Hi all,

Does anyone have any feedback on the strength and durability of this magazine tube? Specifically compared to titanium or steel.  The weight savings upfront seems like it would be very helpful. Thank you.

I got a full length titanium tube from carrier comp and it's been great. They took forever, but I think the owner had cancer or something like that at the time that I ordered. they answered all my emails and I only heard good things so I stuck it out. Tube is very nicely made, and color match's perfectly.

922(r) is BS, but it's so easy to be in compliance with an M4 so I thought it was worth while. Tube + Follower + Giessle hammer and you are G2G.

The Briley magazine tube weighs in at around 3.2 ounces. The Carriercomp titanium tube comes in at 5.5 ounces. Steel tubes range by maker from 7.5-10 ounces. No issues with the carbon fiber yet but I have only had it since last summer. I’d recommend the Briley follower with it, it seems designed to deal with the transition zones between the stainless threaded parts and the body of the carbon fiber tube area. I noted a FFT follower would catch on the transition.

Thanks stranger. Are you aware of any other examples or tests of the carbon fiber tube durability? Denting, parts separation etc?
Would you trust it enough over a titanium tube for serious use?

I haven’t seen any destructive testing done. No reports of failures have popped up yet. If you’re crashing thru doors, the titanium one would be the better model to go with. For 99% of shooters, the carbon fiber model should be plenty tough. I would not use any mag clamp type devices on the carbon fiber by any means.

I have both titanium and carbon fiber tubes. Had the titanium tube on them from 2009 till 2020 with zero issues. Testing out the carbon fiber since last summer. The weight reduction is noticeable to me even from the carbon fiber. Given what a pig the M4 is, any weight loss or can get is a plus. Not because the shotgun is heavy, but the lighter the front end, the faster you can swing it from target to target.

I'm going with no.

The tube has to support most of the barrel, all except the rear end of it.
Anything impacting one affects the other.

Not sure how the M4 barrel seats, but on the M2 the barrel is affixed by the receiver insert and the front loop/band.

The only part of the tube that matters is the part under the fore end.

A mag tube extension has absolutely nothing to do with barrel support.

I thought we were discussing their full-length mag tube...

https://www.briley.com/p-63664-full-length-benelli-m4-carbon-fiber-magazine.aspx

That is the one.

The magazine tube does very little to support the barrel other than offering up a place for the magazine cap to thread onto. The barrel is seated firmly into the receiver.

The carbon fiber magazine tubes are metal lined beneath the carbon fiber. I’m guessing they machine away some of the metal to remove weight, then wrap the base with the carbon fiber to add strength. They’re built similar to Proof Research barrels, which have been amazing in my testing.

The titanium tubes are absolute beasts. They drove a truck over those tubes to show they wouldn’t flatten out back when they first came out. They’re tried and true.

The carbon fiber ones are to be determined.

Briley was nice enough to send this reply when I asked about the M4 carbon tube.

The carbon fiber magazine uses the same carbon tubing we use on our magazine extensions.  We know from their use in three gun competition that they hold up extremely well to all sorts of abuse.  When the shooters finish using the shotgun and are transitioning to either their rifle or handguns the shotgun is unceremoniously dumped into a large barrel muzzle down where the carbon absorbs all the impact.  The carbon is also exposed to the muzzle blast but suffers no effects other than residue build up on it that is quite easily removed.  The carbon is extremely tough and durable with excellent memory as it can move a lot but never bend.  On the M4 it is used as the magazine and is very minimally exposed to gas bleed off from the pistons.  The main purpose is to add a full length magazine to the civilian version of the M4 increasing capacity while at the same time reducing the weight.  It is not necessary to replace the magazine spring but we do supply a steel follower which is a lot thinner on the face allowing more stacking space for the spring.  Initially the seventh round requires a little more force than usual to insert into the magazine without any adverse effect to reliability.  As the spring takes a different set  it should ease.

Also we do not glue the carbon to the steel adapters on each end.  We actually thread the carbon using the same thin wall shallow thread technology we use on our chokes.  The carbon is machinable and the shallow thread allows us to machine it without delaminating it.  The end result is a very strong magazine with both end adapters threaded on using thread locker.  We do this also on our magazine extensions.

Overall this is one of our best selling items and we have yet to experience any complaints or failures.  I hope this info will help you make a decision.  Thanks.

Thanks for the update.