Installing a mag extension to my Remington 870

[Otis]

I purchased a mag extension for my Remington 870 a few weeks ago and not thinking any differently I just went ahead and slapped it on and loaded her up. I was a bit disappointed to find that I could not load the 6 rounds in, I only got 5 and that was pushing it a bit and then the follower got stuck in the top.

After a bit of research I found that there are slots in the mag tube that prohibit extra rounds going past that point. I know that a lot of people just file them down and then there are no problems beyond that but I use this a my hunting shotgun as well. So my question is this. If i remove those slots on the inside of the tube will that mess anything up when i take the mag extension off and put the original cap back in?

I cannot imagine that I am the only one with this dilemma.

Your help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Otis

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[MountainBear]

Essentially the dimples hold the mag cap retainer in the mag tube. So when you grind them out, that little black plastic cap will just free-float, so you'll need to make sure to check to make sure the cap is screwed on whenever you think about it. Other than that, no issues...

 

[bnr32gtr]

Essentially the dimples hold the mag cap retainer in the mag tube. So when you grind them out, that little black plastic cap will just free-float, so you'll need to make sure to check to make sure the cap is screwed on whenever you think about it. Other than that, no issues...

Grinding is one option but I recommend stepping away from the Dremel when working on a gun!

I have read of much success using an appropriate sized socket and extension in the mag tube and TAPPING it down into the tube to flatten out the dimples. This way metal is not being removed and thicknesses of the metal are not changed.

Good luck!

 

[MountainBear]

Generally, I agree with you on the Dremel for most people. However, this is an area where a dremel is fairly safe. The dimples are obvious, and grinding them off and leaving two thin spots will not cause any structural issues. Pounding a sizing die (in this case a socket) down the tube could bend the tube if you hit in wrong. Also, you are pounding the tube into the receiver, which could cause the end to bell and become jammed in the gun or interfere with the feeding of shells.

In the hands of a gunsmith, a dremel is a helpful friend. In the hand of a tinkerer, it's usually dangerous. In this case though, the dremel is the safer option.