Hi All:
I am continually picking these up, refinishing them and them selling them again. I have a 395K beauty that I'm presently in the process of rejuvenating - I'll post some pictures when the project is complete. Usually these gems have been sitting in 'Uncle Mikes' closet for decades...unused and unloved. The old stocks are beautiful and the graining is spectacular when allowed to show through. Tru Oil is amazing stuff. Also, I'm a bit of a historical firearms buff and I like the idea of getting these old shotguns back into the woods. They're ugly as hell, which results in them being overlooked when people start looking for an affordable, multi-shot shotgun. I see them come up every so often and I almost always jump at them. I have never paid more than $150 for one. Strip the old varnish off with a good furniture stripper, refinish it with Tru Oil, reblue it and presto...you'll have a marvelously versatile shotgun good for deer, geese, rabbits and upland birds. They get a bad rap because there were so many made and they were considered a 'working man's firearm'. If you pick one up and take it birding, I guarantee that you'll become one of 'us'...an old 'Mossy' lover! Also, some don't like the fact that it's a bolt-action which, I'll admit, is a bit of an anomaly for shotguns. I really don't see the second shot lay-up advantage from a pump or semi as a real issue when you consider that, aside from waterfowl, you are generally going to only get one targeted shot off anyway. Regardless, follow up shots are made relatively easy due to this Mossy's removeable box magazine. I know a few turkey hunters that swear by these things!
The ONLY drawback that I've ever seen, is that when you need parts, you're out of luck if you're in Canada. Havlin in the States carries everything you need, but due to legislative restrictions, they cannot ship to Canada. Not really a big issue, unless you break a bolt or firing mechanism. If that happens, sell it for parts and move on. (There are many people out there who will purchase one to cannibalize). DON'T LOSE THE MAG, they're like gold. (Unfortunately, that bit of advice is from direct experience)!! I recently sold two 395's and personally still have two of these (both a 20 and 12 gauge), and a spare one for parts. They're not modern, they're not cool and they're not sexy. What they are, is rugged and dependable. I'll take that anyday.
By the way, if you have one in .410 or 16-gauge, I'm interested, lol.
Cheers,
Shawn