Vang Comp or Wilson Magazine Extension

S

Sam C

New member
I want to install a two round mag extension on my 870 police. I am considering either a Wilson Combat or a Vang Comp. Is there a big difference between them besides price? Also, I noticed that you can get a Wilson extension that has a side mount for the sling. If you install that one, do you need to add a swivel stud to the corresponding side of the stock?
Thanks
:confused:
 
I hope someone soon can give you the technical information you need,,,, but until then let me throw something out you should consider. Have you dealt with either company before? I bought some products and a VHS tape from Wilson so I could learn some specialized information from a "master". I gave too much money for it but thought it'd be worth it. It wasn't. Period. AND the tape turned out to be just an expensive advertisement for Wilson Combat. I was very disappointed.

On the other hand, I call Vang Comp Systems and Hans Vang himself answered the phone and visited for 10 minutes before even finding out if I was a serious customer. My barrel could not be reworked so Hans Vang GAVE me a barrel and performed his magic to it. It was in my hands and on my shotgun within 1 1/2 weeks!

Consider customer service first before doing business with any company.

I am not intending to bash Wilson Combat,,,, I just know I'm not the only guy here less than pleased with them.
 
mag_tube2.jpg

The VangComp extension is $75, and its sling mount is reversible for right or left-hand.
SGET-VT-2.jpg

The Wilson Combat extensions are $45, and need to be ordered with the sling mount for left, right, or bottom mounting, so you'd need to decide which way you want your sling mount to go. Apparently, these mounts are non-removable or reversible, however, I've not seen one close-up.

A "swivel stud" need not be added to the side of your stock if you get something like this:
048_assy_7_med_bw.jpg

http://www.spectergear.com/shotgun_bsh.htm
available from Spectergear.com
I don't think the sling adapter is available by itself, but is usually sold with either a 3-point sling or with the a buttstock ammo carrier.

Note: (deleted by author).

"Sam C", this was a good question and, as one can see, things could get complicated with incompatible purchases.
 
I won't help you either, but like delzo, let me say that Hans Vang is one of the nicest guys I ever met.
I have been to his shop several times including a few weeks ago. I bought two of his mag extensions while I was there. I never had the Wilson, so I dont' know anything about it.
One of the extensions I bought was a one shot extension to go with my Vang 14" barrel.
 
I have both, and two Spectre slings.
I'd go with Vang again in a heartbeat, and with that Spectre rear adaptor you don't need to put any rear sling stud on your stock.
 
When Hans' shop was in California I spoke with him several times and then just decided to drive down to his shop to check him out. It a tiny shop with lots of good toys. He helped me personally, spending a generous amount of time. We walked through all the choices and I ended up purchasing a gun from him.

In the middle of all that, Hans treated myself and the guys in the shop to lunch in the Mexican restaurant next store. I call it my $1000 free lunch. I could not be happier with my shotgun. In fact I drove back down to pick it up on the way to a tactical shotgun class rather than going through a local FFL.

I did have a problem with my 2-round extension, I called up Vang Comp and they mail me out a brand new one with new spring and follower with no questions asked.

I have not dealt much with Wilson. I have heard great things about their products and less than great things about their service but I have no personal knowledge.
 
Delzo

I will add my $0.02 cents about WILSON COMBAT if I may.
You are right !!!

Anyone looking at any of Wilson's +1 or +2 shotgun extensions please note that you will ONLY get +1 and maybe +2 using 2 3/4 inch shells. Try it, or need it, or want it for 3" shells and you wasted your money.

Don't get me wrong, each piece is a finely made piece of machine work.

Trouble is, I found NOwhere on his website that even Suggested the "limitation" on shell length relative to the shotgun extensions.

I'd say that appears to be what is called a bit of deceptive advertising BS. I wrote Mr. Wilson a civil and respectful email about the matter regarding his Scattergun mag. extension limitations. To this day, I have not received a response......
 
The industry standard on describing magazine extensions is based on standard 2 3/4" shells.

NO ONE mentions anything about 3" shells or 3 1/2" shells, probably figuring common sense would tell most people that longer shells will reduce the magazine capacity.

The top of the line magazine extensions are:
The Remington factory model
Vang.
Tank's Rifle Shop, which is a close copy of the Remington.
Wilson.
Choate.

Lesser versions are the Tac-Star, and bottom of the barrel is the plastic ATI.
 
I think I'm already in awe of anyone who dares to be more pricey than Wilson!!!

Seriously though I have seen the wilson and have the remmington LE with extenshon --- both seem good, I mean it's a flipping tube how much can ya screw up?
 
Im gonna differ here, and say neither. The best extension for the 870 is the Factory Rem yube, or the Tank;s version, which is identical.
 
When I was at Vang's shop, he gave me a brief lecture on why his extension was better than the factory Remington.
I don't know the answer but I bet if you called him, he would tell you. Of course he has a vested interest in the matter, but his answer probably has a whole lot more information than asking us. Most of the responses to your question offer no reason why they recommend that product.
 
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Go with the Vang. I own a Wilson/Scattergun modified 870 and the quality is not as good as the Vang.
 
The Remington factory magazine extension is just a little bit longer than the barrel and there's something about that that I find visually appealing.
 
The reason the Remington factory extension was longer than the barrel, was so the end cap could be used as a bayonet mount.

Remington developed the extension as part of a military project, and the original extension clamp had a bayonet latch on the bottom, with the extended cap fitting the mounting ring of a bayonet.

Recently Remington has changed their barrel lengths on the 18" and 20" barrels to be 1/2" longer.
The new gun barrel length is now about even with a factory extension.
Aftermarket extensions will now be about 1/2" SHORTER than the new length barrels.

Vang claims his extension is better because it's machined from a solid steel bar, while others are made from steel tubing with brazed-on couplings.

In fact, how strong the extension is really isn't a factor.
The extension could be a piece of solid bar stock.

The determining factor is the GUN'S magazine tube.
The gun's magazine tube is relatively thin steel with deep, wide, square threads which weaken the thin steel even further.

Any bump or knock that might damage the extension will almost always knock the extension off the gun's magazine tube.
This usually damages the gun's magazine tube threads, which requires a trip back to the factory to have a new tube brazed in the receiver.

For this reason, NO MATTER HOW STRONG the extension is, you should use a barrel clamp to support the extension and help prevent damaging the gun from bumps and knocks.
 
"Im gonna differ here, and say neither. The best extension for the 870 is the Factory Rem yube, or the Tank;s version, which is identical."

Please explain why you think this is the case ? And before anyone takes offense, I am just asking. This is an exchange of information and just saying something is the best is minimal information.

"For this reason, NO MATTER HOW STRONG the extension is, you should use a barrel clamp to support the extension and help prevent damaging the gun from bumps and knocks."

This is something else that Hans Vang disagrees with.
Again, take it for what it is worth. Call and talk to him if you want to discuss it with him. He has mucho experience with this stuff. He is also located within a very short drive of Gunsite. I know when I was taking Gunsite's 260, they called Vang twice during the course to discuss shotgun problems with him. Point being, he makes these guns for a living and has made them for years. He is one of the best known names in the business. He has built guns for pretty much every major law enforcement agency throughout the world as well as the military. He gets a lot of feedback on what works and what doesn't. I certainly have no problem with people taking a different position, but it would be nice to know how they came to that conclusion so we can evaluate our own opinion with some kind of basis.
 
I have personally seen at least three cases of a bump knocking a magazine extension off a shotgun and damaging the gun's magazine tube.

One case I personally saw happen at a police training course.

One case I saw the results of, happened to a local police chief during a silent alarm call from a local bank.
He wound up in the situation of possibly facing heavily armed bank robbers with nothing but a six shot revolver because he didn't have a clamp on the extension.

Bottom line is this: There are very good reasons to use a barrel clamp with an extension.
There are NO good reasons NOT to.

Don't get too wrapped up in which extension is "the best".
The top brands are all excellent and rarely give any trouble.
Just pick the brand you like the looks of and you'll have no problems.
 
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