leaving magazine tube fully loded

S

Strabs

New member
I was curious if anyone has any opinions on keeping an 870 magazine full(for home def.)all the time. Any worries about spring condition? Unlike my household .45 I'm more concerned (if there's any reason to be concerned!?)since there's no ability to alternate magazines occasionally.
 
I agree with Erick.. I have a Mossberg 500 18" that my wife keeps in the bedroom when I have to work late. It will hold seven but we only keep 4 in the tube. About twice a year I will empty the tube and let it relax for a week or so and then load her up again. I also bought an aditional tube spring when I bought the shotgun, just in case. I like #1 buck for defense and my wife likes the #4 Mag Turkey load.
 
Keep your mag loaded to capacity. Invest in a couple magazine springs. Chances are, you will never have to replace the original. Most police department 870's are decades older than their operators and they still function with the original spring.

If you install an extended magazine, down load one shell like Erick stated. This is known as a "hole in the magazine". It allows the operator to switch to slugs or alternate ammunition quickly.
 
Thanks everyone, your opinions make sense. Thought I'd put a 2 round extension on and keep 5 in w/ ability to top off with a sixth.
What Pete says also makes me wonder what practices the P.D's have with their 870's.
Whether they keep em full, downloaded, empty, etc...
 
The Departments around here keep their 870's loaded to capacity (4 round mags). Slugs are not permitted (except for SWAT).
 
Guys, as it is with all magazine springs, it's not the compression alone that wears on the spring, it's the number of compression/expansion cycles that have the most (althought minimal) effects on the springs.

Keep your mags loaded to the hilt. I know some older gents that had magazines fully loaded for over 10 years nad they functioned flawlessly.

CMOS

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GOA, TSRA, LEAA, NRA, SAF and I vote!
 
FWIW, the spring in the last 870 I built was from my first 870, ca 1958. Not only is this spring ancient, but for years it was compressed by the old Remington mag plug, and then by ammo kep0t in the tube for a couple of years.
Works fine, no problems.

Tower weapons for prison work are loaded "Cruiser ready",full mag, empty chamber, safety on,action locked shut, for years on end. Never saw a spring fail.
 
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