Have heard that long term use of the sidesaddle ammo carriers can damage the receiver by peening the trigger pin holes.

The inertia of the shells in the sidesaddle upon firing causes the screws that hold it on to peen the trigger pin holes over time. In worst case scenario the pin holes will enlarge to the point the rear pin will walk out if you ever remove the side saddle and go back to the standard pins.

I assume this is more likely on the aluminum framed guns than the steel 870?

My duty shotgun is a Mossberg 590.  It's had a side saddle shell holder on it since I bought it in 1998 and it shows no wear in these areas.  I've shot the heck out of it and shoots as good as when I got it.

I suppose it is possible, but I have never heard, nor seen, it happen.

i have the version attached with screws, it has enough tension to prevent any significant wear.

I've seen them cause malfunctions on 1100 & 1187 guns because they squeeze the receiver.

There was a post some time back, I think on this site, of a gun that had suffered such damage.

Quoted: I've seen them cause malfunctions on 1100 & 1187 guns because they squeeze the receiver.

+1

I have an 1100 that has worn a sidesaddle for longer than I can recall - the 80's?  Countless thousands of rounds later, them holes still be round.  Come to think of it, before the sidesaddle it had this crazy choate mount (that went through the same holes) which allowed you to mount a D-Cell maglite on the thing.

I have got to find that and take some pics.

I guess it is possible depending on initial fit, and installation.

I have however known guys to wear out an 870 with one on it, and had no problems

I do not know of anyone in civilian life that can afford to shoot the amount necessary to wear out a well made shotgun, that takes ALOT of time, and ammo.

Not unless the reciever is alluminum or something.

A steel reciever is gonna be way stronger than the pins that go through it, even with the extra weight of the carrier on it.


It could happen, but would take so many hundreds of thousands of founds, that its not worth worrying about

I don't believe a Side Saddle is capable of sqeezing an 870 receiver enough for it to cause a malfunction. Thats a steel receiver...The Side Saddle components would likely break before you could get it tight enough to cause a problem.

However, this is a common issue with Winchester 1200/1300's. Since they only have one trigger pin, they rely on a different attachment method. That, coupled with an aluminum receiver, can cause problems if you over tighten the side saddle.

Whats the difference between an unloaded Side Saddle and its components and the stock trigger pins? If the trigger pin holes are going to peen, then its likely going to happen anyways once you reach that point. 100 rouns of slug/buck is alot to shoot in a range session for me. It would probably take thousands of rounds to even approach a questionable point... Are you really going to put 3k+ rounds of slug/buck through your pump with a loaded Side Saddle?

It might be theorehticaly possible, but its entirely improbable....

Quoted: I don't believe a Side Saddle is capable of sqeezing an 870 receiver enough for it to cause a malfunction. Thats a steel receiver...The Side Saddle components would likely break before you could get it tight enough to cause a problem

I've seen several side saddle that the back plate attaches with screws thru the receiver overtightened and lock up 870s.  The screws and plate act like a vise and will compress the receiver enough to prevent the action from cycling. Even with an aluminum back plate.

If you just snug them good and apply some blue loctite every is fine.  But you always need to cycle the action to check if it's too tight.

I don't however believe the OPs question about them peening or deforming the holes with use.  You'd have to have movement to do that and when properly installed there is no movement.

Rob

Quoted: i have the version attached with screws, it has enough tension to prevent any significant wear.

ditto

This is a new one on my. Tagscribed to hear more.

But the bolt on my Winchester is pretty heft and the receiver is stiff as heck.  As long as there is no play, there should not be any room for the saddle to flop around from recoil and egg out the pin holes.

I do not keep my saddle full during firing anyway.  Some competition guys may do this but my gun sits most of the time when the saddle is full i.e at home ready on defense...

anything is possible but i have never seen it and I ahve had a side saddle on my mossberg for 10 years

Quoted: Whats the difference between an unloaded Side Saddle and its components and the stock trigger pins?

Nothing.

Ive only heard the claims reference training guns where the sidesaddle is always loaded with slugs.

It had never occured to me people would train with no ammo in the side saddle.

Quoted: Quoted: Whats the difference between an unloaded Side Saddle and its components and the stock trigger pins? It had never occured to me people would train with no ammo in the side saddle.

Me neither.  What's the use of having an accessory on a gun if you don't train with it?  You'd be better off without it.

Rob

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Whats the difference between an unloaded Side Saddle and its components and the stock trigger pins? It had never occured to me people would train with no ammo in the side saddle. Me neither.  What's the use of having an accessory on a gun if you don't train with it?  You'd be better off without it. Rob

Practise with an unloaded sidesaddle is marksmanship practise not training. So i agree with rob. If you dont use the side saddle in every training session you might as well take it off and sell it. Or sell the whole weapon and buy something with a higher capacity. Because you will blow through 4-8 shells fast in a gunfight and thats no time to try to master a fast effective reloading technique you didnt practise.