Action stick only when loading

[cjin]

Greeting everybody. I’m new to shotgun and this forum.

Have a brand new 870 express 20 ga. When it is empty action cycles nicely. When there is a shell, about half the time I have to push very hard to get a shell loaded into chamber. It looks like as soon as upward movement of the carrier is stopped by a shell, the bolt becomes very sticky and hard to push forward. Unloading a shell is never a problem.

I don’t think it is caused by shell stuck in chamber (or jams at entrance of chamber) because I can manually insert a shell partially into chamber, then push action forward. As soon as carrier moves up and pushes again the shell, action gets stuck. While the action is stuck, (and with carrier locked in upward position), I can still use finger to mover the shell into chamber with relatively ease.

I took it apart, to the untrained eye, only obvious rubbing sign is rear upper side of the bolt. Is it possible something is pushing it up hard to run again the inside of the receiver?

Any idea if should try or any other spot I should check?

Thank you!

[Scorpion8]

Any idea if should try or any other spot I should check?

When was the last time it was cleaned and lubed? My question is "did it do this before or has it always been like that?" If the issue is new, then something is bent or assembled incorrectly, or there is dirt/fouling in one of the slide paths.

[cjin]

It’s brand new from factory. Very clean.