6 replies to this topic

[Uncle Buck]

Here in Pa other then big game hunting hunting we have to limit our shotgun capacity to three shots...So we have to have a shotgun plug inserted in our tube magazines.

Notice when you buy a Model 500 Mossberg.....You take it home....Go out into the field and you can't get shells to work into the magazine. There is a plug in there and you need to cut it a bit...In this case the Mossberg just hae a dowel rod for the plug...So you have to cut it off at the right spot so it will accept only two shotgun shells.. Heard someone tell me they had to do that for their Brownig BPS too....I don't remember doing that to mine???


I just purchased a Benelli......Um was so nice it had the plug in it...I took it to a safe place and put in all three type shells that it takes. What a rewarding surprise that I did not have to cut it at all to make the 2 3/4, 3. and or the 3 1/2 two each shells to fit...Neat thing is 2 3/4 will only allow two to enter as will the 3 1/2 incher. Thing was kind of like a computer...No matter what size it was I did not have to play around in there where the plug was.....


So far I have had to cut the Mossberg 500 20 gauge and the Mossberg 500 410. However I really think that Mossberg did this to make it a single shot should a mom or dad want the kid to hunt with a single shot first??????However should you get a gun and it will not take the two each shells it could be that you will need to reduce the plug a bit...make sure you find that area of gun manual that explains this and cut it to the size it recommends.


Also might be good that you have the gun dealer cut and adjust it for you before you take it home...Just in case you do not know how to cut a wooden dowel rod to make it the appropriate size in a gun magazine....

[Mongojoe]

I always just used a standard, new, unsharpened, pencil in my pump shotguns, and it always worked just fine for me... But here the only time a shotgun requires a "plug", is for quail and migratory game birds, and so the 2 3/4 inch shells are all I used for this...and I have only done it with 12 and 20 gag. guns.... I admit, however, that I have never tried it with a MOSSBERG, or a BENELLI pump gun, or with any semi-auto shotguns.

[DJnRF]

Hmmmmmm ............
Got me to thinking here. Ever since I took the riot gun out of
the trunk lid of my squad car, I have never put a plug in it.
I don't even have one for it, nor have I even thought of making
one. It seems that I forgot that if I want to use one of my
shotguns for hunting that I need a plug in them. Right now,
one gun will hold eight, and the other will hold five. Kinda
much to use for hunting, huh? lol

[sunray]

Never seen nor heard of any Mossberg mag plug that needed any fitting. None of the Mossberg 500's we sold out of the shop I worked in, long ago, had any plug issues. Including the 8 round mag guns that took an M16 bayonet.
In any case, the 3 rounds in the gun, not just the mag tube, comes from an international treaty between the U.S., Canada and Mexico regarding migratory birds. Has nothing to do with PA.
"...for quail..." Might be an Oklahoma hunting reg thing. Up here, in Ontario, our MNR(Ministry of Natural Resources) decided it'd be 3 rounds in the shotgun for any hunting.

[Mongojoe]

sunray, on 25 October 2009 - 03:09 AM, said:

"...for quail..." Might be an Oklahoma hunting reg thing.

It probably is...or maybe I should say "was"... Actually it's been quite a few years since I hunted quail, and I just looked at our state regs, and can not find this on the regulations for quail any longer.... However, I did find it under "MIGRATORY GAME BIRDS REGULATIONS".... It states, "No person shall take migratory game birds with a shotgun capable of holding more than three (3) shells, in the magazine and chamber combined, unless otherwise provided." ....and.... "Violations of state migratory game bird regulations are also violations of federal regulations."

[JDECS]

I'm sort of in DJ's position: All *my* shot guns are single or double barrels, but my sweetie's "bed" gun is set up to take out most of the Costa Rican Army before it runs dry. If she ever wants to take it waterfowl hunting, I'll have to remember to cut a plug for it. (The original plug may still exist, but only the crows know where!)

[Uncle Buck]

Here in Pa the only guns that do not require a plug of any type are our big game guns.. In other words....deer bear, etc we can take out the plug that limits it to three shots...Everything else hunting we need a plug in it it.. Even fox and coyote hunting we best have a three shot plug in it...Now a center fire rifle is different for anything like small game or fox or coyotes...That can have more then three shots in it....


Me thinks this is probably one of those antiquated old Pa game laws that they probably could change and make them equal to other states.....