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Oy... what a relief. I've been piecing this project together for years, and finally got the 8-shot mag tube installed to match the 20-gauge Defender barrel which I got for a good price and which started this all off. The paint or park on the mag tube was slightly larger in diameter than the blued original tube so getting it back into the receiver was a royal pain. I broke my rubber mallet and, despite attempting to protect the cap from impact, caved it in a little and buckled the very end of the mag tube during reinstallation. My fault for sure, but that sucker didn't want to move. Perhaps a hydraulic press would have been better but whatever.
Finding the correct, threaded, one piece, 20-gauge mag tube throats was actually the hardest part at the time, and even so I had to modify the throat slightly (there was a superfluous molding or locating tab on the bottom and the forward edges were proud of the receiver. I imagine it may have been for a 1400 or some other model, or it may just be that they all need some fitting. Anyway it's in.
To solve the bulged/mangled end of the mag tube I simply cut off .20" and dressed the threads, after which the barrel ring passed through easily and the cap threaded right on. Thanks to THR for that idea! I was stuck.
LOP is 13" with the "Youth" model furniture and the reach to the forend is much less than on the full sized Defender or standard 1200/1300 models. OAL is about 3'. It weighs 6 lbs 3 oz. empty. It feeds properly so I'm confident it will shoot okay. Anyway, just wanted to share. Probably could have saved a hundred bucks and 3 years of time by just buying a complete Defender to start with, but where's the fun in that?
Finding the correct, threaded, one piece, 20-gauge mag tube throats was actually the hardest part at the time, and even so I had to modify the throat slightly (there was a superfluous molding or locating tab on the bottom and the forward edges were proud of the receiver. I imagine it may have been for a 1400 or some other model, or it may just be that they all need some fitting. Anyway it's in.
To solve the bulged/mangled end of the mag tube I simply cut off .20" and dressed the threads, after which the barrel ring passed through easily and the cap threaded right on. Thanks to THR for that idea! I was stuck.
LOP is 13" with the "Youth" model furniture and the reach to the forend is much less than on the full sized Defender or standard 1200/1300 models. OAL is about 3'. It weighs 6 lbs 3 oz. empty. It feeds properly so I'm confident it will shoot okay. Anyway, just wanted to share. Probably could have saved a hundred bucks and 3 years of time by just buying a complete Defender to start with, but where's the fun in that?