[BruceRDucer]

Only a couple of weeks ago, I asked what the heck the wooden dowel was in the magazine tube of my new Mossberg 500.

Since you guys said even a pencil or stick would work as a LIMITER ROD, I've been thinking of a replacement for the wood dowel.

I found a common white plastic coat-hanger and cut off the bottom hanger part with Klein Lineman's pliers, shortened it to the proper 9" and smoothed the ends with the coarse side of an Arkansas sharpening stone. This wasn't the "thick" hanger, but the thinner variety.



Even with a slight "memory" this worked great when I ran shells through the ejection cycle. This is so high-tech, Mossberg will probably buy up a railroad car full of clothes hangers.:what::what::what::):uhoh:

[wideym]

My buddy bought a Rem870 from a family member for $50 because it would only load one shell in the tube. He brought it to me to have a look, a real nice 870Express without any scraches or dings. After I removed the mag tube pencil splinters and an eraser fell out. Once all the wood splinters were cleaned out it worked perfectly. Thats why I would advise against using wood or similar objects as a limiter.

Are you sure the plastic hanger won't snap off or chip off under stress and/or cold. I've had plastic hangers snap apart pretty often.

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

Is there any particular reason they put that rod in new shotguns? I just got a new shotgun and took it out. Should I hold onto that rod?

[JohnKSa]

If you ever plan to hunt with your shotgun then keep the rod. In certain cases the capacity of the gun is legally required to be limited.

[Snarlingiron]

One of the guys at work brought his old Browning A5 to work one day to have me look at it (broken firing pin). When he was disassembling it, he took the magazine cap off, pulled the spring out, turned it over and an old TOOTHBRUSH fell out. I guess just about anything can be used for a limiter.

[BruceRDucer]

Your story about the pencil & eraser parts inside the 870 is a very cool story, and most fortunate for your buddy. Let's start combing the markets for "broken" shotguns! LOL.

"Are you sure the plastic hanger won't snap off or chip off under stress and/or cold. I've had plastic hangers snap apart pretty often." --Wideym

Good question. No, I'm not sure that this plastic will NOT break in frigid cold, so this will be a wait and see. Plastic will get brittle in cold, won't it?

I can wait until the next single digit weather day and try the gun outside, but thanks for asking the question.

[Maybe it's okay to assume I'll only need the gun on warm weather days?" ] LOL! :neener::neener::neener::neener::neener::neener::neener:

[BruceRDucer]

:) The LIMITER is for certain states, that say in their hunting laws, that you can only have, for example, TWO shotgun shells in the Tube Magazine, and ONE in the chamber, for a total of THREE shells; but they do not allow you to fill the gun to full magazine tube capacity.

That's why when you open the tube and pull out the factory supplied WOODEN DOWELL LIMITER, you can put 5 shotgun shells inside the Tube Magazine, (I hope I got the number right! LOL) and 1 in the chamber for total rounds.

So the literature with shotguns will say 5 + 1, meaning 5 in the tube and 1 in the chamber; but if you are bird hunting, and you get caught with more than 3 shells inside the gun, the game warden will cite you for a violation.

[foghornl]

That wooden or plastic plug in the magazine is exactly that...A Magazine Capacity Reduction Plug.

FEDERAL Game-N-Fish law REQIURES no more than 3 shells total ammo capacity for Waterfowl (ducks-n-geese) and SOME other migratory game birds..Doves are one of those species.

Now, some states/counties/wildlife management areas again require a 3-shot limit. Ohio is 3 shots, shotgun slug ONLY for deer {unless handgun hunting, but that is another can-o-worms}.

Using said shotgun for HomeLand Security***...no magazine limit

*** My shotgun Secures my Home and Land from no-good-niks.

[bhk]

Federal law say that all migratory birds must be hunted with shotguns holding three shells or less total. Certain exceptions are present for snow/blue geese during special late seasons. Some states, like Missouri, require the plug (never heard it called a 'limiter') to be in when hunting all game except deer and turkey.

Many guns have the plugs in when purchased. An important note is that Remingtons don't. I was dove hunting with a friend's college age son who had just purchased a new 870. He and his dad assumed (without really thinking about it) that the plug was in and the boy just loaded two shells into the magazine when hunting. We got checked by a conservation agent when leaving the field. The kid got a hundred dollar fine for using an uplugged gun. The agent didn't bother checking my over/under.

[MCgunner]

Yes, if you are going to hunt migratory birds in ANY state, all 50, you'd better have a total capacity of no more than 3 rounds. I've been checked many times in the field by both state and federal boys. They have no problem whippin' out that ticket book if they find a violation.

Personally, my Mossberg has never had its magazine plug removed and never will. It's a waterfowl gun. My Winchester 1400 semi-auto has a magazine capacity of 2 rounds, can't increase it, I don't care. I hunt a lot with doubles. That third shot, if you get one, is usually wasted. I have little use for 3 round capacity in the field, let alone more.

[mnw42]

The 3rd limit applies here in PA too. The best I've seen was a piece of schedule L copper pipe in and old Savage Auto 5 clone my buddy bought.

[BigG]

The plug should be carbon fiber or scandium to be high tech. ;)

[rantingredneck]

:lol: I've been doing that for years. The coat hanger trick.

I only put the plugs in my guns for dove season. As sure as the sun rises on the Saturday before Labor Day I'll end up not being able to find enough plugs to go around for my gun plus the 2 or 3 loaner guns for the nephews.

I end up butchering a couple of coat hangers every year. Really PO's Mrs. RR.

:D

[Dave McCracken]

The ULTIMATE limiter came on my first 870 right from Remington. It's machined steel, weighs a bit over a lb and fits under the butt plate or pad in the throughbolt hole. Definitely smooths the swing, but a bit heavy for upland work.

Being absolutely useless, I still have it somewhere. Any bids on this piece of early 870 memoribilia?....

[kentucky_smith]

There's an old well-worn A5 in my safe right now that has the highest of high-tech plugs. (Never heard them called a limiter rod. :D )


A broken stick off a tree branch. I took it apart to see if there was one of those cool old Browning duck plugs, there wasn't. It's got a knot just in the right place to keep it still in the spring.

[Psssniper]

BigG
I have a graphite arrow shaft cut to the appropiate length, hows that for high-tech;)

[BigG]

Heh heh :neener:

[ArmedBear]

Another reason not to use wood is that wood retains water. Even if it's not your waterfowler, it can rust the inside of the magazine tube.

My buddy bought a Rem870 from a family member for $50 because it would only load one shell in the tube.

Ah, there little in the world so immediately profitable than the stupidity of other people. Sad thing is, a lot of them vote.

[Harvster]

I replaced mine with a nytrillium extreme limiting rod. They're not cheap but worth every penny. I've heard of others having theirs fail out on a hunt and I don't ever want that to happen. It's also coated in non reflective paint so as not to give away my position by reflecting sunlight towards incoming fowl.

[ArmedBear]

I replaced mine with a nytrillium extreme limiting rod.

You're kidding, right?

[rantingredneck]

I hope it doesn't make your pants explode :eek:

[Regolith]

My father has a Winchester Model 12 that's been in the family for a couple of generations. Since it couldn't handle steel shot, and Bizmuth was too damn expensive, we decided to take the plug out. Turns out it was a piece of willow branch that had been whittled down to fit, probably installed shortly after the ban on using a magazine with a capacity of more than two shells.

[rcmodel]

I had a buddy who used a cut-off corn stalk plug his model 12 Winchester for years. Finally, a Game Wardon checked him on the river and was able to somehow force a third round into the magazine.

He finally let him off with a warning because it was obvous the corn-stalk had been an attempt to comply, even if slightly too short.

He has a real wooden dowel-rod plug now.

BTW: Winchester Model 12's used to come with a wooden plug from the factory when new.

rcmodel

[birdbustr]

Be sure if your shotgun is 3" capable to measure to allow for two 3" shells in the tube and not just the two 2 3/4" or you won't be able put your two 3" shells in.

I use a wooden dowel with electrical tape on the ends to keep it from rattling around too much. Too many options to ever buy a "plug". That's what we have always called them.

[1KPerDay]

I replaced mine with a nytrillium extreme limiting rod. They're not cheap but worth every penny. I've heard of others having theirs fail out on a hunt and I don't ever want that to happen. It's also coated in non reflective paint so as not to give away my position by reflecting sunlight towards incoming fowl.
LOL:D

[41magsnub]

My plug is probably the most practical one here. It is a metal tube with the two chokes not in use screwed into either end. I shot dollop of spray foam inside that tube and have the wrench to change out the chokes jammed into the foam.

[rcmodel]

They are really and truly called "Plugs", not limiting rods.
Always have been, always will be!

Federal Migratory Waterfowl regs even say the shotgun must be "plugged" to limit the gun to three shots total capacity.

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=1232&title=

rcmodel

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

Well I don't hunt so I guess the rod is irrelevant to me. I thought it was some sort of "safety" mechanism to prevent the weapon from being loaded out of the box without first taking it apart.

[Seamus O' Caiside]

The plug in my Ithaca 37 is the same one I put in there about 45 years ago. I whittled it out of a tree branch. I have a lot more faith in that tree branch than I would in a plastic coat hanger!