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Mag extensions... Nordic v Briley v Choate


Pclark832

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I just pick-up up a Remington 11-87. I need to put a +4 mag extension on it for uspsa.

After looking around I see that Chaote, Nordico Components and Briley seem to be the top 3 brands.

The Noric and Briley both cost about $80 but the Choate is only $45 or so and comes with a barrel clamp.

Is there a big difference in all these extensions or am I just paying for the name?

I like quality products and I'm willing to spend the cash to get reliability, If its justified... Is there something wrong or "cheap" about choate???

Edited by Pclark832
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I have owned both Choate and Nordic. I'll stick with the Nordic.

I have seen a bunch of the Choates break. Haven't seen a Nordic break but then Nordic hasn't been around nearly as long as Choate so time will tell on that one.

No experience with the various others so can't comment on them.

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Choates are hit and miss. They have a very pronounced seam which can cause excessive force while loading. I would get a DMW or Nordic. Trying to sand the seam down on a Choate is a real pisseroo of a job.

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Choates are hit and miss. They have a very pronounced seam which can cause excessive force while loading. I would get a DMW or Nordic. Trying to sand the seam down on a Choate is a real pisseroo of a job.

I had a couple of old choate tubes & they also rust along the seam & the end caps work loose, I have also had a tacstar tube seperate from the threaded nut leading to a yard sale of rounds & parts, the two Nordic tubes I use now are just superb, the extruded aluminium main tube is seamless & very light, its so clean inside it looks like the inside of a new shotgun barrel, the machine work is good & the grooves in the nut match the Benelli original very nicely.

After years of using various tubes I would say Nordic are about the best I have seen.

N

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The work on a Nordic is probably over kill but they work and work well. When you compare the 3 you mention side by side the quality of the Nordic as to the other two is just as clear as Benny Hill put it, Ugo vs. Mercedes.

One cool think about the Nordic is that you can unscrew the end and remove the spring from the muzzle end to clean the tube or replace the spring. This extra work and convenience well justifies the extra price you will pay for it over the other two.

If you think the work on the Nordic tube is good, wait until you see the clamp. A Choate clamp is going to shoot loose within a few hundred rounds. You are going to tighten it. It will shoot loose again. Your clamp will mar the barrel and you will finally locktite it. That will work just fine until you have to take the tube off to replace the spring or clean it.

The Nordic clamp on the other hand is to barrel clamps as Bager scope rings are to scopes.

The extra money you spend on the Nordic stuff is going to be well worth it in the long run.

Charles Bond

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Another plug for the Nordic...

When you practice reloads, unscrew the end cap, remove the spring and stuff practice rounds in to it to your hearts content. You never have to "unload" it. Just tip it forward and dump them out on the floor.

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I've used Choate, Nordic, and Tac Star. I'd rate Choate at the bottom. The interior surface on mine is rough, and like was said above the joint between the extension and factory tube is less than smooth. I've had good luck with the Tac Star. The interior surface is smooth, even shiny, and feeding seems to be smooth. Nordics are the Cadillac. Wonderfully made and function as good as it gets. More expensive, but you pay for the best. I have no experience with Briley, but it's a good name and should be a good product.

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I had a Choate tube come apart on me during a match. Like what others have said, the weak point is the collar/tube seam. Back in the day, Choate was the only game in town so I fixed it by welding the two pieces back together. More (and higher quality) choices are available today.

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The only tubes I've ever used were from DMW. They have lasted for a number of years no dings or issues of any kind. Well worth the $$$. I'm sure the others are good too. DMW supports the shooting sports not only in product and services but gives his time as well.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Got my Nordic in a couple days ago. Ran it yesterday. Absolutely flawless, feather-light, and build like a brick ... well .... you get the idea. The best part of all is that the Nordic has a threaded end cap that is drilled. My tube makes my 1100 a 9+1 shotgun, but that threaded cap makes it SUPER easy to install a 1 round plug in the form of a cap screw that doesn't reduce my free spring length.

Thanks Nordic (& Trubl) !

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I just added a Nordic (11 +1) on my JP 11-87 and its slick. Rather than plug the hole in the cap with a screw (for a 1 shot plug) I epoxied a short peice of 1/2' pvc in the end. The hole stays open (to let out the air as you shove a Nordic 8 round stick of shells in) , is light, and lets the spring run all the way to the end of the cap.

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