Dave McCracken
Moderator In Memoriam
I was asked by PM how crucial an extension was on a "Serious" shotgun. Here's some background and some thoughts.
My oldest 870 had one in the early 80s. It's the two shot model, probably a Remington.
The 870 used for deer got one around 1990, when my oldest was semi retired to strictly HD duty.
This one had a 20" barrel, so it got a 3 shot version, probably a Choate. I may have mixed them up, it's been a while.
In all this time, no probs. Call it 3-5K shells between them.
I've seen and fired the ubiquitous 1100s with extensions that give 10+1. These are impressive in rapid fire,but it takes considerable arm to operate them effectively. And as the shells are fed, the balance shifts rearward. It does on all repeaters, but it's accentuated on something that long and hi cap. After all, 10 12 gauge buck loads weigh about 2 lbs.
Besides the more beans in the wheel, the mag extensions have some serendiptious benefits for the shotgunner.
First, the extra weight cuts felt recoil by reducing free recoil.
Second, the weight reduces barrel rise, thus taking less time to reacquire the sight pic and get the next shot off.
Third, the weight helps the swing. This is vital for moving targets, from woodcock to perps.
Fourth,clamping the barrel and extension together make the vibrations at launch more consistent. This reduces slug groups, sometimes dramatically.
Downside, the extra weight may be a bit too much for some shotgunners, especially kids and pixies.
Is an extension essential?
Nope. It's nice to have, but plenty of good work has been done with stock repeaters right from the box.
And realistically, if 4 rounds of buck do not reduce the threat level to acceptable in an A/S scenario, 6, 7 or 10 are unlikely to either. We like hi cap, but most crises that are settled with a shotgun run one round, one perp.
Of course, there's exceptions.
Erick may correct me,but I believe Gunsite shotguns have no extensions. Neither do most agency weapons. A good shotgunner and a stock shotgun are absolutely deadly when used within the limits of the weapon.Good shotgunners also tend to be good at loading fast. Shoot one, load one, is a great idea for "Serious" sctivity.
Some experiments with Frankenstein and weights attached to the magazine cap lead me to believe that a two shot extension is close to optimum for most people. More gets heavy quickly. This is, IMO, the best compromise between capacity and handling ease.
So,should YOU add an extension to your shotgun?
Maybe.More ammo is better within limits. I wouldn't do it on an all around shotgun.
I wouldn't put one on a shotgun to be used by kids,geezers, beginners or our smallest shooters.
I would put one, probably a two shot, on a new "Serious" shotgun, or a slug shooter. And I'd practice fast loads as well as exercises.
What do you think?
My oldest 870 had one in the early 80s. It's the two shot model, probably a Remington.
The 870 used for deer got one around 1990, when my oldest was semi retired to strictly HD duty.
This one had a 20" barrel, so it got a 3 shot version, probably a Choate. I may have mixed them up, it's been a while.
In all this time, no probs. Call it 3-5K shells between them.
I've seen and fired the ubiquitous 1100s with extensions that give 10+1. These are impressive in rapid fire,but it takes considerable arm to operate them effectively. And as the shells are fed, the balance shifts rearward. It does on all repeaters, but it's accentuated on something that long and hi cap. After all, 10 12 gauge buck loads weigh about 2 lbs.
Besides the more beans in the wheel, the mag extensions have some serendiptious benefits for the shotgunner.
First, the extra weight cuts felt recoil by reducing free recoil.
Second, the weight reduces barrel rise, thus taking less time to reacquire the sight pic and get the next shot off.
Third, the weight helps the swing. This is vital for moving targets, from woodcock to perps.
Fourth,clamping the barrel and extension together make the vibrations at launch more consistent. This reduces slug groups, sometimes dramatically.
Downside, the extra weight may be a bit too much for some shotgunners, especially kids and pixies.
Is an extension essential?
Nope. It's nice to have, but plenty of good work has been done with stock repeaters right from the box.
And realistically, if 4 rounds of buck do not reduce the threat level to acceptable in an A/S scenario, 6, 7 or 10 are unlikely to either. We like hi cap, but most crises that are settled with a shotgun run one round, one perp.
Of course, there's exceptions.
Erick may correct me,but I believe Gunsite shotguns have no extensions. Neither do most agency weapons. A good shotgunner and a stock shotgun are absolutely deadly when used within the limits of the weapon.Good shotgunners also tend to be good at loading fast. Shoot one, load one, is a great idea for "Serious" sctivity.
Some experiments with Frankenstein and weights attached to the magazine cap lead me to believe that a two shot extension is close to optimum for most people. More gets heavy quickly. This is, IMO, the best compromise between capacity and handling ease.
So,should YOU add an extension to your shotgun?
Maybe.More ammo is better within limits. I wouldn't do it on an all around shotgun.
I wouldn't put one on a shotgun to be used by kids,geezers, beginners or our smallest shooters.
I would put one, probably a two shot, on a new "Serious" shotgun, or a slug shooter. And I'd practice fast loads as well as exercises.
What do you think?
