OK I haven't broken out the torch yet, but I did study this gun a lot more, and found several burrs to dress off here and there, but two other things of significance came to light.
One was the roughness in the t-slot of the "link". Mossberg calls it the link, but I call it the trap door, and it drops out the bottom of the receiver when you rack the lever open. The slot retains the bolt lock, and lifts it up to lock the bolt. Here's the slot from the rear:
and the top of the slot showing tool marks from a mill.
I dressed those tool marks off with a fine file, and dressed the bottom of the lock, where it had been roughened by the marks.
I de-burred the bolt rails a little, and put it back together with some oil.
This gun will rack smoothly, loaded or unloaded now,
if there is oil on the underside of the bolt.
As soon as that oil is gone, the bolt lock wants to hang under the bolt, and the bolt drags on the hammer as well.
So if you oil it, you can jack the action fast about ten times, Smooth as Silk.
BUT it flings/scrapes off all the oil under the bolt.
On the next round the lever hangs while closing the action.
I had dressed the underside corner of the bolt which helped too.
Anyhow, It used to hang on the 4th or 5th cycle, and now it's much better. but it still needs work.
Also, all the parts on this gun look very well made except this one. I'm pressing it in with a tiny screwdriver.:
This is the grip safety tang, but mossberg calls it the trigger stop. Here it is "safed" (extended)
Anyhow, this thing is stamped from sheet & is rough as a cob. It was digging against the lever, causing the grip safety to hang.
I dressed it off a bit & it's much better, but it really needs to be replaced with a piece of shaped billet.
