[Nowhere Man]

Everybody seems to make them. Any I should stay away from?


Thanks, Dave

[Fred Fuller]

Dave,

Ask yourself if you really want one. They add weight out in front of the support hand and really change the feel of the gun. It's harder to get moving and more apt to overswing when it does move. Better to learn to feed the gun than depend on a bigger magazine... spending the money on ammo to practice shoot one/load one drills might be a better bet in the long run.

But if you decide you want one, you really want to get a good one. Cheap, badly fitting magazine extensions are nothing but trouble, and putting one on an Express gun that used to have magazine tube dimples can be a problem too.

I like Remington factory best. Several makers like Tank's, Vang, Scattergun/Wilson etc. have loyal followings. I have used Choate and TacStar on several guns for several years with no problems so far.

The only one I would stay away from by brand name is ATI.

And on a 'serious' gun I'd keep it short- one, two or three round extensions at the most. AND USE A CLAMP on a two-round or three-round extension. Otherwise you risk damaging the thin metal threads at the end of the magazine tube from the leverage the extension will apply if it gets bashed on something. On a 'game' gun- hey, the sky's the limit.

Naturally, other folks will have different opinions...

hth,

lpl

[riverdog]

and some of us will have the same opinion. I removed the extended magazine on my 870 for the "balance" reason Lee opined.

[ultradoc]

I added one last year.

[Nowhere Man]

That's the info I was looking for!

Thanks, Dave

[Houser52]

I'm removing mine as soon as my spring retainer gets here. Trying to lighten it up some.

[Fred Fuller]

Houser,

I actually added a magazine extension to one gun, an FN Police pump ( http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=170316 ), to add weight- and filled the void in the stock's pistol grip with birdshot as well, for more weight/balance. This one was a serious kicker out of the box, but the added weight helped tame it. With their steel receivers, 870s usually have enough heft not to need extra weight.

[Sniper X]

I would say it is all up to you, and what you want a mag extension for. I personally use my shotgun for only a few things, and none are bird shooting or hunting. I use it for HD along with a pistol, and for fun three gun matches so I NEED a extension tube. I have an 870 that is always a project in progress, and it has the factory 7 rd mag on it. It is a 20in bbl and "swings" great! In fact, I can shoot clays as well with it as I could with my 1200 which was a bird gun with a standard short mag.

I also think it works better for me for pointing because it is a 20in instead of a 18 and I love the extra round when shooting a three for fun match. I also love the way it looks and that I have a place to mount a light.

It is personal preference and the cool thing about installing a extended mag tube on a stock gun is you can always go back if you don't like it or are going to hunt with it and they are cheap enough you really aren't loosing money if you end up not liking it.