Magazine Plugs?

[faustus]

So, I just came back from grouse hunting and I used my 870P with ghost ring sights and +2 extension.

Now, I had to "plug" the magazine to be compliant with hunting regulations .... so that only 2 rounds would fit into the magazine tube.

I used 2 standard Remington plugs in the magazine tube and and it worked. Only two rounds would fit into the mag tube.

However, while hunting the plugs would slide back and forth in the magazine tube whenever I raised or lowered the barrel ... and that noise just drove me nuts. I mean ... imagine you are stalking the woods on a quite morning ... nearly no sounds to be heard ... listening attentively for activity in the woods ... and every time I lower or raise the gun ... the plugs shift and do their "click" ... "click" ... "click" ... &*%&$%#@&*O^*(*&!#%Y .... !!!

So, I am wondering has anybody found a convenient way to plug the magazine tube (including a +2 extension) with a plug that does not move?
Any commercial products out there that will not slide back and forth in the mag tube?

Thanks,
Faustus

[Synchronizor]

First, get a magazine cap and a 4-round spring. No sense having the extra weight of a mag extension on a hunting gun, especially if you're just going to plug it down to 2+1 anyway. Next get a plug that's this style:



These are designed to stay on the end of the mag spring, and not slide back and forth inside it. Here's a bit of video showing this. This plug style is a little less convenient if you want to use an improved spring retainer and easily change barrels & take the plug in and out, but it will stay in place in the front of the tube, and that sounds exactly like what you're looking for.

[faustus]

Synchronizor, thanks for the input ....

You wouldn't have the Rem part number for this style of plug handy?

I am trying to find one of those plugs here in Canada .... but no luck ...

If I had the Remington part number I could order it ...

Thanks,
Faustus

[Synchronizor]

I'm not sure it has a unique part number, I think it's just an older style that was replaced with the newer symmetric mag plugs that currently ship with Remington 870s. I can find several different part numbers for mag plugs in the parts documentation I have, but without pictures or detailed descriptions, that doesn't help much.

But I see those older asymmetric plugs on the used market all the time, as well as at swap meets and in spare parts bins at gunsmiths' shops. It really shouldn't be too tough to find one locally or that can be shipped to you.

[HuntingQuestions1121]

I had the same problem!

I did some Googling and ended up taking a coat hanger (one of the thick plastic ones) and cutting the ends to form a straight magazine plug. It took a couple tries to get it the right length (start off with it too long, put it in, and load the shells into the gun to figure out what the modified capacity is) and then just keep cutting it accordingly for the desired capacity. It snagged once on the spring, so I rounded the corners of the plastic with a lighter and it's worked perfectly since. Could've saved $20 if I would've figured this out beforehand. Hope this helps!

[Synchronizor]

I wouldn't recommend a piece of a plastic coat hanger; that material is not very strong, and has a tendency to break. It's also a bit thin for the job.

When I make magazine plugs, I use rod stock of a suitable engineering plastic; 1/2" stock will match the diameter of factory 12, 16, & 20ga mag plugs, though 7/16" is a better diameter if you want to take advantage of an improved magazine spring retainer. Look for 12 or 11mm if you're buying metric stock.

Acetal is a really good choice for material, as it's strong, doesn't absorb water, and isn't sensitive to many chemicals. It also cuts and machines nicely. I picked up an 8-foot length of basic 7/16" acetal copolymer rod a couple years ago from a local plastics supplier; it was pretty cheap and I still have a lot of it left. High-density polyethylene or a stable nylon should work pretty good as well, and may be easier to find locally if you don't live near a large city. And if you're in a hurry and need to grab something from Wal-Mart or Home Depot on your way to the hunting spot, you could always go old-school with a hardwood dowel.