When it comes to Shotgun Accessories, particularly a shotgun that is designated for fighting or martial application, there are a plethora of add-ons out there. However, we must consider which items are useful and practical and which ones are expensive gun-jewelry?

The best way to know for yourself which aftermarket add-ons are useful and which ones are crap is to participate in realistic martial training that stresses the use of said shotgun in a mortal combat situation, not sports or competitions. Student of the Gun University recently conducted our Martial Application of the Shotgun, S201, course and several participants ran their fighting shotguns hard for two days.

Reunited and It Feels So Good

During the NRA Annual Meeting and Exhibits held in Dallas, Texas I was able to reunite with an old friend. Fred Choate, the owner of Choate Machine & Tool of Bald Knob, Arkansas, has been a friend of mine since the old days of writing articles for paper magazines.

Fred took over the business from his father, Garth, in 2014, but he was my POC at the company going back to the turn of the 20th Century.

Choate M&T had a booth at the NRA Exhibits and Fred and I were able to catch up and, as usual, talk about guns and gear and Shotgun Accessories. One of the topics was the rapid spread of Turkish Benelli clone shotguns in the United States.

I related that I had the new 1014 Breacher model from Military Armament Corp, but, due to import restrictions, it had been limited to five rounds, instead of the standard seven. Fred assured me that he had just the ticket.

Choate Benelli M4 +2 Extension

After returning home from the NRA meeting in Texas, I did my usual post-shot follow ups and an email to Fred was one of those.

Thanks to the arbitrary and capricious regulations of the criminal bureaucrats in Washington DC, you may have noticed that every import shotgun you have been thinking about buying has a capacity limit of five rounds. “But, my state has no limit on shotgun capacity, WTF?” you might say. Yep, we totally understand.

The box that arrived ten days after NRA from Choate M&T contained their “Benelli M4 +2 Extension”. Installing the extension on the MAC 1014 Breacher is relatively simple and requires only that you read the disassembly instructions for the shotgun and the assembly instructions for the Choate +2 Extension tube.

Taking my time, it took me perhaps ten minutes to remove the factory parts and install the new ones. 

The Choate +2 extension tube comes with a longer spring to accommodate the two extra shotshells and tube length. Please note that the tube that I installed on my gun has a gray finish and stands out. The one you order from Choate will be parkerized.

Choate Mark 6 Stock

Back during the height of GWoT, every firearms maker in the world was trying to figure out how to put M4 retractable stocks on their long guns. Shotgun makers were no different and the public was treated to “tactical” pump-action shotguns with such features.

O.F. Mossberg was no exception and they fell under the retractable stock / pistol grip spell. To be fair, about twenty years ago, all you had to do to sell a gun as “tactical” was put an M4 stock and pistol grip on it. 

Jarrad Markel has been in possession of a Mossberg 500A 12 gauge shotgun with a retractable M4 style stock and pistol grip for at least ten years, maybe longer.

What Jarrad was able to realize while running the gun hard, at various distances, during the S201 course, was that the M4-style tube puts your cheek too low, causing shots to impact high at anything other than extreme close distance. This was an easy fix. 

Choate has a replacement stock called the Mark 6 that is fixed, rhinoceros strong, and holds an extra 5 rounds of 12 gauge ammunition in a unique position. The Mark 6 stock also has spacers for length of pull. The five extra shells are held in place with tension and the tension on the shell-holder is adjustable with a Phillips head screwdriver. 

For those who have never changed a stock on Mossberg 500 series guns, there is one single bolt that needs to be removed and one new bolt that needs to be installed. That’s it.

You do not need to remove the trigger guard or disassemble the gun. My time investment for the stock change was about ten minutes; five to remove the old unit and five to install the new Choate model.

There you have it, a couple of useful and practical shotgun accessories or aftermarket upgrades. Choate doesn’t make flashy or trendy things, they make rock-solid parts that I have been using and relying upon for over twenty years now.

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Professor Paul Markel

Founder & CEO at Student of the Gun

Paul G. Markel has worn many hats during his lifetime. He has been a U.S. Marine, Police Officer, Professional Bodyguard, and Small Arms and Tactics Instructor. Mr. Markel has been writing professionally for law enforcement and firearms periodicals for nearly twenty years with hundreds and hundreds of articles in print. Paul is a regular guest on nationally syndicated radio talk shows and subject matter expert in firearms training and use of force. Mr. Markel has been teaching safe and effective firearms handling to students young and old for decades and has worked actively with the 4-H Shooting Sports program. Paul holds numerous instructor certifications in multiple disciplines and a Bachelor’s degree in conflict resolution; nonetheless, he is and will remain a dedicated Student of the Gun.

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