Picked up my new 500 Flex from Cabela's yesterday.
I just finished the initial tear down and cleaning. Like all Mossberg guns the bores were very dirty out of the box. Fit and finish are good. No porting on the 28 inch barrel as I suspected. The only blemish on the gun is the front sight. It's a piece of red optic pipe in a small holder. It points ever so slightly to the north and east. Not sure how it is fastened to the barrel rail. Seems to be pressed in perhaps maybe screwed??? It's a sporting clay's gun for me primarily so it's not going to matter much. A bead would have been satisfactory. I really like the coloration on this model. Came with 3 chokes and a choke wrench. I'm going to install the improved cylinder for my first outing with the gun.
The tactical fore end and pistol grip also fit and function well. The pistol grip is hard to get on and off and at this point requires a slight tap from the rubber mallet. No big deal. The chances that I use the pistol grip are slim. The 18.5 inch barrel with the full stock are better suited to me for a home defense configuration. I already have 3 other Mossy pump guns for HD.
The tactical fore end itself is pretty flexible. Rails at 3, 6 and 9 o'clock. The bottom rail can be replaced with a shorter version (also supplied). Left and right pressure pad mounting locations.
The but pad seems well made, it's soft and interchangeable. You need to buy additional sizes. This one seems fine for me.
If I include the pistol grip then this gun can convert into 4 individual configurations. Not bad for the $577 I paid.
Also come with a rally nice carry bag with a tailored pockets for the 2 barrels and extra external compartments for accessories and stuff. You can put everything you need in this bag (including shells) and take it to the range. Very nice!!
Lot's of plastic but it seems well made and thick enough to be reliable for the long hall. It's not a go to war gun it's a go to the range gun. The shot gun in it's 28 inch field configuration is fairly light weight and shoulders nicely. Looking forward to blasting some clay with it!!!