870 Tactical not picking up live round

[tenn red]

My 870 Tactical Express some times doesn't pick up live round upon ejection. It will do it with 3 in. mag. also. Just wonder what might cause it ,it will do it with most all ammo.

[Synchronizor]

If it's more common with magnums, it may be a weak magazine spring. Shells want to stay in place due to inertia when the gun jerks backward under recoil, and this effectively means they move "forward" in the magazine tube before being pushed back against the shell latches by the magazine spring. Depending on the stiffness of the spring and how soon you cycle the gun after firing, there can be enough of a window for the front shell latch to move in before the spring returns the shells, in which case the next shell in the magazine will be handled like the one behind it should have been.

If this is what's happening, the malfunction will stop happening if you increase the time between pulling the trigger and working the slide, and if you switch to lighter-weight and lower-recoil shells. If that's not acceptable for you, you can try installing a stiffer magazine spring, but too stiff a spring will tend to damage shells, which can cause other problems. Improving your shooting technique to reduce how far the gun recoils can help as well.