Can't load all the rounds in the new 870?

J

JohnB

New member
My friend just bought a new 870 express magnum with the 2 shot extension. Unfortunately it only loads 6rds. Neither him nor myself know a ton about shotguns but thought this would cover the basics. What is going on here, it was advertised as a 9 shot gun and it ain't goin' there. I have heard about the dimples but this is supposed to be a factory gun. What's the deal?
Thanks
 
This gun is advertised as a 6+1 capacity gun. Maybe a 26" barrel gun with the longer extension will give a 9 shot capacity but for this gun 6 sounds right.
 
Standard capacity for a Remington 870 is 4+1 (thats 4 in the tube and 1 in the chamber). You have a factory +2 extension, so that brings your total to 6+1.

Mike
 
hosed

I was in the gun shop when he bought it and it was advertised as a 9 shot gun. This is the 18" model. I thought stock was 6+1 and this would be 6+2+1=9.
 
Stocks're 4+1 far as I know. Got two & that's all they do.

Who "advertised" it as such? Gun shop owner or firearm literature?
 
I suspect it was the gunshop people who told you it was a 9 shot gun.

There is no way an 18" barreled gun can hold 9 rounds. Lay 9 rounds end to end, and compare it to the barrel.

The most an 18" Remington 870 can hold is 6 in the tube and one in the chamber.
 
Hosed?

Well from the looks of it he was hosed. Both the tag and the salesperson stated this held six shots plus the extension for 8+1 capacity. Factory is four shots. I'm sure he'll be pretty pissed when I tell him but I wonder what the shop will do. Normally they don't accept returns on guns but this is a huge mistake.

Is there anything that can be done to this gun to increase capacity?

Thanks for the info. BTW, what do you have to get in a 870 or 590mossy to get the higher capacity? There are too many choices and they are not very clear.
 
6 shots is all you can get without the extension extending past the muzzle on an 18" barrel. A 20" gun will hold 7and a 22" will hold 8 without passing the muzzle.
 
John, any AS scenario not handled by a 4+1 870 in trained, cool hands will likely not be handled by anything short of a heavily armed Marine platoon.

Extensions are a nice to have, but not mandatory for HD or other "Serious" use.Mods are nice, but an out of box 4+1 870 is an awesome close range weapon of tremendous effect.

Shoot the thing as it is, with some fastnclose COFs, maybe requiring fast reloading. After 100 rounds of ammo, come back and tell us if you still feel it's inadequate. My guess is you will not think so any more...
 
I have a Marine Magnum.....

Which is really just a stainless nickle version of what your friend got. 18 inch barrell. 6+1 is all you are going to get.

I figure if I need more than 3 round of OO I am in a world of hurt and it is time to retreat to the assault rifles..

Hell to be honest one round should do the job if you can hit your target.
 
Nice thing a bout an extension tube is that you can stuff the regular 4 in it without compressing the spring completely & leave it that way for extended periods.
 
Here's a simple question. Are you loading 3" magnum rounds or 2.75" standard loads?

Mag capacities are generally calculated for 2.75" shells.
 
A word to the wise...

Here is a good rule of thumb: Always know more about the product you intend to buy than the salesman you intend to buy it from before you ever leave the house to go shopping.

If you don't follow this rule, prepare to bend over and get screwed.

Salesmen are dumb...salesmen are liars...salesmen are sneaky...salesmen are only in it for the money.

Now I realize there are exceptions, and to those exceptions I apologize for grouping you in with the rest of them.

Rip Torn said in Extreme Prejudice that the only thing worse than a politician is a child molester. Well I would add that the only thing worse than a child molester is a salesman (or maybe a lawyer or a liberal).

OK...off my soapbox and back to my point. With over a dozen gun related periodicals, books like The Shooters Bible, Gun Digest, Gun Traders Guide, Blue Book of Gun Values, a million other gun specialty books, and the Internet, you really can't blame anyone but yourself if you don't know the facts before you buy.
 
Text deleted because of confusion.:confused:


For some reason i thought the picture of the 870 was of the shotgun in question.
 
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Did you remove the magazine plug? It's a wooden or plastic plug placed in sporting shotguns to limit magazine capacity for hunters who legally need that ability. Though it sounds as if you have a "tactical" shotgun, there may still be one in there.
 
Thanks for the many replies. I went with the guy on a spur of the moment buying binge. Myself, I would have done a bit more homework. As far as those that say if you can't do it in four shots you're **** out of luck; I live in one of the safest cities in America but I personally want as much firepower as the law currently allows as five years from now we'll only be able to have single shot pump guns with rubber pellots.(maybe a little more than 5 but you get the point):)
 
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