Do You Know Why Remington Magazine Extension is a Little Longer than the Other Ones?
If you have seen different Remington 870 magazine extensions I think you have noticed that Remington original magazine extension is about 1 inch longer than the other ones: Choate, TacStar, Vang etc. I’ve heard so many different theories on why it is longer but the truth is that it allows you attach a bayonet to your shotgun!
Remington 870 2-Shot Magazine Extension
M7 Bayonet
You will need additional bayonet mount if you decide to add a bayonet to your shotgun. There are several variants of the Remington 870 bayonet lug mount.
The first one is made by the S&J Hardware. The price of this bayonet adapter is about $80-100.
Bayonet Lug Mount (S&J Hardware)
The second one is U.S.M.C. M870 MK1 Bayonet Adapter/Magazine Bracket which was used by military and it is no longer produced. Sometimes you can find them on eBay or GunBroker for about $150-250.
Military Bayonet Adapter
Some people believe that bayonet is a useful addition to a shotgun. For example, it may be useful in Close Quarter Combat or Home Defense when you are out of ammo. Other use of it is a crowd control but I don’t think that many shotgun owners need this feature. :)
Related Post:
Magazine Extensions for Remington 870 Shotgun (Nordic Components, Choate, TacStar, Remington, ATI)
There are several varieties of remington bayonet brackets. The first were for the experimental 1100 based shotguns, the model 7188 which incorporated rifle sights, a captured heat shield and a selector capable of full auto fire developed as specialized “point man” weapon for US Navy SEALs during the Vietnam conflict. After failing to prove controllable in full auto fire they were converted back to semi auto only as the remington model 7180. The heat shields were discarded and two different bayonet brackets were used of slightly different design. An early one with rifle sight and a later one with a simple bead sight. The Marines later adopted the M870 MK1 version of the model 870 which used a USMC specified 21″ improved cylinder bore barrel which utilized the rifle sight style bracket in a one piece and later two piece configuration and a +3 extension that ended slightly behind the longer barrel.
The Navy and Air Force later adopted their own versions of the M870 both of which had 18″ barrels and bayonet brackets with bead sights. The bayonet brackets were also sold in extension kits available commercially to law enforcement agencies long after the military adopted them.
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The first US military adaptation of the 870 the The USMC model M870 MK1 actually had a special ordered 21″ barrel and rifle sights. The US Navy and US Air Force versions had shorter barrels and bead sights. The bayonet brackets were developed earlier for use on the Navy SEALs experimental shotguns based on the Remington 1100, the model 7188 select fire and the model 7180 semi-auto both proved unreliable in combat. The backers themselves went through quite a few revisions and were even available commercially in an extension kit for a short period in the 1970’s and early 1980’s.