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M4 - how many shells?


frolic1

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the stock configuration M4 is listed as 4+1 here on the benelli site. You can actually fit 5 shells if you are using 2 3/4". Its not that there is a limiter inside the tube...the tube just ends where you see that funny little plastic lookin part on the last 1/3 or so of the tube. So realistically a stock M4 can hold 5 +1+1 if you float a shell on the carrier

Edited by tinman1975
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Thanks for the info. I plan to use 2 3/4" shells so 5 in the mag should be adequate.

 

You can get the mag extension or a full tube and hold 7+1. Just in case you encountersome zombies or live in Phoenix like me where every morning we hear of some home invasion on the news. I also have a buttstock nylon side saddle. Call me paranoid.lol

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  • 10 years later...

I recently got an m4/mag upgrade and dealt with the 6 rounds problem. I could only fit 7 with target loads, 6 with everything else. 

I'm spamming the top googled threads with this reply because got sick of being told it's about shell length and unfixable, or I have to cut my spring to fix it. I could never find a thread that just gave me a clear answer about an easy spring swap or anything else that worked. I'm blown away by how hard it was to find a clear answer on this simple topic.

The fix? I replaced the factory spring with a wolff m4 spring from freedom fighter tactical and it went from being a half inch away from holding 7, to holding 7 of anything 2 3/4" long. It's tight, but mine holds 7 of everything now. This isn't meant to be an ad for wolff, as there may be others out there that would fix the problem, but it worked for me and should for you.

Non-target-load 2 3/4in shells are longer and that's a fact, but assuming your m4 parts are the same dimensions as mine which they should be, your M4 WILL hold 7+2 if you get the spring replaced.

I hope I can bring a few people's blood pressure down if you are dealing with the same problem and as frustrated as me with the threads full of non answers out there.

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11 hours ago, bdickers said:
  • Has anyone installed the 2 round extension on the M4?  Do I need to remove the snap ring and whatever lies beneath it?
  •  

When you remove the cap there is a spring retainer. If you install an extension then that retainer would need to be removed so that the spring can seat into the extension. You would likely need a longer spring.

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Like many, I prefer a full length magazine tube as well as a side saddle/shell carrier. I'm completely satisfied with the full length tube. Adding an extension doesn't interest me. Here's why. Whenever I shoot the M4, or any shotgun, I am continuously practicing loading shells. It becomes nearly automatic after a while. When I'm not firing, I am reloading, even if it is only one round. That to me is more valuable than the initial number of shells in the magazine tube. Shooting clays gives you a good opportunity to practice reloading.

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  • 1 year later...

There's a bit of misunderstanding about the shell size and how many the M4 can load. If a shell is billed as 2-3/4" shell, that means that after it is fired, the plastic (or paper) left over will be 2-3/4" long from the base of the shell. For instance I have some Wolf 2-3/4" shells with #8 shot in them and they are exactly 2-1/4" long before they're fired. My M4 is a model 11701, a 5+1+1, and I can load 5 of these in the magazine. I also have some Nobel Sport Italia 2-3/4" #4 buck and those are almost 2-1/2" long before being fired. I can load only 4 of them in the mag. A "special" spring might let you load a slightly longer shell, but it's not really about the spring, it's about the ammo. I can actually load 4 of the 2-1/4" long Wolf bird shot shells and one of the 2-1/2' Nobel Sport Italia #4 buck without 1/8" to spare. But both are called 2-3/4" shells, and that's where so much misunderstanding comes from.

I'd like us to start a sticky thread where we can register different brands of ammo and have the exact sizes listed so we can choose ammo that will fit the stated mag sizes. As I alluded to, it seems the 5 shot tube on my model 11701 will hold a total of 11-3/4" of shells or 5 shells just a shade over 2-1/3" long each.

Edited by Morton
Appeal for a sticky thread.
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On 12/12/2019 at 10:23 PM, bdickers said:
  • Has anyone installed the 2 round extension on the M4?  Do I need to remove the snap ring and whatever lies beneath it?
  •  

The 2 round extension will require you to remove the "snap ring", which is more of a spring sleeve, and installing it onto the end of the extension tube. Disassembly will then necessarily involve releasing the magazine spring every time you remove the barrel. I actually prefer this setup because I can completely clean everything except the bolt return spring without needing a tool kit. One of the great things about the M4 is the ability to field strip and clean the weapon using only the bolt handle as your "tool". But it never allowed cleaning the magazine tube or the bolt return tube without snap ring pliers. With my 2 round extension tube, I can at least clean the magazine tube now.

The 7rd tubes are getting hard to find and they're quite expensive. As far as I can see the only reason to get one would be either for cosmetic reasons or to not have to deal with the magazine spring, which is not a big deal anyways.

But the best reason I have for using the 2rd extension tube instead of getting a 7rd tube is for camouflage purposes. (?) Here's what you do: Paint stripes on it to look like the stock tube you have now. A knowledgeable terrorist will see it from a distance and think to himself, "That guy has a maximum of 7 rounds before he has to reload.", when in fact you have 9.

heh heh

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