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FINALLY FINISHED: Crafting wood furniture for a Mossberg 590 Shockwave

Dr. Marneaus

.270 WIN
Well, this has started.

I picked up a corncob fore end and started working on it

Problems:
-they are all made for the longer action tube on the Mossbergs, the shockwave uses a shorter action tube.
-they are not made for the heavy barrels and require fitting on the upper edges in order to move past the half way mark in the stroke.
-they dont have a strap built in to keep your hand from disappearing when it crosses the muzzle.

Good things:
-it'll look bad ass.

So, i got the fore end, removed the old one, did some measuring. I had to lop off around 1 1/4" of overall length from the front. Before doing that, i took a holesaw that was the correct diameter, and drilled down approximately 1 3/8" to shorten the "inner" sounter bored area that the action tube rides in. Moving it down this far exposed the threads on the action tube, which is what is needed.

Then, it was shortened enough to allow the action tube cap to reach the threads. I measured and compared to the original for this.

Here's where we are at:




So, the next step is to counter bore so that the nut itself can sit about halfway inside the wood of the fore end, this will keep it centered. Currently it just locks the wood to the action tube by tightening down against the front of the wood.

Following that, I will re-porfile the upper edges so that I can actually rack the action all the way to the rear, and have a functioning gun.

I have some nice ideas for a leather hand strap on the wooden fore end. My goal is to basically flush mount a leather strap so that it doesn't have corners and screws sticking up like the factory half-arsed job mossberg did with the nylon webbing. I'll have to cut down an area at the front and rear fo the fore end for this. We'll see how that progresses. I will not be shooting this gun without the strap.

i'm not positive I will be making a wooden birds head. If i do, i will be stippling it by hand for some grip. Part of the reason I dont know if I want to do that is because the plastic grip itself is slippery, hence the fabric tape. I'm concerned that wood, even stippled, will be equally as slippery, and thats alot of work to do to just cover with tape.

I guess i could always do like a leather cord wrap on the wooden grip....hmmm....that might look interesting
 
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If you stiple the wood, a good job will not make it slippery. Maybe even just some boiled linseed oil to coat it, and let it dry for a few days...

Look into corby bolts/screws for a nice clean look for the strap. You can file down the inside of the strap side, to make it clean looking. Or use the pop rivets option.

http://usaknifemaker.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=Corby
 
Oh, while the leather wrap would look cool, I don't think it's a practical idea for it. It would be tough to get it to stay wrapped around the rounded end. Unless you stop short of the curve?
Glue it with some hyde glue?

And don't forget to take lots of pics of the process. I know I would love to see it.....
 
So far, so good.

I imagine that you're going to polyurethane the front section where you shortened it? I'm not entirely sure which stain that Mossberg used on that corncob, but it has some interesting, yet pretty grain on it. It would be kind of a shame not to finish it to match as close as you could.

You may could attach the front leather strap to the retaining nut, rather than on the wood grip itself.

As for making the birdshead, just make sure that you at least keep the length of the factory grip because that's part of how the gun passed NFA scrutiny was the overall length. If you make it shorter than the factory birdhead, would put you over into felony territory from my understanding.
 
Well, this has started.

I picked up a corncob fore end and started working on it

Problems:
-they are all made for the longer action tube on the Mossbergs, the shockwave uses a shorter action tube.
-they are not made for the heavy barrels and require fitting on the upper edges in order to move past the half way mark in the stroke.
-they dont have a strap built in to keep your hand from disappearing when it crosses the muzzle.

Good things:
-it'll look bad ass.

So, i got the fore end, removed the old one, did some measuring. I had to lop off around 1 1/4" of overall length from the front. Before doing that, i took a holesaw that was the correct diameter, and drilled down approximately 1 3/8" to shorten the "inner" sounter bored area that the action tube rides in. Moving it down this far exposed the threads on the action tube, which is what is needed.

Then, it was shortened enough to allow the action tube cap to reach the threads. I measured and compared to the original for this.

Here's where we are at:

5901 by Andrew M, on Flickr
5902 by Andrew M, on Flickr

So, the next step is to counter bore so that the nut itself can sit about halfway inside the wood of the fore end, this will keep it centered. Currently it just locks the wood to the action tube by tightening down against the front of the wood.

Following that, I will re-porfile the upper edges so that I can actually rack the action all the way to the rear, and have a functioning gun.

I have some nice ideas for a leather hand strap on the wooden fore end. My goal is to basically flush mount a leather strap so that it doesn't have corners and screws sticking up like the factory half-arsed job mossberg did with the nylon webbing. I'll have to cut down an area at the front and rear fo the fore end for this. We'll see how that progresses. I will not be shooting this gun without the strap.

i'm not positive I will be making a wooden birds head. If i do, i will be stippling it by hand for some grip. Part of the reason I dont know if I want to do that is because the plastic grip itself is slippery, hence the fabric tape. I'm concerned that wood, even stippled, will be equally as slippery, and thats alot of work to do to just cover with tape.

I guess i could always do like a leather cord wrap on the wooden grip....hmmm....that might look interesting


Welcome to the club.

I had a similar concern with my wooden bird's head grip. I pondered it for a while and thought "screw it, I'm going to dremel in some finger grooves." They turned out great because I used my own hand as a stencil. It's a comfortable grip to shoot and it's a great non-slip shape.


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Lookin' good Doc. I think a flush mount leather on the birdshead would look awesome, even if it is just the middle of the grip. Kinda like the old leather handle combat knives.
Keep the pictures coming.
 
Welcome to the club.

I had a similar concern with my wooden bird's head grip. I pondered it for a while and thought "screw it, I'm going to dremel in some finger grooves." They turned out great because I used my own hand as a stencil. It's a comfortable grip to shoot and it's a great non-slip shape.


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yeah I read your build it looks great! I was gonna ask did you make your grip from scratch or did you form it from a stock?
 
Aite. I got the fore end mostly done., its fit now and doesnt interfere with the barrel.

I touched up the areas I sanded with some stain, then put everything together for now. I will seal those areas in a few days.

On the hand strap, i cheaped out. I was concerned about making the fore end skinnier, its already fairly thin, and I didnt want to shave it down 1/8" in those areas. I may still revisit this, but like I said, i didnt want to get too deep into the thin areas.

I cut my strap to length, installed some rivets, then used the factory screws. I'm going to clean up the corners of the leather, and then burnish the edges



 
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The stain looks really good. You have a good eye for color.

The leatherwork looks really good too. Sling and all.
 
yeah I read your build it looks great! I was gonna ask did you make your grip from scratch or did you form it from a stock?

I used old 500 stocks for both versions of my grips. I don't have the skills or tools to build them from scratch lumber. Wish I did!


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I used old 500 stocks for both versions of my grips. I don't have the skills or tools to build them from scratch lumber. Wish I did!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Doesn't that weird you out a little? I keep wondering if something that 'used to be' a stock could be construed by the atf as still being a stock, and how in the atf letter on the shockwave it says something to the extent of that if the grip or materials are changed it 'could' become an NFA firearm
 
Doesn't that weird you out a little? I keep wondering if something that 'used to be' a stock could be construed by the atf as still being a stock, and how in the atf letter on the shockwave it says something to the extent of that if the grip or materials are changed it 'could' become an NFA firearm

Yep, it did. I'm sure you'll see my reply in the other thread. Ultimately sanity must prevail in the face of nonsensical tyranny. I'd like to see someone from the ATF stand in front of a camera and say "Plastic grip material is legal. Wood is not. Anyone that has a wood grip instead of a plastic one is now committing a felony. kthxbye."

The whole reason the "Shockwave" style 14" shotgun is legal is due to the ATF's inane self-proclaimed mission to label, define and regulate every last little detail in every model firearm available to civilians in this country. If they hadn't defined a "shotgun" to be a firearm that was fired from the shoulder in the first place, then they wouldn't have painted themselves into this corner.

It's worth pointing out that the Shockwave wasn't recently legalized. It has always been legal. It was legal before the NFA passed in 1934 (even if it didn't exist yet) and it has been legal ever since. Because it has never been illegal. Yes, the ATF does really stupid stuff and makes really stupid decisions. They outlawed owning a boot lace and key ring at the same time if you also own a semi-auto rifle with a reciprocating charging handle (like an AK). http://www.everydaynodaysoff.com/2010/01/25/shoestring-machine-gun/
 
Yep, it did. I'm sure you'll see my reply in the other thread. Ultimately sanity must prevail in the face of nonsensical tyranny. I'd like to see someone from the ATF stand in front of a camera and say "Plastic grip material is legal. Wood is not. Anyone that has a wood grip instead of a plastic one is now committing a felony. kthxbye."

The whole reason the "Shockwave" style 14" shotgun is legal is due to the ATF's inane self-proclaimed mission to label, define and regulate every last little detail in every model firearm available to civilians in this country. If they hadn't defined a "shotgun" to be a firearm that was fired from the shoulder in the first place, then they wouldn't have painted themselves into this corner.

It's worth pointing out that the Shockwave wasn't recently legalized. It has always been legal. It was legal before the NFA passed in 1934 (even if it didn't exist yet) and it has been legal ever since. Because it has never been illegal. Yes, the ATF does really stupid stuff and makes really stupid decisions. They outlawed owning a boot lace and key ring at the same time if you also own a semi-auto rifle with a reciprocating charging handle (like an AK). http://www.everydaynodaysoff.com/2010/01/25/shoestring-machine-gun/


Good answer. Now what about the 5 minute period of time that it would take somebody to saw off the end of the stock, into a non shoulderable rough cut grip? Isn't owning a stock and a shockwave (only a shockwave) illegal? I own another mossberg shotgun that a full wood stock would fit on so it's a moot point but if one did not, wouldn't the have created an SBS by simply having the stock in their possession?
 
Good answer. Now what about the 5 minute period of time that it would take somebody to saw off the end of the stock, into a non shoulderable rough cut grip? Isn't owning a stock and a shockwave (only a shockwave) illegal?

To my knowledge, the ATF hasn't released an opinion letter on that specific question. I own multiple Mossberg 500 and 590 shotguns and now own 2 Shockwave 590s. All stored in the same gun safe.

I purchased a surplus 500 shoulder stock and rough cut it as soon as I opened the cardboard shipping box. I didn't need to open my gun safe...so I didn't. Besides, who wants to clean all that sawdust out of a safe? Haha. The 500 buttstock was a rough bird's head grip for a few days (and the scrap wood was disposed of) before I ever removed the factory plastic grip. Nothing to see here, Mr. ATF man. Please move along.

In the end, I know the serial numbers of all my firearms and have them recorded in a gun trust. I know which were built from the factory as standard shotguns and which were built as 14" firearms. So long as I don't interchange stock parts between them, and the serial numbers match the manufacturing records with the ATF, I can't see how I could be possibly be considered a criminal for owning my 20" ATP-8 with standard stock and my 590 Shockwave at the same time.

People have gathered their pitchforks and torches over less.
 
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You'll read a lot of opinions on the internet, and I'll give you my personal opinion about opinions.

They're a lot like buttholes.

Everyone has one, and most of them stink.
 
It also stands to reason that since its always been legal to take a PGO "shotgun" lop the barrel down and install a pistol grip that makes the whole thing over 26", it doesnt matter where the grip came from, or who installed it.

Its legal for me to install one, and cut the barrel or install a shorter factory job, its legal for suarez tactical to do it, its legal for mossberg to do it at the factory. Its been legal the whole time provided the PGO firearm is equipped with a pistol grip, and never was a shoulderable firearm.

It just so happens that the only produced grip to do this right now is plastic. Shockwave manufactured it, I could manufacture my own, and as long as it meets the requirements, I see no difference.
 
It also stands to reason that since its always been legal to take a PGO "shotgun" lop the barrel down and install a pistol grip that makes the whole thing over 26", it doesnt matter where the grip came from, or who installed it.

Its legal for me to install one, and cut the barrel or install a shorter factory job, its legal for suarez tactical to do it, its legal for mossberg to do it at the factory. Its been legal the whole time provided the PGO firearm is equipped with a pistol grip, and never was a shoulderable firearm.

It just so happens that the only produced grip to do this right now is plastic. Shockwave manufactured it, I could manufacture my own, and as long as it meets the requirements, I see no difference.


I believe that if you take a normal shotgun and cut it down below 18" and install the grip so you have a weapon just over 26" you have created a SBS -short barrel shotgun that is illegal without the tax stamp and applications. This is the same reasoning behind an AR pistol. The reason Mossberg can do this (and Remington) is that they use a "virgin receiver" that has never been made into a firearm with a long barrel. The Shockwave is made, from the ground up, as a "firearm" under NFA rules. That's BATFE's opinion and has nothing to do with being logical. It's the BATFE.
 
I believe that if you take a normal shotgun and cut it down below 18" and install the grip so you have a weapon just over 26" you have created a SBS -short barrel shotgun that is illegal without the tax stamp and applications. This is the same reasoning behind an AR pistol. The reason Mossberg can do this (and Remington) is that they use a "virgin receiver" that has never been made into a firearm with a long barrel. The Shockwave is made, from the ground up, as a "firearm" under NFA rules. That's BATFE's opinion and has nothing to do with being logical. It's the BATFE.


Nothing to do with the barrel length defining it as a shotgun. The gun is a firearm because it came from the factory with a pistol grip only.
 
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It also stands to reason that since its always been legal to take a PGO "shotgun" lop the barrel down and install a pistol grip that makes the whole thing over 26", it doesnt matter where the grip came from, or who installed it.

Its legal for me to install one, and cut the barrel or install a shorter factory job, its legal for suarez tactical to do it, its legal for mossberg to do it at the factory. Its been legal the whole time provided the PGO firearm is equipped with a pistol grip, and never was a shoulderable firearm.

It just so happens that the only produced grip to do this right now is plastic. Shockwave manufactured it, I could manufacture my own, and as long as it meets the requirements, I see no difference.

This is where the shockwave is in its' own little area.

And the area leaves very little with no room to wiggle.

If it ever had a BUTTSTOCK, then it can't be shortened to below 18 inches, else it would turn it into an SBS. Barrel length is in the federal regs.

As for pistol gripped shotguns, it could depend on how Mossberg recorded the listing they have to provide the feds, and if you bought it new, could also depend on how the FFL transferred it to you.

On the 4473, the 3 choices are long gun, handgun and receiver/other.

In the case of the shockwave, it should be listed as other on the background check and also in the FFL's acquisition and disposition book because it is neither a long gun (shoulder fired), a handgun (pistol--also nothing above .500" caliber are allowed in handguns) and the only thing that would fit the FIREARM is "other".

So, there's really a pretty narrow path that the shockwaves pass legal scrutiny. It's not just whether the gun only had a pistol grip or not.
 
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