
Gas System Details
This is where most people get confused. The 1100 uses a gas system, not inertia like some other over-under designs. The piston rings inside the barrel extension are what make the action cycle. On the standard 1100, there are two gas rings on the piston. On the 1100 Special and certain Sport Gold models, there's a third ring. The rings look identical but they aren't. The top ring is slightly thinner — maybe a tenth of a millimeter difference. If you put them back in the wrong order, the gun will run rough or not cycle at all with light loads. Write down which ring is which before you take them off. Mark them with a sharpie if you have to. I've seen people try to clean these rings with brake cleaner and steel wool. Don't. You'll score them. Use solvent and a soft cloth. The rings need to slide freely on the piston but they're not high-precision parts. If they're pitted or deeply scored, replace them. They're cheap. Remington sells them as a set for about eight dollars.
Get the Full Details
Full Disassembly
If you're pulling the gun apart for a deep clean or because something broke, you'll need to remove the bolt from the receiver first. After you've pulled the bolt out, rotate the firing pin retaining collar counterclockwise with a small punch or a coin. The collar has notches that accept a punch. Once it's loose, pull the bolt face out from the rear. The firing pin, spring, and plunger come out together. The trigger group comes out next. There's a cross pin at the rear of the receiver that holds the trigger and safety assembly. A tapered roll pin. If you're doing this for the first time, mark the pin's orientation with a marker before you drive it out. These pins are pressed in and if you drive them through the wrong side, you'll mangle the receiver wall. I learned this the hard way on a 1987 Model with a corroded pin. I used a smaller punch and tapped from the opposite side. The pin came out but took a chunk of the aluminum receiver with it. Couldn't reinsert the pin afterward without peening the hole. Had to use a replacement receiver. Cost me two hundred bucks and a week of waiting on parts.
Barrel Removal
The barrel is held by a single screw under the forend — the same one you loosened earlier to slide the forend off. Once that's out, the barrel slides forward off the magazine tube and gas system. There's a small block spacer near the breech that can drop out. Watch for it. It's about the size of a nickel and it's easy to lose. The block spacer determines headspace in combination with the barrel extension. If you're swapping barrels between guns of different lengths or gauges, you may need a different spacer. Remington published charts for this back in the day. Find one. Don't guess. Incorrect headspace can cause dangerous pressure issues or failure to lock.
Reassembly Notes
Put everything back in reverse order. Lubricate the bolt lugs and the receiver rails lightly. Don't soak the gas piston — excess oil in the gas system causes carbon sludge buildup faster than anything else. A thin film on the bolt is enough. When reinstalling the cross pin for the trigger group, use a pin setter or a hardened punch. Hammer it straight in. If you angle it, you'll spread the receiver slot and the pin won't seat properly. A loose cross pin means the trigger assembly works itself loose during firing. That's a safety issue.
What The Manual Won't Tell You
The 1100's safety lever is connected to a small block inside the receiver. On older guns, this block wears and the safety starts slipping between safe and fire. If your safety feels vague or doesn't stay in position, that block is probably worn. Replacement parts exist but they're getting harder to find on discontinued models. Some people machine an aftermarket one from Delrin. Others just live with it. It's functional even when worn, just less reassuring. Another thing nobody mentions: the recoil cushion inside the buttstock degrades over decades. If your 1100 feels harsher to shoot than it used to, the rubber buffer is probably hardened or flattened. You can replace it. Remington still makes them for most models. About fifteen dollars at a parts dealer. The 1100 is a tough gun. It handles rough conditions well and parts are available through Remington's aftermarket division. But it's not indestructible. The aluminum receiver on early models (pre-1980s) is softer than later ones. Don't overtighten anything. These guns were assembled with hand torque, not pneumatic tools in the field.
If you run into a problem that isn't covered here, post specifics. Serial number helps — it tells you what year and what variations the gun has. The 1100 changed enough over its production run that advice for a 1968 Model doesn't always apply to a 1995.
