[BullpupBen]

I have a problem. I bought some pachmayr snap caps for my mossberg 500. I put them in the magazine tube and now they wont load when I rack the slide. Is there any way I can get these things out of the magazine tube?

[Badger Arms]

You need to determine the problem first. Make sure the gun is on safe and there are no cartridges in the barrel. Take the barrel off, just to make sure. Since you can't see the second cartridge in the magazine, assume it's live.

Anyways, flip the gun over and look at the loading port. At either side of the rear of the magazine tube are two little fingers that altrenately stop cartridges from coming out. With the slide all the way forward, ensure that the finger that pivots up and down is out of the way of the cartridge. Now, the cartridge stop on the other side can be pushed sideways and the cartridge should come out of the magazine.

If it doesn't, hold the cartridge stop in while whacking the butt gently against a carpeted or other soft surface. The snap cap should pop out against your finger.

[AcceptableUserName]

its no big deal really. dont flip too hard. learn to disassemble and reassemble the gun and how it works and youll figure it out.

[BullpupBen]

I'm pretty sure the shells arent even making it to the shell stop, otherwise they should come out when the gun is being cycled, right?
I think its just the plastic rims are very rough and create too much friction with the magazine tube for the mag tube spring to push them. I believe I'll need to pry them out somehow, any ideas?

[Carl N. Brown]

If I recall my son's Mossberg 500 correctly, when you remove the barrel, there is a threaded hole in the endcap of the magazine. (That is where you insert one of those capacity limit dowels.) A small diameter cleaning rod ought to allow you to push the magazine follower down to the stop.

Snap caps tend to be shorter than a live shell; best way to use is to insert through the loading port into the barrel directly, rather than cycling through the magazine.

[rcmodel]

+1

You should be able to take the barrel off and run a cleaning rod down the hole in the endcap.

It should go down through the mag spring and end up against the mag tube follower.

A few light taps with the cleaning rod should knock them back at least to the shell stop Badger Arms told you about in post #2.

rc

[Badger Arms]

I believe I'll need to pry them out somehow, any ideas?

.... well, did you TRY my idea?

[BullpupBen]

Thanks for the advice, RC! pushing them down with a cleaning rod and then cycling it did the trick.

And yes badger, I tried your method before starting this thread but it didnt work for the reason I previously stated.

[rcmodel]

Actually, you need to thank Carl N. Brown.
It was his idea.

I only +1'd it.

rc