Smith & Wesson 916 Shotgun

[mcnanysa]

I thought I'd try to give back a bit to the LRH community that has provided me with so much information and post some info on a little known shotgun, the Smith & Wesson Model 916. You can find a copy of the owner's manual available here...

I recently had one in the shop for an inspection and cleaning. Not a fantastic shotgun, and probably not something I'd stake my life on, but it is utilitarian in nature. If you've got one and would like to add an interchangeable choke to it, it appears to have plenty of material at the muzzle to ream and tap for the current crop of interchangeable choke tubes (Winchester/Invector/Invector-Plus/RemChoke, etc.) without having to go to the slim-line varieties.

This particular model is designated "Eastfield - Model 916". It is a slide action/pump shotgun with one action bar in 12 gauge, with a 28" modified-choke plain barrel and a single brass front sighting bead. It has a top-tang safety allowing for ambidextrous use. Someone had been "in" this shotgun, and I'll point out some of those areas as the post continues.


Of particular note is the method to strip the firearm down to its frame. While the manual referenced above is of some help, I found the directions regarding bolt removal, the action bar, and the trigger plate pin removal less than helpful.

Oddities that I found are:
1.) The action bar : while it is a single action bar, it is a two-piece affair at the rear, where the bolt sits, with a matching machined piece at the bolt end. It's a bit tricky to remove, and the reason for the post. I hope this helps someone.
2.) To remove the barrel from the receiver requires a barrel vise and an action wrench modified for the purpose, as the barrel was fitted at the factory. Think Ithaca Deerslayer shotgun, or your typical Remington 700. Suffice it to say, the only reason to remove the barrel is to replace it.

To begin the break-down procedure, make sure the gun is empty, and the chamber is clear. Remove the lower slotted screw from the hard plastic butt plate, and then loosen the top screw about a 1/2 turn. Turn the butt plate to either side, and then with a long, flat-blade screwdriver, remove the stock screw. The stock screw is the typical long and with a large slot for the head, and there should be a washer underneath the head.

 

[mcnanysa]

Next, you need to remove the fire control group.

Lay the shotgun on its right side, so that the solid side of the receiver is facing up (ejection port down, or away from you).

There is a screw and a pin holding everything in place in the receiver. The screw will only come out one way, and the pin is designed to come out on the same side as the screw. Note : Keep this in mind when you reassemble the fire control group into the receiver.

If you're interested, I used a Chapman Screwdriver #17 bit for the screw and a 3/32" punch for the pin. Regardless of "brand" of screwdriver, don't be like the guy who previously worked on this; use a good hollow-ground screwdriver to avoid marring the screw heads.


Here's a picture of the trigger plate pin before being pulled from the receiver:


The fire group should slide easily out of the receiver, and you'll most likely end up with the cartridge cut off as well.

Note that the cartridge cut off has a hole through it. The trigger plate pin goes through there, and its a pain to line up. More on that later...

 

[mcnanysa]

Flip the receiver/barrel over so that the ejection port is now facing up or towards you.


Open the action completely. You'll see the ejector held in place with a screw.


Remove the screw and the ejector using the same screwdriver/bit previously used on the trigger plate screw.


Run the slide forward so that the extractor is about a 1/2" from the front of the ejection port.

 

[mcnanysa]

The "weeping and gnashing of teeth" part... bolt and action bar removal...

Flip the firearm up so the open side of the receiver is facing up.


Remember that big screwdriver you used to remove the stock bolt? You're going to need it again.

With your fingers, move the bolt forward until you can see the notch in the receiver and the bolt lined up as shown, and gently pry up on the rear of the bolt with your large screwdriver so that the rear of the bolt begins to pass through the notch in the receiver:

Notes : the bolt is not to be removed this way, we are only prying it up to clear the two-piece action bar. The bolt will be removed from the rear of the receiver. Also, this should not take much prying force. If you feel as though you are exerting a lot of force on the screwdriver, stop, review the picture for proper bolt/receiver alignment, and try again.

With the bolt in this position, the rear portion of the two-piece action bar is accessible.


With a small flat-blade screwdriver or pick, pull the rear portion of the action bar away from the receiver


With a bit of luck, it should pull away and you can lay it aside.


Finally, press the bolt back down into the receiver, and slide it to the rear and remove it.

 

[mcnanysa]

Next is the removal of the forearm and magazine tube assembly.

With the action in its rearward position, begin by unscrewing the magazine cap from the magazine tube. Two notes : 1.) this is an external thread cap, or the opposite of what you're used to seeing on a Remington 870 (internal thread); 2.) these shotguns didn't have a magazine spring retainer (like a Remington 870 or Mossberg 500) so keep your finger on the cap as you are unscrewing it!


This particular gun didn't have a shell limiter/plug, so once the magazine cap is removed, the spring should present itself.


The spring should be examined for bent or damaged coils, then set aside.
Remove the magazine tube by slide it forward towards the muzzle.


You'll most likely see the shell follower sticking out of the end of the magazine tube. It will come out the same end as the spring.


The forearm will easily remove from the receiver, and you can separate the wooden forearm from the action bar assembly.

 

[mcnanysa]

More to follow... Bolt examination, firing pin examination, cartridge stop lever, and re-assembly tips.