Ammo Capacity Question

[ShotgunSam870]

Hey Everyone.
I've been thinking about this for a while. I understand there is not just a straight forward answer for this, but how much ammo SHOULD an 870 hold? And how much is NOT Enough? I expect a lot of different answers. Just to throw this out there, I have 2 870s. One holds 7+1 (I think..) and the other holds 4+1. I, a new gun owner, initially thought that more ammo is the answer to everything, but after only a few months using and handling some other 870's, I discovered that I prefer shorter shotguns (Typically 18" or 18.5" Barrels), further equating a lower ammo capacity (Around 5 or 6 rounds total), resulting in ease of use, considering the lower weight. I know the answer will vary based on the intended use for the shotgun, along with ammo types and many other factors. I just wanted to get everyone's two cents on this topic, considering there are a lot of possible answers to be given.

[DaveC]

A very large number of states--most?--mandate a 3-shell limit for certain forms of bird hunting with shotguns. So the shorter the tube in those jurisdictions, probably the better. Then you don't need as large or long a magazine plug to limit to 2+1. Very, very many decades ago I talked to a Remington 1100 owner in Japan, and he said such plugged tube magazines had to be permanent. So jurisdiction matters: location. location. location!

Personally, I have 4+1 capacities on my two 12-ga. guns--one a regular old Rem. Express 870 turned into an HD for the most part, with the dimpled magazine under the end cap. For me, 4+1 seems reasonable, but others might feel different. Same goes for my S&W/Howa Japan 3000. This is literally an ex-Pontiac, MI police cruiser from 1983. It is also a 4+1 gun, which was rather typical for many PDs "back in the day" of "all business in the front, all party in the back" and even earlier!

It is my understanding that some states such as Massachusetts prohibit a shotgun from having something like a 7 shot magazine. So again, location!

For me, if you are concerned about number of shells in a defensive shotgun scenario, practice a lot with "shoot one, load one" drills when you have the opportunity to train, and also really emphasize "tactical reloads" by popping a shell into the chamber directly while holding the shotgun at your shoulder in the direaction of a threat, and then loading the tube. May well translate to bird hunting or other such field use.

[John A.]

I don't really stress the physical capacity, as long as I have extra shells on hand to continue feeding it.

Some guns I have, are very limited, and others, are not as limited.

Hunting reg's are all over the place. Every state has their own.

[Synchronizor]

The optimal capacity depends very much on how and for what you use your gun, and what you need or can tolerate in terms of weight and handling. 3+1 or 4+1 (plugged down to 2+1 if required) is an effective capacity for nearly all hunting applications (though there are some exceptions) and helps keep the gun lighter for easier carrying. 6+1 - 8+1 are very common capacities for fighting shotguns, though some folks prefer to have a lower capacity of 4+1 or 5+1 in exchange for improved handling for applications like home defense, where protracted shoot-outs are very unlikely. For dedicated competition builds, higher capacities all the way up to 22+1 can be found.

The 870 is a very versatile platform with a lot of aftermarket support. You can have pretty much any capacity you think suitable for your own situation - or multiple capacities that you switch between for different things. And don't forget that tube magazines have the advantage of easy topping-up. As others have said, if you don't want the extra weight of more shells out front, you can keep them in a carrier on or off the gun, and reload as you shoot.