Remington 870 Magazine Extensions

[Misery870]

I'm trying to get a 7+1 capacity out of my 870 with an 18" barrel. I've used a Scattergun extension and the GARBAGE factory extension, both of which only give you a 6+1 capacity. Here's what I figure . . . The factory extension is even with the muzzle at 6 3/4" long. It only actually has about 4 1/2" of usable space because of the ring that cut into it where the clamp sits. Even with that in mind, I can still get a 7th shell about half way in the tube. With another inch, I could get that 7th shell in there. I'm going to try the Choate extension next. Either way, I need to replace the factory extension because it's **** but if the Choate lets me get 7 in the tube, I'd be delighted. Does anyone have any input on this?

You can see there's room at the end for the spring and follower.

 

[Sunray]

Hi. Choate makes a 7, 8 and 9 round extension. The 7 round will stick out a bit past the muzzle though. Shouldn't be a big deal.
http://www.riflestock.com/catalog_page.cfm?PCID=2&MID=1&PSCID=244&Lev=S3

 

[Fred Fuller]

The extensions that 'fit' an 18" or 18.5" 870 are all two-round extensions (6+1) as far as I know. If you want 7 2.75" shells in the magazine, you'll need a three-round extension (7+1) that will protrude beyond the muzzle, as far as I know.

Best input I can offer is to practice loading your shotgun on the fly, and worry less about magazine capacity. No shotgun magazine is ever big enough, to quote Louis Awerbuck...

lpl
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http://www.remington.com/products/accessories/gun-parts/magazine-clips/shotgun-mag-extension.aspx

http://www.RifleStock.com/catalog_p...oductCode=2&ProductSubCodeID=244&NewProduct=0

 

[dfariswheel]

The groove in the Remington extension is to prevent the clamp from sliding on the barrel.
The groove has nothing to do with the capacity because the room in front of the groove is needed for the spring to compress into.

An 18" 870 will only hold 6 shells because of the spring no matter what brand you buy.
If you try to force a 7th sell in, the spring coils can overlap and tangle, taking the gun out of action.

The Remington factory extension is one of the better units because of the groove and clamp interlock, and the quality.

 

[Misery870]

The reason I want to try this is because I have an 18" barrel on my Benelli and it will hold 7+1 with the extension that is even with the barrel. The extension is advertised as a 2 round but actually adds 3. I'm just going on the idea that maybe someone else has made a similar discovery with a Remington extension. The Benelli uses the same spring and same follower that I use on my 870. Same length tube too. It cycles just fine so the spring must have enough room to compress without tangling.

I understand how the magazine works. Shotguns are not new to me. Let me reiterate that the Remington extension on MY shotgun is ****. Others may have different experiences with them but mine has been nothing but frustrating. I've had the gun for about a year and whatever the problem is with it, shells get caught loading either the fifth or sixth round (where the extension starts) and jam up the whole tube almost every time I reload it. Never had this problem with any other brand extension.

 

[FatPants]

Want to sell the Remington extension?

 

[Misery870]

I'd actually rather throw it in the rubbish can or put it into a very hot fire and melt it down into something that actually functions or has a use . . . Seriously though, I will be replacing it at the end of the week and I have no intention of hanging onto it. I'd feel like crap if I were to sell it, it's pretty scratched up from my magazine tube clamp and I don't have any faith in it actually working.

 

[Youngster]

I had snagging problems with an aftermarket extension, I had to file down the inside edge where it met the mag tube to fix it, I'm surprised that its happening with a factory unit though.

 

[Misery870]

You know what I don't get? Why is it that manufacturers can't just give you a measurement of how long the extensions are? I've read a lot of different reviews of different extensions to replace this and none of them can give me a simple "the extension is X inches long and comes X inches shy of the muzzle". An 18" barrel's extension has to be 6 3/4" long from the point where the cap and retaining ring meet to be even with the muzzle. Nordic Components gives you the measurements but they make their extensions at least an inch shorter than the muzzle of the suggested barrel length. An 870 +2 is 5.8" and for what they charge, I don't think it would kill them to make it an inch longer so it was even with the muzzle. I had a 5 round extension that cost $80 for my Nova with a 28" barrel years ago that they recommended for that barrel length and it was about 3 inches short of the muzzle. It worked but I hated the way it looked.

 

[Aeromarine]

OEM 870 mag tubes can be a bit tempermental and they are very sensitive to very slight misalignments. I have worked on (and cured!) many feeding problems of the type you have described. Frequently, the problem is caused by either over tightening the extension tube or using an out of spec mag tube clamp.

Before you chuch you unit let me suggest you do the following:

1) Remove the bracket clamp, extension tube, spring and barrel ring collar nut from you 870.
2) Re install the barrel ring collar nut firmly and tightly to secure the barrel.
3) Insert the barrel spring into the extension tube making sure it bottoms out and seats cleanly, then put the follower on the end of the spring and insert that into the receiver port of the mag tube.
4) Gentlly screw on and snug up the extension tube into the threaded end of the collar nut but do not tighten. LEAVE THE BARREL CLAMP OFF!

Now (safely!!) try cycling rounds through the gun. If that works okay try replacing the OEM Remington Barrel Clamp and see if feeding still functions properly. If so you can then try your after market clamp.

Doing it step by step like that may help you to find the cause of the problem.

If you still want to discard your Mag Extension let me know and I will probably buy it from you!

 

[Misery870]

I didn't feel like spending the money to replace it so I messed around with the extension some more. I THINK I fixed the problem because it hasn't done any of that shell catching BS it had been doing. I took it apart, threaded the nut on first and then threaded the tube. Like I said, it seems to work now. I bought a few boxes of shells for the next time I go out shooting and I'm going to shoot it extensively. Hopefully without incident.