Increasing Mossberg Capacity

[ukdkbr]

I purchased a Mossberg 500 with the 20" barrel and the magazine tube only holds 4 rounds. The tube is the same length as the barrel and it would seem that it could hold more. Is there anyway to modify the existing tube or replace it with a higher capacity tube?

Big 5's ad was very missleading, it said the gun was an 8 shot when it was actually a 4+1, but oh well it was only $229.

[Pugster]

You have to pull out the wooden dowel from your tubular magazine.

[Santa Cruz Armory]

Unscrew the barrel locking bolt and take something long and push the plunger in on the magazine, believe it or not a long wooden dowel will come out of the hole where the barrel bolt goes. It looks like a pencil with o-rings on it.



Good luck!

[Pugster]

I never understook what that dowel was in there for, it just seems so weird.

[Baron]

Yup just the dowel....
the 20" barrel mag tube is the most they make for the mossberg...

I think thye dowel can be used for hunting or something

[gn3hz3ku1*]

i thought it was to lower capacity for legal hunting requirements??

or you can just blast at the same rabbit and miss 8 times instead of 4?

[ukdkbr]

Thanks guys, just removed the dowel and now the tube holds 7 rounds :-)

[Utha Schleigle]

They also sell a magazine follower that has a protrussion to help reduce spring binding in yellow - red - orAnge or black.

Will have picture lator - I got a couple of them in the garage but have not installed them yet.

On my 500 I had to short tube. The mag only held 4 until I cut a 1/4 inch off the little inner dowel and now it holds 5 in the mag. Yes I did try with no stick at all to see if I could get another round but no dice. I left the stick in there to help prevent the spring tube binding and wrapping around its self.

Now 5 in mag - one in chamber.

[Boomer1961]

i thought it was to lower capacity for legal hunting requirements??

or you can just blast at the same rabbit and miss 8 times instead of 4?

If so it holds one to many rounds three is the limit.

[ukdkbr]

Thats strange then why did mine have the dowel and hold 4 in the tube and 1 chambered?

[Ech0Sierra]

wrong dowel?

[taloft]

Thats strange then why did mine have the dowel and hold 4 in the tube and 1 chambered?

Are the shells 3" or 2 3/4"? It shouldn't matter but, that might just be why. 3 rounds is all it should hold with the dowel in the mag.

[xxG3xx]

the dowel is there for when the owner is use to the shotgun they can remove it and be able to shoot more

[Boomer1961]

Thats strange then why did mine have the dowel and hold 4 in the tube and 1 chambered?

I figured it out.

You were so intent on loading that sucker up that you jammed in that last round so hard that is shrunk the dowel.

Now for the serious part. If you decide to change the barrel to go hunting, remember to get a proper dowel. The game wardens are pretty seriousl about enforcement and it is more common than not to run into one if you hunt along the bay/delta.

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

[Utha Schleigle]

Thats is what I eluding to - spring wrapp or bind. Keep 3 inches of dowel or one of these plastic magazine followers - with a anti spring wrapp nubby. Also since they are orange, white, red they do not look like the new blackened "nonreflective" hunting shells. You look and see if it is unloaded more easily. I put the original follower there from my Winchestor 1300, so you can see how close the non reflective shells look like the stock follower.