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Mossberg 500 Pump Action Reviews...

DHonovich

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Mossberg 500 Tactical Persuader Review

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Christian Gun Owner Review

The Mossberg 500
Great Shotgun, Great Value


The Mossberg 500, 12 gauge pump shotgun provides us with something that matters to most real-world shooters: Value. Value means something that works well and costs less than it's worth. And while some shot-gunners will read this and begin to rant and rave about "cheap" this and that; they can go ahead and use their "collector's model", artist engraved, sleek, precision....yada, yada, yada.... $3000 guns. I'll just keep blasting away with my $200 Mossberg. As will thousands of other shooters who have discovered this attractive, durable, and dependable pump shotgun.

The Mossberg 500 shotgun is a mil-spec manufactured shotgun, meaning that it is not your collector's "finely tuned" gun. It means that it is produced to military specifications which emphasize generous tolerance, durability and dependability. The 500 pump shotgun is one of the most versatile shotguns on the market with interchangeable barrels that allow the owner to change from sporting clay, to turkey, to waterfowl to deer without having to buy a half dozen guns. Important to the average hunter and shooter that is not wealthy. And the gun will keep on shooting due to the attention to the manufacturing particulars that matter.

My Mossberg 500 shotgun is the all purpose field model and sports a 28 inch ribbed and factory ported barrel. Stocks are wood. My gun is chambered for 12 gauge shells up to 3". I don't hunt at this point, with my use of the gun being sporting clays, that I love to shoot. And the light, fast pumping gun with front bead sight comes up and around quickly making even my average skills look more impressive than they are when busting lots of clays. The gun sports a convenient safety on the top of the gun where it can be quickly accessed with your strong hand thumb while your hand is in the shooting position.

The Mossberg 500 pump shotgun has a capacity of 5 in the magazine and one in the chamber for a total of 6 rounds ready to shoot. Recoil with this shotgun is average for a 12 gauge which means that shooting a hundred or so rounds gives you a satisfyingly sore shoulder. As far as speed goes, the gun is as fast as any pump, and utterly dependable. It comes in the box with 3 chokes and a wooden dowel plug for states that restrict the capacity of a shotgun when bird hunting. The wooden plug is a nice piece to throw away. After market metal plugs are available and are desirable if you have the misfortune to live in a state that requires it.

BOTTOM LINE: The Mossberg 500 is a shotgun that is dependable and durable, manufactured by military specific standards. It is a fun, worry free gun that is a load of fun to shoot clays or hunt with. Mossberg makes a wide range of accessories including barrels that allow you to turn your gun into anything you want it to be. Those are the most important things. Then, you only have to pay about $200 for one new in the box. That means you have the added benefit of being able to throw it in the back of your truck, lay it down in the field, drop it, swat bugs with it or paddle a boat with it and not worry about hurting it. And that's worth a lot.
 
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Learn About Guns Review

Mossberg 500 Pump Action Shotgun Review

Basics
The Mossberg 500 is a pump action shotgun available in 12 gauge, 20, gauge, and .410. Factory barrels are available from 14″ to 28″ in length (although a US resident wishing to own a shotgun with a barrel under 18″ would need to take the necessary legal steps first). Various models of the Mossberg 500 are available, for purposes including home defense, trap shooting, duck hunting, and deer hunting. As would be expected, barrels for the Mossberg 500 are interchangeable, allowing a single gun and multiple barrels to fill an owner’s needs across different shooting disciplines. The safety is located on the rear of the receiver, instead of the usual trigger guard location, which is a nice feature for left handed shooters. Other variants of this shotgun include the Mossberg 505 (a youth model), Mossberg 535 (chambered for 3.5″ super magnum shells), and the Mossberg 590/Mossberg 500A1 (differences in the magazine design).

Build Quality
Mossberg shotguns tend to be some of the most inexpensive ones available, although quality does not suffer. The Mossberg 500 feels solid, and in my experience is no less reliable than my Remington 870 XCS Marine Magnum. It has dual action bars, which are supposed to prevent the pump action from jamming and are also standard on other high quality pump action guns. Parkerized metal components are also available for corrosion resistance. One feature that I do not like is the aluminum receiver, as I prefer steel. This is because aluminum has a finite fatigue life, while steel’s is infinite. That said, I have no real fears that the receiver will fail, and object more in principle to the use of aluminum.

Reliability
No news is good news here, as I can do little but report that I’ve never had the Mossberg 500 jam or otherwise fail. This is the level of reliability that I expect from a firearm (especially a pump action shotgun), and I was not disappointed.

Accessories
The Mossberg 500 generally comes with the receiver drilled and tapped to allow for the installation of the sighting device of one’s choice. Magazine extensions, replacement stocks, pistol grips, barrel shrouds, aftermarket barrels, side saddles and a variety of other accessories are available. Those that enjoy customizing their guns will enjoy the Mossberg 500.

Conclusion
The Mossberg 500 is a high quality pump action shotgun that is available at a decidedly affordable price. I would prefer that the receiver were made of steel instead of aluminum, but I must admit that this not really a big deal. I also wish that the safety was located in the trigger guard, instead of on the back of the receiver, but to each their own. Those looking for a low priced, high quality shotgun should consider the Mossberg 500 series, although I continue to prefer the Remington 870 XCS Marine Magnum when it comes to pump action shotguns.
 
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Firearms First Review

Mossberg 500 Tactical Shotguns

MossbergThe Mossberg 500 family of shotguns offers a remarkable combination of modern design, custom-type features and affordability. Mossberg has long been a favorite of hunters, law enforcement and private citizens. Here we focus on the Mossberg “tactical” shotguns, which are well suited for home defense. There are excellent hunting models that will be covered in another story. Why we have selected Mossberg 500 boils down to quality and affordability. It has often been said, “one of the most frightening sounds an assailant can hear is the sound of a shell being jacked into the chamber of a Mossberg pump.”

Whether or not a shotgun is better than a handgun for home defense is a subject of debate. A shotgun is longer and can be unwieldy to maneuver inside the home. ON the other hand, a shotgun requires less precision in aim and the blast radius is ideal for indoor defense. Moreover, a shotgun is often more intimidating and that fact alone may make it great for non-lethal home defense in cases where a perpetrator submits or flees in fear. But keep in mind, a shotgun is lethal and one should not consider using any firearm for self-defense without full intention of using lethal force if necessary.

The Mossberg 500 is a manually operated pump action smoothbore. The bolt carrier is operated via two action bars, chamber locking is achieved via tilting breechblock bolt into the barrel extension. The safety is located at the tang of the receiver and is fully ambidextrous. The receiver is made from high quality aluminum alloys and the barrels are fully interchangeable by hand without tools.

For home defense the police models with 16-20″ barrels and cylinder bores are available with polymer or wood stocks. The models with factory-installed pistol grips are called “Cruisers”.

For maximum psychological and lethal threat, the Mossberg 500 tactical shotguns come very highly recommended. These Mossbergs are in a family of shotguns that meet or exceed military specification, including Remington 870’s and Ithaca 37’s in the riot configuration. As you can see, they are in outstanding company, making them overall a great value in price and protection.
 
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Riverwalker Review

Mossberg 500 Shotgun - Tactical Advantages

There are a number of great shotguns available and each has its own benefits. One of the main tactical advantages of the Mossberg 500 shotgun is the position of the shell lifter. When considering a shotgun for home defense, the position of the shell lifter can make a big difference in your ability to perform a tactical reload if necessary.

What’s a shell lifter? The shell lifter is the mechanism that takes a new shell from its position in the magazine tube and lifts it up into position in order for the slide to push it into the firing chamber. There are two basic positions for a shell lifter. It is either in the up position or the down position.

The Mossberg 500's shell lifter stays in the up position until the slide is fully retracted. This can be a distinct advantage for you if a tactical reload is required.

This means you can load shells much easier in your shotgun during a reload. If you have a shotgun in which the shell lifter stays down during the process of loading, you could experience a problem. The main problem being that your thumb can get stuck between the end of the shell lifter and the magazine tube. Mossberg had an excellent idea when they designed the Mossberg 500 shell lifter to stay in an up position during the entire loading process and therefore doesn’t have this problem.

Here are some links to a couple of different models that are available:

http://www.mossberg.com/products/default.asp?id=5

http://www.mossberg.com/products/default.asp?id=28

As in all things, do your own research before making a decision about what type of firearm to use or purchase. Take the necessary time to learn the advantages and the disadvantages of a firearm before you make a decision. Check the manufacturer’s website, check with your local gunsmith, or check with your friends. Your friends will almost always let you know if there is a specific problem with a firearm you may be contemplating using or purchasing. All firearms have their strong points and their weak points. You will ultimately have to decide what will work the best for you. It is important to remember that you are ultimately responsible for learning how your firearm works and its capabilities and its limitations.

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker
 
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Riverwalker Review

Riverwalker's Gear - Mossberg 500A Shotgun


Basic specifications for the Mossberg 500A shotgun are as follows:

Style #50411

Gauge: 12 gauge (denoted by the A designation)

Chamber: 3 in.

Chokes: fixed cylinder

Barrel length: 18 1/2 inch

Twin action bars

Sight: Bead sight (brass)

Accessories: Pistol grip is included

Action: hammerless, pump-action repeater

Effective range: 40 to 60 meters

Feed system: Internal tube magazine

Stock: Synthetic stock and forearm with sling swivel studs

Weight 3.3 kg empty - 4.3 kg loaded

Shell capacity: 6 (2 ¾ inch shells) 5 (3 inch shells)

Ambidextrous, thumb-operated safety (sometimes referred to as a tang safety)


I recently acquired a Mossberg 500A shotgun for Father’s Day and have used it enough so that I feel confident in doing a short review of this shotgun. I have the standard home defense model with the 18.5 inch barrel. The magazine tube is located below the barrel and holds five 2 3/4" shells plus one in the chamber (6 shot) or four 3" shells in the magazine and one in the chamber (5 shot). I like the versatility in being able to use either the 2 3/4 inch shells or the 3 inch shells. My particular model came with a bead sight (brass) and I hope to upgrade to a night sight in the near future. It has the dual action bar design and a single large locking lug to secure the breech.

My particular model also came with the receiver drilled and tapped for the installation of a rear sight or a scope base. This is a nice feature but I have no plans at present to put a scope on it or mount a rear sight. It also has a slide release located at the left rear of the trigger guard and is easy to access.

Another great feature is the safety which is located on rear upper portion of the receiver and is ambidextrous, allowing for both right-handed and left-handed shooters. It, like all 500 models, also has an interchangeable barrel. I don’t have any extra barrels for it at the moment but I am considering this as a possible future option.

I found this shotgun very easy to clean and this will make the maintenance a lot easier and less time consuming. I also purchased a sock for it to help keep it clean but allow quick access if I need to use it in a home security situation.

I tested it with # 7 1/2 target shells (2 3/4 inch) and found it did the job I was expecting it to do. At a distance of 25 feet it was consistently on target and I managed to put a hole in a piece of 3/4 inch plywood that you could throw a basketball through. My son who was with me and tried it out said that if I ever had to use it defensively in my home that I would probably be doing some extensive renovations to repair the damage!

I consider this shotgun excellent for home defense (the original intent of my purchase) and I am very satisfied with the features of this shotgun. It was reasonably priced at $259 and well worth the investment.

You can get additional information about this model and the different options and accessories available at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mossberg_500


http://www.mossberg.com/products/default.asp?id=5

Always practice gun safety at all times! Remember, safety is no accident!


BTW, the wife also shot it and remarked that it was just what she needed but I told her she had to wait until I could get her one of her own and that this one was mine!

*edit* Riverwalker’s Gear: Mossberg 500A Shotgun - Update...

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker
 
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Riverwalker Review

Riverwalker’s Gear: Mossberg 500A Shotgun - Update

Here is a quick update for everyone on my Mossberg 500A Shotgun. It’s been a while since I’ve mentioned my progress on fixing it up. There are several items I’d like to have but until the money situation is a little better they’ll have to wait.

While the butt cuff for my shotgun was relatively inexpensive, instead of having a set of
ghost ring sights I’ve opted for a cheaper alternative from http://www.hivizsights.com/.
I went with a Spark II-Front Bead Sight in Green. This replaces the original front bead sight which came on my shotgun. It was only about $10 and was easy to install myself. The ghost ring sights are in the future for now. I will be using my Stinger Streamlight as a hand held tactical light for the time being in order to save a little more money. The extra money will of course be going into additional shells for my shotgun.

I also obtained a nice sling for my shotgun that was on sale at Academy. It’s from The Outdoor Connection and is a Super Sling 2+ Model with Talon quick release swivels.
The original Super Sling was created by Floyd Hightower from Waco, Texas back in 1983. It has the patented one-hand adjustment that is a great feature. You can get a 2009 product catalog (7.04 Mb) here.

On a side note, check out some of the great stuff over at http://www.lifelibertyetc.com/.
You can also visit http://www.lifelibertyetc.com/RangeBag.aspx where they have provided an excellent video on the Mossberg 500.

From their site:

“Next to the Remington 870, the Mossberg 500 is one of the most common shotguns available today. In our latest issue of The Range Bag, we'll show you how to disassemble and reassemble this handy 12ga shotgun.”
 
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Riverwalker Review

Mossberg 500A Shotgun - Full Stock vs. Pistol Grip

Traditional shotgun stock designs have evolved for a very simple reason. They work and work well and are probably the best configuration for the majority of shotgun users. Most people are unaware that a conventional shotgun stock already has a pistol grip. This is the curved section of the stock between the shotgun’s receiver and the cheek of the stock. The alternate full stock type is usually referred to as a “straight” grip stock. It is most often associated with double barrel shotguns or “Winchester type” lever action rifles.

The majority of people when talking about a “pistol grip” are referring to the protruding pistol grip by itself. An example of the “pistol grip” installed on a Mossberg 550A is shown in the picture (this is sometimes known as a “cruiser grip” and generally includes a cycling strap). Pistol grips can also be had that include a stock behind it.

While a pistol grip looks really “cool”, they are not a very effective configuration for the average shotgun user. The major advantage of a pistol grip is that the shotgun will take up less space and be easier to maneuver within a confined space, such as a vehicle. The normal shoulder firing position when changed to a “shoot from the hip” style when using a pistol grip will also be far less accurate in almost all circumstances. You will also need a significant amount of arm strength when using a pistol grip only configuration. Most shotguns, especially 12 gauge models, have a lot of recoil and your arm and wrist are going to be absorbing the majority of this recoil.

If you decide you like the feel of a pistol grip and want to take advantage of the benefits of one, get a full stock with a pistol grip as an alternative to the standard stock configuration. It would also probably be a good idea to try and find one that has a recoil reducing mechanism that has been built into the stock.

Staying above the water line!

Riverwalker
 
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bUFaiwRDMM[/youtube]
 
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML6oHE5Y2Wc[/youtube]
 
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Ultimate CC said:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bUFaiwRDMM[/youtube]

Nice gun, that would be very effective in home defense. What weapon can you suggest aside from that?
 
I have owned over a dozen older 500s in the last two years. Every one functioned perfectly, even the ones that came to me VERY dirty. A couple were so old they had a single action bar. I still own two. I cannot comment on repairing the 500 series gun because I have never had to! Some of these guns were very beat up, scratched, had terrible wood, etc., but every last one functioned perfectly! That sums up my experience with the 500 so far. :D
 
I currently own a 500, and it is hands down the best shotgun I have ever owned. I am actually thinking that if they can make the 500 so good, the resat is better! With our new Hydrographics process I will be making my 500 a real camo shotgun, as the factory finish is second rate!
 
I have read polished reviews done on Mossbergs that were less than glowing and in fact quite negative. The reviewers negative opinion was what I found questionable. Not the shotgun. Now on the otherhand a stumbling but honest review done in front of a shower stall is priceless.
 
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