I just installed a Choate 7-shot magazine extension on my Win. 1200 and have a jamming issue. The threads on the inside of the extension collar are about twice the length of the threads on the mag tube...leaving 1/2" - 3/4" of the extension's threads exposed in the tube once assembled.

This is causing  the follower to catch on the threads and bind. The first two shells feed fine, but once the follower gets to the extension/tube junction it stops. I've tried using the Choate follower included with the extension, the original Winchester follower, and an S&J Hardware follower..same issue with all.

Has anyone else experienced this issue with a Choate (or other brand) extension? Or found a mag extension that feeds 100%? I haven't had this issue with magazine extensions on my other shotguns.

Thanks!

Get with Choate on the issue, they are a family owned business and will likely help you out...

Message sent earlier...waiting on reply. No issue with them, I don't mind redneck-engineering it if I have to. The reviews on Midway's product page had nothing but praise, so I'm wondering if my gun is an anomaly somehow.  I would have just reboxed it and retunred it, but I altered the follower to see if I could get it to work.

It might’ve just been threaded too deep. Choate is a good company though, I’ve been buying from them since the early ‘80’s.

Heard back from Choate. Apparently there was a design change on the mag tube threads somewhere along the model run of the 1200 (mine is a 1965 manufacture)...I guess the threads were lengthened. There was no mention of this in the product description. They checked to see if there was an older model extension at the shop, but no dice. I'll either futz with it and see if I can make it work, or throw it back up for sale.

You could cut off the extra thread length from the extension.

I had that thought, but...

My tool inventory consists of hacksaws, a Dremel, and a grinder. If I had the machinery to do a neat job, I'd definitely do it...but it's gonna wind up looking like @$$ if I do it. Also, the extension has a flared shoulder that matches up with the barrel loop, and has ratchet cuts in it to secure to the detent on the loop.

I may either Dremel out the unused thread portion (but that may cause the follower to catch on the end of the mag tube at the junction), or use some epoxy / JB Weld to fill in the threads then sand it smooth.

Can you have a machine shop make you a spacer for the threads?

Can you replace the old style magazine tube w/ the new style?

That was another thought...been doing a little reading on the procedure. It's pressed in, and have read varying degrees of PITA from "it's not too bad" to "you don't wanna do it".

take it to a machine shop and pay 20 dollars for them to cut and polish it down.

easy fix.

I decided to cut it down the other day...still didn't work. I tried cleaning up the threads, but didn't have a way of chasing them. Wound up tossing the extension, now I'm on the search for an original Winchester extension.

Or just SBS'ing it.

The real Winchester extensions are hard to find. They made a few different ones too. One was made to convert a sporting gun to utilize the riot barrel and had a stop for the forward barrel ring on the riot guns. I’ve only ever seen one for sale and when I went back to get it, it was gone.