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Noob break in question, or two

Joe Rand

Joe Rand

.22LR
Handgun owner who has come over to the dark side! Got my first shotgun, Mossberg 590a1 Magpul, and a Beretta 1301 tactical on the way. These things are addicting.

Is there a recommended ammo to break the gun in? Round count? Or just shoot the snot out of it? Also, lube/clean before the first range visit?

Thrilled to be part of the family. Thanks in advance. Joe
 
Yeah, just check the gun well and put some oil on the bolt and slide arms and shoot the snot out of it. Just shoot until you're confident that any little burrs or rough spots that may occur occasionally are smoothed out.

Any shells will work OK for that. I typically use whatever is cheap, plus those are usually handicap/low brass and don't kick as much. No reason to use 3 inch magnums that cost more than an out of town bus ticket.

Congratulations on the shotgun.
 
Is that a Silvertone Joe? :)

I'd give it a good once-over before going out.
I've bought a few guns recently which had metal shavings in the action that weren't removed at the factory.
Also check for rust inside the mag tube.
I've bought a few tube-feed guns with rust inside the tube. It doesn't seem to get lubed.

Oil it thoroughly and blow it out completely, because the factory oil is often more of a preservative.
 
CaddmannQ said:
Is that a Silvertone Joe? :)

I'd give it a good once-over before going out.
I've bought a few guns recently which had metal shavings in the action that weren't removed at the factory.
Also check for rust inside the mag tube.
I've bought a few tube-feed guns with rust inside the tube. It doesn't seem to get lubed.

Oil it thoroughly and blow it out completely, because the factory oil is often more of a preservative.
Click to expand...

CaddmannQ, nope it’s an Epiphone Granada circa 1964. My other addiction. My dad lent me the $200 to buy it and an ampeg amplifier. Took 2 years of paperboy earnings to pay him back. Springsteen had the same one. He went a little further with his guitar than me. Gibson made the exact same model, which would be worth at least a grand more, but I ain’t selling.

And for you young ‘uns a paperboy is someone who would deliver a newspaper to your house. And a newspaper is ... aw the heck with it. Hey you kids get off my lawn.
 
LOL . . . in 1968-69 I had the entire Duluth AFB as my route, and it was the biggest paper route in Duluth, so I won lots of prizes selling subscriptions.

I had an old Silvertone much like that but not electric, until I modded it. Gave it to my kids.

I have a nice old Gibson jazz guitar from 1964 in the original fake alligator case. It might be worth $600-900.

I got it for $20 in 1972. ;)
 
Yup, just load, shoot and repeat. Cheap stuff is ok you don’t need to get expensive flight control wad equipped shells for now.

I simply lube the assembled gun before break in shooting, I don’t do a disassemble inspection on any new gun. The 590A1 really doesn’t need a lot of break in shells since it’s a pump. But the action will smooth out the more you use it. Mine feels like the action is on ball bearings it’s that nice and smooth.
 
Instead of dry pump it / shoot a lot.. is there some pro tip on how to smooth the action ? Polish some parts / areas ?
 
When i "pump".. the action is stiffer when i have it pulled all the way back.. when i return forward, at this position..

20200709_181036b.jpg

My elevator get pulled in on the left side !? wtf ? it goes back to normal when its all the way forward

20200709_122500b.jpg

Overall, the action movement is smooth a bit and then sluggish

I dont know if im expressing myself correctly :D
 
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I haven't bought a new gun lately but with a used gun I will take it down and inspect, clean and lube parts if necessary. I will carefully file the sharp stamping edges of parts to ease break-in wear and tear. Why "break-in" a gun when you can "ease-in"? ;) Plus, disassembly is a great way to know the gun inside and out.
 
Well.. when i first got it ( 1.5 years ago ), i disassembled it. I have disassembled it and reassembled it more times than i have taken it to the range. I have inspected it, i have polished stuff and i have lubricated it many times. The only thing left, i guess, is to use it a lot more. I cant find a defenetive how-to-smooth-your-mossberg-590-action-without-shooting-the-snot-out-of-it-guide. :D
 
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You'll find that the more you shoot it the smoother everything gets. There is no "break in procedure" for a Mossberg 590A1 of which I'm aware. On semi-autos however it's generally a very good idea to blow through a 100 rounds of the most powerful loads you can find to get everything loosened up. That way you increase the likelihood it will cycle low power birdhshot loads.
 
fellmann said:
When i "pump".. the action is stiffer when i have it pulled all the way back.. when i return forward, at this position..

View attachment 23567

My elevator get pulled in on the left side !? wtf ? it goes back to normal when its all the way forward

View attachment 23568

Overall, the action movement is smooth a bit and then sluggish

I dont know if im expressing myself correctly :D
Click to expand...


I do not know if this applies to the 590 but the elevator on my 500 was Slightly missshaped.

It has two legs with little pins on them. You have to bend the legs together a little bit to get the pins in the holes. Well the assembler squeezed mine too hard on one side and not on the other throwing the cartridge lifter off center slightly.

I think this causes it to foul on the breechblock when the action is open. That pushes the pin up flush in the Hole, if the action is open, and it looks OK.

But when you start to close the action the pressure is released As the bolt or carrier moves forward.

Suddenly the pin doesn’t look flush any more. Anyhow I just straighten mine out by hand and put it back in and it works fine.
 
I have just done some testing..

it does this whith the trigger group.. not without the trigger group. Edit: wrong, it does with both

It "clicks" whe the elevator pin returns to normal

Edit 2: im not sure if the elevator rides up on the ejector ?

Man.. this is so anoying

Edit 3: Yep.. the elevator falls down over the extractor hence the click sound when it snaps back up. Elevator is flush on one side but have a small space to the receiver on the ejector side
 
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fellmann said:
When i "pump".. the action is stiffer when i have it pulled all the way back.. when i return forward, at this position...
Click to expand...

I don't remember if you have a scope rail mounted on top, but if you do, make sure the mounting screws aren't protruding into the receiver and affecting the travel of the bolt... Good Luck!
 
Bend the legs of the elevator apart a bit and put it back. I'm sure that's the issue unless it's developed a bur from dragging.

EDIT...OK I'm not 200% sure. Remember I don't have the 590.
But I'll bet it's the same.
 
Feels like im the only one in the world with this problem when i go searching the net :(
It doesnt seem to help 100% .. i have tried to adjust / bend the legs for a couple of hours now
 
I think i have solved it :D and made it smoother...

Instead if bending the eveator legs out to compensate for the other side.. etc. i straighten it more, made it rektangular sort of.. Now the elevator falls to the bottom to the receiver by gravity when i pick it up and release it. I have also straighten the ejector, just so it barely touches the bottom of the grove on the bolt. So now its no interference with the elevator and the bolt moves smooth. I can barely hear the elevator touch the ejector now.. much smoother now ..

HAppy Happy Joy Joy :D

Big thanks to y'all
 
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