I recently had a gunsmith remove the detents from my 870's mag tube so I could install a mag extension. Unfortunately he misplaced the stock shell follower. I was wondering if anyone could recommend a good aftermarket replacement.

Thanks

There is really no best answer. The job of a mag follower is very simple thus almost any one will work. It becomes more of a personal preference. Avalibility, cost, colour, construction material they all work don't get caught up in the adds for mine is better than yours. I have used many of them and depending on your intended use the stock one will function just fine aswell. NORDIC, VANG COMP, MOLLE, BROWNELLS, GG&G, SCATTER GUN TECH and many more. Take your pick.

I've always preferred the high visibility ones. Go with a bright color that's easy to see. Fluorescent ones are best.


Rootbrain

If you use one like scatter gun do you loose any mag Capacity?

cyclops hammer wrote:If you use one like scatter gun do you loose any mag Capacity?

Its been reported that it does, but not always.

Rootbrain

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Vang Comp gets my vote!

I've tried several different followers. I personally prefer the Vang Comp.

If you're using it with a mag extension opt for followers without radial grooves, the grooves can and will eventually hang up on the gap between the extension and magazine tube, especially if you have a sling attachment between the two. Stainless over aluminum, the anodize will wear off from sliding against the steel tube exposing aluminum which will then start to gall. Some stainless followers have inserts for better visibility, longitudinal slots for lightening and for debri to fall through, and will not hang up because the slot run lengthwise and are longer than any gap that you may have at the tube/extension.

An aluminum or plastic follower is preferred to stainless or carbon steel. Remington originally used steel followers, but they found that over time the followers would batter the ridge meant to stop them. That is why they switched to plastic. My 1100 with over 115,000 rounds exhibits this and the nub on the original follower would hit the carrier. I got an aluminum one from Brownells with no nub and it works fine.

Nothing wrong with the factory followers. They're lightweight, reliable, inexpensive, and high-visibility. If you want to go aftermarket though, I would recommend the S&J Hardware followers. They're well-made from a self-lubricating plastic, they function reliably in most magazine configurations, and they combine nice high-visibility colors with either a post or a recess so that you can easily tell by either sight or touch when the magazine is empty.

I don't like metal followers for the reasons others have stated. Aluminum gets beat up from repeated impacts against the gun's steel receiver, while steel followers add inertia and can peen the receiver over time.