Who makes a PARKERIZED mag extension for an 870?

[TCW]

Thanks!
TCW

[JNewell]

I assume you're looking for a good color match. Newer PMs are finished in some kind of phosphate that is related to, but not the same as, parkerizing. The Vang extension, which is a kind of matte black finish, is a close match for these. If you have an earlier model PM, that I understand were really Parkerized, it may not be as good a match. Dunno whether others, such as ST, offer phosphate-like finishes.

Good luck -- let us know what you find.

[TCW]

Thanks, J.

Is the finish on the new PMs the same as the express models? Are there benifits to this new finish, or is it just cheap?

[Guyon]

Choate makes an extension that is parkerized. I've been thinking about getting one of their kits myself.

http://www.choatemachinetool.com/

[Elmo]

Scattergun Tech's extension is parkerized, IIRC. It's more of a matte dark grey.

[JNewell]

TCW --

The finish on the new PMs is quite different than the Express finish. Remington says that the Express finish is just bluing on unpolished metal. Coulda fooled me -- I would swear it's paint. Whatever it is, the Express *looks* like black crinkle enamel -- shinier and blacker than the current PM finish, and crinkled, too, compared to the smoother finish of the PM.

I may be splitting hairs. Most people refer to any phosphated finish as parkerizing, but this is not the case. Real Parkerizing is manganese phosphate, but many "parkerized" finishes are zinc phosphate. I don't recall the differences, although I think that the real Parkerized finish may be more durable. I suspect that the current finish is zinc phosphate. I don't know why they changed, but I assume it's cheaper.

I have a newer PM with the Vang extension and a Vang-modified Express tube. The extension is a close match. The barrel isn't, but it's a working piece and it's close enough for government work (especially considering the price I paid for the barrel).