Remington express 18" w/extension

[Twistedsteel]

So I just added a extension on my 18" remington and I thought it was a 2 round extension but I can still only fit 5 rounds in the tube, I fit 4 before the extension. They are 2 3/4" shells by the way. The tube is even with the barrel. Maybe thats all the 2 3/4" that will fit with the 18" barrel. I believe I just read about this about a week ago but I can't find the thread now. Any help is appreaciated.
Albie

[DarkHorse]

Weird possibility - Ca has that law about only having 3 rounds in the shotgun while hunting, and I believe some shotguns are sold/come with separately a plug that limits the mag top hunting capacity. This plug, if it is in your gun, is supposed to be removeable.

The only shotgun I own is not a hunting gun, so I cannot say for sure.
BTW, my Mossberg 500 w/20" bbl holds 7 2-3/4" shells, and mag tube and bbl are even.

[beast556]

The express model has 2 divits in the mag tube that need to be removed. Look at the end of the mag tube and you will see them. I drilled out the ones on my gun and took a small file and cleaned up the 2 holes never had a problem since.

[Twistedsteel]

The express model has 2 divits in the mag tube that need to be removed. Look at the end of the mag tube and you will see them. I drilled out the ones on my gun and took a small file and cleaned up the 2 holes never had a problem since.

Yeah I already ground them down, and the plug is out. I think there is also the same gun in 18 1/2" and maybe that one holds the 6 I dunno. The 6th shell goes about 3/4 of the way in and thats where she stops.

[L-2]

All 2.75" shotgun shells are not the same length. Perhaps this is the reason. I've found 9 pellet 00-buck from Winchester and Federal will fit to maximum advertised mag tube capacities in my guns. I believe these shells" lengths measure out at ~2.3+". I know I couldn't load the last one in the mag tube when using 12-pellet Sellier & Bellot 2.75" 00-buck, which was longer.

[shoupdawg]

Weird. I have an 18.5" remington express and I can hold 7.

[The Cable Guy]

Weird. I have an 18.5" remington express and I can hold 7.

Mine can hold 7 2-3/4" shells but only 6 3" shells.

To thread starter:

Your follower might be having a hard time bridging the gap between the mag tube and extension. Mine is doing the same, just picked it up today, and it's all factory parts too

[Fuzzy5]

I've run into the issue of not being able to load to capacity due to some shells being a bit long, but a tube that's flush with an 18" barrel should EASILY hold 5 rounds. It should even hold five 3" magnums. If you're able to insert only one extra shell, then it sounds to me like that first round in the tube is starting to enter the extension, but the rim is getting caught on the dimples. Have you checked whether the dimples are filed down enough to clear the shell bases?

[Fuzzy5]

Your follower might be having a hard time bridging the gap between the mag tube and extension. Mine is doing the same, just picked it up today, and it's all factory parts too

Ditto on this. I forgot about it, but I had this problem on one of my Mossbergs, though in reverse (shells would go into the extension easily, but would get caught up when the spring tried to feed them past the gap). A bit of beveling on the follower and everything was fine, but I'd recommend one of the hi-viz followers with already-beveled edges if this is the problem.

[The Cable Guy]

Ditto on this. I forgot about it, but I had this problem on one of my Mossbergs, though in reverse (shells would go into the extension easily, but would get caught up when the spring tried to feed them past the gap). A bit of beveling on the follower and everything was fine, but I'd recommend one of the hi-viz followers with already-beveled edges if this is the problem.

This is exactly what I was thinking I should get for mine. Anywhere to get them cheap?

[Twistedsteel]

If you're able to insert only one extra shell, then it sounds to me like that first round in the tube is starting to enter the extension, but the rim is getting caught on the dimples. Have you checked whether the dimples are filed down enough to clear the shell bases?

No I haven't but that's a good place to start. Ok now the black piece that retains the spring before I bought the extension, I notice if I drop it in the extension it stops right on the groove for the clamp screw. I am supposed to be using the black piece right? I think they would all fit without it but It doesn't seem right to me to put the bare spring in. Oh and I measures my shells and they are 2.30" with my caliper, why do they call em 2 3/4" they're not even close?

Albie

[Fuzzy5]

No I haven't but that's a good place to start. Ok now the black piece that retains the spring before I bought the extension, I notice if I drop it in the extension it stops right on the groove for the clamp screw. I am supposed to be using the black piece right? I think they would all fit without it but It doesn't seem right to me to put the bare spring in. Oh and I measures my shells and they are 2.30" with my caliper, why do they call em 2 3/4" they're not even close?

Albie

The spring retainer shouldn't be used with the extension. It was only there so that you could unscrew your mag tube cap and remove your barrel without the mag spring flying out every time. There's no issue with bare spring resting against the end of the extension.

As far as the shells, the measurement refers to the length of the FIRED hull, or maybe the original length of the hull before being crimped down (either way, those two measurements should be close). Anyway, there's some variance in the lengths of the unfired shells, enough so that I can load 8 rounds of one brand of 2.75" into a gun that will hold only 7 rounds of a different brand of 2.75" shells.

[sd1023x]

I've done this on my 870 too, remove the black plug! I have a scattergun technologies +2 and you know what I thought I dremeled the divots that stick out, tried to put max amount of shells....i went back, ground the divots down some more (did this twice) and finally i could get max # of rounds in. The follower on the original is flimsy plastic and just because you could pull it out doesn't mean the divots were ground down all the way. Hope this helps.