TacStar extension broke :(

A

Anticonn

New member
So I took out my new Nova for the first time this afternoon, with a TacStar extension freshly installed that I ordered off Midway. First magazine of 2.75" #8 birdshot, on the 4th round the tube popped out of the knuckle from recoil.

I cleared the chamber and mag, checked that the knuckle was securely screwed in place, and loosened it up to take a look. The tube is simply press-fit into the knuckle, and not very well it would seem (see picture). Reassembling it by hand was not difficult, I put it back together and loaded the magazine with 4 rounds instead of the previous 7, and it popped out on the first shot. I set the shotgun down for the day and squeezed off a few 357 rounds to ease my frustration.

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Is this common, or what the hell? I expect a mag extension to stay in one piece and not send the spring down range, with ANY load, especially birdshot.
 

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dude that sucks, I have heard that the Tac-Star stuff is hit and miss as far as quality goes. I believe i would send it back to Midway and exchange it for one made by Scattergun Tech.
 
Midway has been great to me, I want to make that clear. This is in now way their fault, and I expect the same quality service they've always delivered in returning this item.

I'm hoping a refund is a possible as I don't think I can really trust a TacStar replacement on its own for my defensive shotgun. I'm wondering however, if a refund isn't possible here, would a mag clamp get the job done? If 2.75" birdshot knocked it out, I can't imagine what the 3.5" 00b will do to it.
 
I have used Tac-Star mag clamps before, they just don't hold up on a shot gun. A couple of shots and they fall apart. They work real good for making hog-lights for compound bows .Midway is real solid in the customer service dept. though. I would be in touch with them pronto to see about getting a replacement. I have sent things back to them before, and they even squared me on the shipping charges.
 
I was 10 minutes late calling them to discuss this, so I sent off an email. Thanks.

I really assumed this would be a one-piece unit, any advice on where to look for a more solid extension? Choate's only listed Nova application is a 4 shot extension, I have an 18.5" barrel so that's a no-go.
 
I have owned 2 tacstar extensions for 870's. One of the two did exactly what your pictures depict. Even with a Remington Military clamp holding everything in place. It would slowly walk and eventually pop free. Trashed it, sold the other and now I have only Remington factory extensions.

Were I in your shoes I would be looking at Benelli's factory offerings, Choate (call, they may have some not listed on their website), or Nordic Components. .
 
It just occured to me I have a Haas CNC lathe at work, and I'm pretty handy with it, if I can't find a suitable replacement steel bar stock is pretty cheap...
 
A smart shotgunner ALWAYS uses a clamp on an extension.
Click to expand...
A smart shotgunner I am not, this is my first shotgun, and it's been years since I shot one before today.

And as a matter of aesthetics, I'd much prefer a matte black extension to match the gun, the Choate units look... shiny. Rattlecan could fix that though.

Since we're on the subject, suggestions for a clamp (that won't interfere w/ the front elevated sight)? I don't need a rail or light mount.
 
Tacstar DOES make some quality stuff, especially their sidesaddle, but imo their extension is crap. Go with Scattergun Tech, Choate or Nordic. I personally can attest to the quality of Choate. Great customer service too.
 
I have had the same thing happen with a Choate tube extension. The tube wasn't silver soldered very well in the base.

Your choices are:

Send it back for an exchange or money back

You can use JB Weld to repair it and it will hold it very well. Rough the inside on the base and the part of the tube that fits in the base. Then degrease & apply the JB Weld and clean up the epoxy that gets squeezed out. Wait 24 hours after applying then put it in the oven on 200 degrees for an hour and leave it until it cools.


The JB Weld will hold it & last forever.


GC
 
I have a Choate extension on my Remington and haven't had any trouble with it. If they make a unit that will work with your Nova, I wouldn't hesitate to use it.
 
The same thing happened to me. I thought it was the weight of the LMS1202 combined with the lack of a mag clamp that did it until I read this thread. If a mag clamp can't keep it together it is not really any more than a paper weight.
 
JB Weld (or any glue) is a very poor substitute for hard soldering.
JB Weld is simply epoxy with metal shavings.
Click to expand...


Follow the direction I posted above using JB Weld and then see if you are able to get the tube out of the base without the use of extreme heat.

I didn't suggest silver solder because most don't have experience doing it. Also the tube extension will have to be refinished after soldering. JB Weld is the way to go and it will hold up. The JB Weld can be made even stronger be adding some more fine steel shavings to the mix.


GC
 
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Since we're on the subject, suggestions for a clamp (that won't interfere w/ the front elevated sight)? I don't need a rail or light mount.


I don't know of any barrel clamp that interferes with the front sight.
Most are open on the top and will easily clear any standard front sight even if you move the clamp down around the muzzle.

The Choate comes as a complete kit with the extension, spring, heavy-duty magazine follower, and a clamp with swivels.
The color is actually either a parkerized finish or a satin black sulfide finish.
In over 30 years of installation, I've only seen a couple of defective Choate extensions.
 
Thanks for the info Dfariswheel, has me wishing I went with Choate in the first place, but I was ordering some other stuff off Midway at the same time, so.... it was easy to just get this one. And I mean really, it's a threaded tube! How hard can it be? lol


I got a call from Midway this morning, they're sending me a new TacStar unit free of charge, and don't require the old one as a return (I included the above picture with my email). I have to say Midway never ceases to impress me, and just for giggles, since they took such good care of me, I ordered a Limbsaver while on the phone.

I'm definitely not opposed to the JBWeld suggestion, we use a variety of epoxies in some pretty extreme conditions at work, up to 300° under frictional loading. For an application like this I can see no reason it would fail to perform. Plus we have the proper eqipment to cure this stuff, computer controlled convection ovens and the like. I can make that lil bastard stick if it really comes down to it, what I'd do is machine a 0.010" or so groove into the tube halfway up the portion that presses in to hold the adhesive (or go 0.020 deep into the knuckle, I'll have the check the wall thickness), it wouldn't ever come back out with some high strength epoxy (e.g. JB Weld). As a last resort, I've got a welder :p
 
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I fail to comprehend how adding steel shavings could increase the bond strength of any glue.
Care to enlighten me on how that works?
 
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