Does changing the Follower matter?

[gWebber]

I'm not really suer the follower impacts the magazine tube lip with all that much force, as it literally has the "running start" of a single (the last) shotgun shell, say 2-3/4" or 3" for most of us. Even with the Police Magnum spring installed, the last shell doesn't get forcibly slammed onto the feed elevator. So if I were a thinking man, I'd say any and all of the above should work just fine. Actually my 20-GA has a Brownell's aluminum follower and never had an issue with it. Like everything in these instances: keep it clean, keep it lubed, practice with it, and have faith in it.

Yes, I was thinking similar, that the last say 3” the spring has mostly unwound and if one reaches in a pushes on the follower, it just doesn’t feel like that much resistance. So personally I can’t envision the impact of the follower in those last 3” being all that high.

I mean, is it acting like a “hammer”, sure but it seems to be a very weak one. The spring and the impact of the guns hammer of the firing pin seems a lot hight to me and that works fine over thousands of rounds generally.

[Banshee]

Everyone bases that on jerry kuhnhausen’s shop manual on the 870 were it is stated that HEAVILY used MAGNUM guns can suffer some damage to the follower stop from the follower hitting it. The key words here are HEAVILY USED MAGNUM. Most shooters do not use a lot of magnum shells. A little food for thought. An anodized aluminum follower is heavier and harder than a steel follower.

[gWebber]

Everyone bases that on jerry kuhnhausen’s shop manual on the 870 were it is stated that HEAVILY used MAGNUM guns can suffer some damage to the follower stop from the follower hitting it. The key works here are HEAVILY USED MAGNUM. Most shooters do not use a lot of magnum shells. A little food for thought. An anodized aluminum follower is heavier and harder than a steel follower.

Not a huge difference in length between regular shells and magnum, so I’m not sure how being a magnum shell comes into play. “Heavily Used” that part makes sense, but the 1/4 difference in shells I don’t see it mattering much unless the “Magnum 870” it self has a more powerful spring in the tube.

[ChillyB]

With due respect to Mr. K. I dont buy the steel follower explanation. Nothing about it makes sense. If not for Mr. K. writing it I doubt anyone would accept it as plausible.

[Banshee]

There are millions of guns in the wild with steel followers in them still working just fine. I use 17-4 stainless steel followers in my guns. I made them.

[ChillyB]

Those look very nice! If I may ask, do you do something for a living that gives you access to 17-4? That's some mighty fine metal to be used on something as basic as a follower.

[gWebber]

There are millions of guns in the wild with steel followers in them still working just fine. I use 17-4 stainless steel followers in my guns. I made them.

Oooooooo pretty shiny thing I want

[Banshee]

Those look very nice! If I may ask, do you do something for a living that gives you access to 17-4? That's some mighty fine metal to be used on something as basic as a follower.

I am a machinist for a chemical company. I get to “play” with all kinds of exotic alloys. 17-4 PH is a common stainless.

[ChillyB]

Not exotic, but also not something one typically finds at Ace Hardware.

[Banshee]

Not exotic, but also not something one typically finds at Ace Hardware.

No it isn’t exotic, just my favorite stainless steel. Machines great with lots of uses and can be hardened.