DJL

Super helpful post about the "four shell" issue. I had it and discovered that it happened only with Federal Premium buckshot shells. The Federal shell is slightly longer than the comparable Hornady and Remington shells (five of which fit just fine). The difference in length is small, but when you load four of them, it's just enough to stop that fifth shell. It appears to be attributable to different crimping methods. I cut the spring by about 7 coils (doing a little at a time) and it worked like a charm. Even the Hornadys are easier to load now too. I agree that this is an annoying task for a top-dollar firearm. I'm a little concerned that this modification could lead to other issues, such as lack of durability. I'm interested to know if anyone has had any problems after making the mod. I had a related issue with my magazine at the same time. My follower was getting caught fairly high in the tube. I discovered that an aftermarket Picatinny flashlight mount that clamped on the tube was putting pressure that crimped the follower. By moving the mount closer to the muzzle (on the 2-round dummy tube, above the end of the actual magazine) cured that problem. The aluminum tube is just super sensitive--again, an annoying issue for a top-dollar firearm. Other than these issues, I love this gun.