Explain magazine capacities to me.

[Nickel Plated]

This is gonna be a noob question.

I've been looking at shotguns recently and I'm getting kind of confused at how manufacturers label their magazine capacities. For instance, manufacturers will label their gun as having a capacity of 6 shots. However some mean that as 6 in the mag and 1 in the chamber (6+1) whereas some mean that as the total capacity (5+1). Also I'm sure the type of shell (2 3/4" or 3") will also affect how many you can fit in a mag, and they never specify which size they use when advertising the capacity.

So if I wanted a shotgun with a capacity of 6+1 using 2 3/4" shells that would be an 18" barrel with a mag tube flush with the muzzle?

 

[Dfariswheel]

Most companies list capacity with 2 3/4" shells.

You have to read the fine print on magazine capacity versus magazine AND chamber capacity, manufacturers may list it differently.

"Usually" a 6 +1 shot capacity gun will be flush with an 18" barrel.

 

[Lee Lapin]

So if I wanted a shotgun with a capacity of 6+1 using 2 3/4" shells that would be an 18" barrel with a mag tube flush with the muzzle?

That will differ from manufacture to manufacturer, as action/receiver lengths also have some influence on this equation.

Worrying overmuch about magazine capacity in a shotgun is a 'noob' thing too 8^). No magazine is ever big enough. One of the critical skills with a fighting shotgun is learning how to load the thing on the fly, and developing confidence in your ability to load under pressure will alleviate most concerns with magazine capacity.

 

[EAJ702]

Example - Remington 870 with 18" barrel and mag extension. Magazine capacity is six 2 3/4" shells, +1 in the chamber.

 

[Nickel Plated]

Worrying overmuch about magazine capacity in a shotgun is a 'noob' thing too 8^). No magazine is ever big enough. One of the critical skills with a fighting shotgun is learning how to load the thing on the fly, and developing confidence in your ability to load under pressure will alleviate most concerns with magazine capacity.

"Worrying" is too strong a word. I'm well aware that skill is much more important than an extra round or two in the gun, and that without skill, all the ammo in the world won't save you. But this isn't for a fighting gun, more of a "just for fun" shotgun. And I always felt that a shotgun is "supposed" to have 6+1 rounds. Just like a revolver is "supposed" to have 6 rounds. Anything else is just weird. Call it OCD if you want, but I want 6+1