Why the mag extension for "tactical" shotguns?

[Big Mike]

I guess because one can, but when hefting my 870 without the extension on it just seems to balance better-for me.

I'm not opposed to the extension, but it seems like it dips into discussions related to capacity and everyone seems to have an opinion on that. So my question to all is, is your HD Shotgun set up with or without a mag extension and why?

Oh, my Rem HD870 is completely stock and I shoot it every chance I get. The more I shoot it the smoother it gets too.

Thanks, Mike

 

[AStone]

room for loading 1 or 2 down

Hey Mike,

I was asking myself the same question for several weeks. Here's a potential answer, but take it with a grain of salt 'cause i don't even have my 870 yet (though she's coming, and is as stock as they come).

I've done a lot of reading about SG "enhancements" over the last couple o months: extensions, lights, sights, sidewinders, slings...

I've heard and felt the same argument that you expressed about the weight of a loaded extension dragging down the front end. That's especially relevant to a small, if wirey guy like me: no sense dragging around that extra weight. Why not just train hard with it so i can do the job with 5 rounds instead of 7. Check.

Finally, i read a post or two that made it click for me what one true use of an extension is, and why I'm pretty sure I'll eventually add either a +1 or +2 extension to mine.

The argument goes like this: just because you've got it doesn't mean you have to fill it. With an extension, you can still have 5 rounds in the mag and it's not fully loaded. It's called loading "1 or 2 down", i believe. (Other SGers will correct me if I missed the right phrase.) Less wear on the spring (yes, I acknowledge they're well made, but i also acknowledge the reality of metal fatigue).

More importantly, if you're loaded 1 or 2 down, should the need arise (goblins spotted cutting a hole in the perimeter fence at 50 yds), one can load in a round or two not normally in the gun for HD (e.g., a slug), and still have 5 rounds of buck for those that get through.

Seems reasonable to me.

But then, I'm a shotgun novice, so like I said, take this with 2c worth of salt.

NemA~

 

[brentwal]

I don't know, I've got a Win 1300 Defender, full length mag tube.

 

[Black Majik]

For 870's we dont get the luxury of 9+1 capacity such as the Mossy's 590A1s, For home defense, while 4+1 is plenty enough, that 2 extra shells might make all the difference. i suppose its like why carry a single stack when there are double stack autoloaders out there. In the end, higher capacity not only adds bulk, but it adds weight and it can affect the pointability and balance of the gun.

For my HD shotgun, I have a +2 extension on my 870. I personally feel that the weight is negligable. Plus, I dont carry the gun around, it stays stored up. The Remington factory ext. with the magazine clamp gives me the comfort to know that the gun wont be disabled if I give the magazine tube a bump. In the end 2 extra shells never hurt and I dont really feel that big of a difference with and without the mag. tube ext. So it stays on.

 

[Crosshair]

Well, if the 4+1 of my Ithaca 37 isn't enough, I can alway's beat what is left of them to death with the solid wood stock.

 

[Fred Fuller]

The house guns and the travelling artillery (a total of 3 12 ga. 870s) here don't have extensions. They are set up fit my petite wife, who doesn't like the extra weight out front. They have full length fore-arms and short stocks as well, with four round SideSaddles. All have factory 20" barrels with rifle type sights. All are kept with 3 rounds in the magazine and the hammers down on (double checked/press checked) empty chambers. All are Express guns bought used for less than $175.

We carry a shotgun in a soft case in the car (aka travelling artillery) when we go on road trips to any place where arriving with a long gun as well as pistols won't be a problem. Not that either of us thinks we will need it, but just because it's better to have it and not need it than the other way around.

lpl/nc

 

[c_yeager]

I was all for extensions untill last week when i dissasembled my 870 for the first time (i just got it a couple weeks ago, it didnt have a manual so i didnt take it apart right away). While i had the extension off i mounted the gun, and it balanced significantly better even without the empty extension. The extension doesnt weigh very much, but its a good 12-18 inches out from the center of gravity and even a little weight that far out makes a real difference.

 

[Whole Hog]

Nematocycst-870 described my reasoning pretty well, a partially loaded magazine that still has five rounds. Another advantage is that clamping the magazine extension to the barrel seems to hold the barrel more securely and improves slug accuracy.

Scott

 

[LoadedDrum]

All the reasons said above and plus I do not look at the weight as a disadvantage. I say it helps reduce muzzle climb, without needing to clean the ports.

 

[ZeroX]

Besides the already-stated answers, an 870 with a mag extension and an 18 inch barrel just looks cool.

 

[Carnitas]

The biggest disadvantage the SG faces as a weapon system is low capacity and the slow reload. So you fix what you can and live with the rest.

 

[willeo6709]

Cops are notoriously the worst shots on the planet. there are exceptions, but that is the rule. Tactical = LE sales = sold to cops. Kinda the same as why could only cops get double stack 45's during the ban years....

 

[Gary G23]

My home defense handgun holds 25 rounds. My home defense rifle holds 30 rounds. I don't think 7 rounds is too many for a shotgun.

 

[Dave McCracken]

A two shot extension,(which I think is the best compromise) weighs about 7 oz. Two rounds of 00 weigh a bit less than that. Hanging an extra 3/4 lb off the front end reduces kick and aids in recovery as well as adding two shots to the capacity. When properly clamped, slug groups tend to shrink.

The two "Serious" 870s here have extensions. One has a two round, the other a three. If I had to do it over, it'd be a two round also. Now that I'm a Geezer In Training, I find it a hair slower.

But, nobody else here is going to use a shotgun for defense. If they were, I'd have the extensions off in a jiffy, because the extra weight forward for short armed folks becomes a problem, not a solution.

And, I've yet to see a case in the real world where a civilian with a pump shotgun ran out of ammo in a crisis and lacked the time needed to reload. Throwing a round into the ejection port of an 870 and firing it off effectively takes less than a second under adrenaline boost....

 

[Zach S]

For 870's we dont get the luxury of 9+1 capacity such as the Mossy's 590A1s,

8+1.

 

[444]

My primary shotgun does not have a magazine extension. It doesn't have any gizmos at all, other than a Surefire dedicated forearm light and a youth stock.
I also have a Vang Comp 870 with all the bells and whistles: magazine extension, night sights, big safety, compensated barrel, action job............

I much prefer the first one. The second one never leaves the safe. In the legendary SHTF senario, I would grab the first one also.

 

[Black Majik]

whoops.

Thanks for the correction Zach.

 

[Motor-T]

A man much smarter than I once said "You can never carry too much ammo. Unless, you're on fire, or trying to swim."

My 590 has 7 in the mag, 6 in the sidesaddle, and 4 in the speedfeed stock. I figure if I can't kill it with 17 rounds of buck and slugs I probably shouldn't have pissed it off to begin with.

 

[444]

That smarter guy either never really carried it very far, or else he was significantly younger and in better shape than I am.

This issue is no different than the dilema you encounter with concealed carry. I am sure that if you were actually involved in a firefight, you want the biggest nastiest meanest firearm ever made along with the skills to use it. But, when you are going about your daily routine, you want the smallest, lightest, most comfortable and easy to conceal gun ever made. So, you have to strike a bargin somewhere between the two. You put up with a certain amount of discomfort/weight/concealability in exchange for a more effective weapon. And your answer lies somewhere in the middle.
At this point I have taken three formal, week long defensive shotgun classes. At the end of each day I was more and more exhausted from holding that heavy shotgun with heavy shells at the low ready. My shoulders ached. So I think to myself: I am an American civilian. If by some stroke of bad luck I ever had to defend myself and my home with this shotgun, how many rounds do I think I might need to end that fight ? Four ? Ten ? The answer is probably less than four. So, in this case, I can have the best of both worlds: light weight and an adequate supply of ammo. I got four in the gun, six on a sidesaddle which is located well back on the gun rather than way out at the end of a lever working against me. I am happy with my decision, others chose a different path.

 

[Smoke]

Balance?

I have a +2 extension on my 870 with a 20" barrel.
And a butt cuff that holds 6 rounds. The gun, though heavy, is extremely well balanced. Recoil? What recoil? 12 rounds of buck and slugs adds a wee bit of heft....

Smoke

 

[Motor-T]

444, while I aggree that weight is an issue, we are talking about home defense shotguns. The longest distance I ever intend on carrying that thing is about 35 feet (from one end of my ouse to the other.)

This is a vastly different situation than all day concealed carry.

I don't think I'll ever need 1/4 of the ammo I have loaded in my shotgun. But this is a fun hobby too.

 

[ChristopherG]

I like the way my 870P (20", rifle sights) feels with a two-shot extension out front; it seems very nicely balanced and maneuverable. 'Course, I'm not a real slight guy, or it might be cumbersome; and, it's got a heavy walnut stock, and 4 extra rounds of buck in a sidesaddle as well as 5 slugs in a buttcuff--so there's plenty of weight on the mid and back-sections to balance things out. It's a nine-and-some-pound gun, with 5 in the tube and empty chamber (i.e., cruiser ready, and ready for me to pop a slug in on top any time); but, like Mr. McCracken, I know no-one but me would reach for a 12 gauge at my casa; and when I reach for it, I know it works real well for me--all that weight makes it a kitten to shoot. Dang, I need to take it out, now; it's been too long.

 

[pauli]

the way i figure it, if i ever *need* my shotgun, how much it weighs is going to be the *last* thing on my mind.

and shotguns without full (or nearly full) length mag tubes look silly

 

[Guns_and_Labs]

the luxury of 9+1 capacity such as the Mossy's 590A1s

No luxury, it's a necessity for those of us who fear fumbling a reload. That said, I keep it downloaded by one with slugs in a sidesaddle carrier for any longish shots.

 

[Coronach]

Cops are notoriously the worst shots on the planet. there are exceptions, but that is the rule.

Actually, cops tend to shoot better than the population as a whole, but they also tend to shoot significantly less well than the average dedicated gun-owner. Simple experience and training will produce this result. Cops have to qualify at least annually, which is far more shooting than the average person does (since the "average person" either does not own a gun at all, or keeps a dusty old one in the closet), but well below that level of shooting that anyone dedicated to the shooting sports would experience. Remember, the membership of THR is not average. And again, there are exceptions to the rule.

As to extensions? For me they ruin the balance. What was a light, fast CQB weapon becomes slow and ungainly with a +2 extension. Can you train and overcome it? Of course. Does it provide advantages? Of course. Is it worth it? That's up to the individual shooter.

Mike