KentuckyWindage
20g
Welcome to Mossberg Owners!!257 Shooter said:
How did you hear about or find MossbergOwners.com??
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ChrisdudeSR
Copper BB
Great forum guys! I found by doing some research on upgrades to my new Mossy 500 Field/Security combo. Every question I had has been answered by looking through past conversations. Thanks guys! 
ChrisdudeSR said:Great forum guys! I found by doing some research on upgrades to my new Mossy 500 Field/Security combo. Every question I had has been answered by looking through past conversations. Thanks guys!
Welcome to to the forum ChrisdudeSR.
Thanks for the feedback, that's what we strive for, glad we could help you out.
Good to see your questions are being answered! Glad to have you on board...
panamanianpumper
Copper BB
Hi all! found this forum through google and looking forward of being a member. Greetings from sunny cal
TheFanciestFingers
Copper BB
I stumbled upon this excellent site while looking for some deeper information about customising Mossberg rifles (which is actually fairly difficult to locate). Since Mossberg doesn't seem too into that, I've turned to the all-knowing interweb to help me out a bit.
Glad to have you here fellas!
I just bought my first shotgun....a Mossberg 930 combo - 28" and 18.5" barrels. In the process of my first cleaning and disassembly, I cannot remove the gas piston from the 28" barrel. Knowing I'm a newbie and needing help, I Googled Mossberg 930 gas piston and this site was one of the first listed and was my first attempt at searching for a solution for what I am doing wrong. Looks like you have a great site here and I look forward to learning and hopefully adding something useful to others in the future. I will try to find the search function to see if anyone else has had this issue. Thanks for the welcome
Glad you found us!
Yes Sir,
Welcome!
Welcome!
NorthJerseyMike
Copper BB
I'm 36 years old and decided to take up hunting. An older family member was kind enough to offer me a choice of guns at his home. I had to choose between a very old, but cool side by side or a Mossberg 500a. I felt that the Mossberg could hold more ammo, so that is what sold me. I found my way here by curiousity. I want to know everything about this firearm. I honestly don't know much, just that after several youtube videos, I realized that this gun can destroy pretty much anything and can be used for hunting.
So, my first question is, I have been using a muzzle loader and clean it very frequently. How often does this gun need cleaning? Can anyone recommend the best homemade solution to clean it? Is there anything you would recommend about this gun that I should know immediately?
I know that this gun is used by many bird hunters. What about deer hunting? Can one vary the ammo type like loading slugs, shot, then slug? Does it matter?
Thanks in advance for your comments!
So, my first question is, I have been using a muzzle loader and clean it very frequently. How often does this gun need cleaning? Can anyone recommend the best homemade solution to clean it? Is there anything you would recommend about this gun that I should know immediately?
I know that this gun is used by many bird hunters. What about deer hunting? Can one vary the ammo type like loading slugs, shot, then slug? Does it matter?
Thanks in advance for your comments!
Hi NJ Mike! Welcome to MO!
One thing up front, Youll have to refrain from posting the link to your realestate biz.
On to Mossbergs!
Your 500 12 ga is a perfectly capable firearm for just about anything! What length is the barrel? Does it have wood furniture or synthetic?
Many/most models will hold 5 rounds in the magazine tube and one round in the chamber. Some bird hunting, like for migratory birds, such as geese and duck, you are only allowed to keep 2 in the magazine with one in the chamber. In fact, the magazine may not hold more than 2 rounds PERIOD. This isnt usually the case for upland birds or small game, the magazine may be loaded to capacity. In any case, I'll always advocate checking with your state hunting laws via department of natural resources or fish/wildlife and game departments.
Home Defense barrels or what are called HS (home security) barrels, are 18 1/2", though there are models like Persuaders and 590/590A1's with full length magazines that have 20" barrels. Field barrels are usually 22" and up, even 28" and 30" barrels. If you have a longer barrel, 22" or more, look at the muzzle/end of the barrel, and see if there is a device screwed into the end, it will have notches in the end of it. If so, its a choke tube and can be removed and is interchangable with other choke tubes. If you dont see anything, read the left side of the barrel and in front of the receiver and see what the the barrel says, it may say something like "full choke" or it could say cylinder bore... If it has a removable choke screwed in to the end of the barrel, do not fire the gun without it in place. Another thing some older Mossbergs will have is something on the end that looks like a muzzle brake or compensator. Some are adjustable chokes, others are fixed.
The purpose of a choke is to make a smaller or more dense pattern with the shot being used which will extend the effective range of the firearm. It makes it so you can effectively hit targets at a greater distance. The shot begins to spread out as soon as it leaves the muzzle of the gun, but a choke tube makes a smaller muzzle opening and squeezes the shot together and it stays together longer. Short story, chokes are used to extend the effective range of the firearm and come in a number of different constrictions for different types of shooting. A turkey choke is sometimes called an xtra xtra or (XX)full choke and is a very tight constriction.
Now for shot. You will need to know if your barrel is choked and if so, what is the choke? Common practice is that it is safe to shoot rifled slugs through a cylinder bore or improved cylinder. Some say its ok to fire slugs through a full choke, but I havent tried it and wont try to speculate here. If your gun is a cylinder bore or improved cylinder, go for it and shoot slugs all day long! Buckshot to target and bird loads as well as everything inbetween are fine! You can shoot slugs and shot in any order, but for HD/SD, I keep one loaded and the other close at hand. I dont stagger my loads.
For cleaning, I dont know any homemade solutions. I have heard of people using WD40 or brake cleaner and then lubricationg with motor oil. I personally use CLP, Rem Oil, and Hoppes No. 9 cleaner and I oil with Hoppes gun oil. I use boresnakes for light field cleaning which can be done immediately following an outing to remove th worst of the grime before a detailed cleaning, or just wait till you can sit down and thoroughly clean it. It certainly doesnt need to be cleaaned as often as a muzzle loader. In fact I've gona all hunting season without cleaning at all, while others clean after each time they go out.
In summary; Your 500 can pull HD/SD duty, it can hunt in the field or through the woods for bird, upland game, waterfowl, coyote, and even deer. You can fire nearly every kind of traditional shot or slug load available, and in reality, the gun will function with a minimal amount of time spent cleaning.
Let us know what the barrel says, length of barrel, and furniture and we can narrow it all down to some more specific info, and heck, you may as well get us pics too! We love pics!
One thing up front, Youll have to refrain from posting the link to your realestate biz.
On to Mossbergs!
Your 500 12 ga is a perfectly capable firearm for just about anything! What length is the barrel? Does it have wood furniture or synthetic?
Many/most models will hold 5 rounds in the magazine tube and one round in the chamber. Some bird hunting, like for migratory birds, such as geese and duck, you are only allowed to keep 2 in the magazine with one in the chamber. In fact, the magazine may not hold more than 2 rounds PERIOD. This isnt usually the case for upland birds or small game, the magazine may be loaded to capacity. In any case, I'll always advocate checking with your state hunting laws via department of natural resources or fish/wildlife and game departments.
Home Defense barrels or what are called HS (home security) barrels, are 18 1/2", though there are models like Persuaders and 590/590A1's with full length magazines that have 20" barrels. Field barrels are usually 22" and up, even 28" and 30" barrels. If you have a longer barrel, 22" or more, look at the muzzle/end of the barrel, and see if there is a device screwed into the end, it will have notches in the end of it. If so, its a choke tube and can be removed and is interchangable with other choke tubes. If you dont see anything, read the left side of the barrel and in front of the receiver and see what the the barrel says, it may say something like "full choke" or it could say cylinder bore... If it has a removable choke screwed in to the end of the barrel, do not fire the gun without it in place. Another thing some older Mossbergs will have is something on the end that looks like a muzzle brake or compensator. Some are adjustable chokes, others are fixed.
The purpose of a choke is to make a smaller or more dense pattern with the shot being used which will extend the effective range of the firearm. It makes it so you can effectively hit targets at a greater distance. The shot begins to spread out as soon as it leaves the muzzle of the gun, but a choke tube makes a smaller muzzle opening and squeezes the shot together and it stays together longer. Short story, chokes are used to extend the effective range of the firearm and come in a number of different constrictions for different types of shooting. A turkey choke is sometimes called an xtra xtra or (XX)full choke and is a very tight constriction.
Now for shot. You will need to know if your barrel is choked and if so, what is the choke? Common practice is that it is safe to shoot rifled slugs through a cylinder bore or improved cylinder. Some say its ok to fire slugs through a full choke, but I havent tried it and wont try to speculate here. If your gun is a cylinder bore or improved cylinder, go for it and shoot slugs all day long! Buckshot to target and bird loads as well as everything inbetween are fine! You can shoot slugs and shot in any order, but for HD/SD, I keep one loaded and the other close at hand. I dont stagger my loads.
For cleaning, I dont know any homemade solutions. I have heard of people using WD40 or brake cleaner and then lubricationg with motor oil. I personally use CLP, Rem Oil, and Hoppes No. 9 cleaner and I oil with Hoppes gun oil. I use boresnakes for light field cleaning which can be done immediately following an outing to remove th worst of the grime before a detailed cleaning, or just wait till you can sit down and thoroughly clean it. It certainly doesnt need to be cleaaned as often as a muzzle loader. In fact I've gona all hunting season without cleaning at all, while others clean after each time they go out.
In summary; Your 500 can pull HD/SD duty, it can hunt in the field or through the woods for bird, upland game, waterfowl, coyote, and even deer. You can fire nearly every kind of traditional shot or slug load available, and in reality, the gun will function with a minimal amount of time spent cleaning.
Let us know what the barrel says, length of barrel, and furniture and we can narrow it all down to some more specific info, and heck, you may as well get us pics too!
We love pics!