Mossberg 835 questions

[ceetee]

I've been looking for a "does it all" 12 gauge for some time now. Mostly, it'll be used for home defense, though I want the option of using it for hunting, also. I've been looking for traded in police Remington 870's, or Mossberg 590's, thinking that I could always put a long barrel one for outdoor use. When I heard about the deal on the 870 at Wally World (and missed out, darn it!) I made it a habit to stop by the shotgun case whenever I happened in the store.

Today, I wandered on by, and there it was! A Mossberg 835, on super-extra, double-secret clearance... Receiver drilled and tapped, 3 1/2" chamber, ported barrel... in five business days, she's coming home with me!

Here are my questions:

I know the overbored barrel won't do slugs. Should I:
a) Buy a fully-rifled slug barrel, and keep it long for home defense?
b) Buy a short, smoothbore barrel for home defense, and just use rifled slugs?
c) Don't worry about it for now. Just BA/UU/R.

Also, when I handled it at the store, the action had that "never-been-fired" stickiness of a new gun, but the forend seemed a bit loose. By that, I mean it seemed to have too much sideways play, rotating around the magazine tube. How much is "too much"? Is there a way for me to tighten it up, or should I just refer back to option "c)" above?

Thanks in advance, for any advice.

Oh, yeah, by the way... it was just $175, cash in hand...good deal or what?

[sm]

C.

I have a Doctor buddy of mine, that uses a 835 for everything now-a-days. Been doing for a while now..

He has a whole slew of nice shotguns ,Semi's, Pumps, O/U and SXSs. I have no idea how many medals he won at the World Shoot over the years back when he did "that" game.

Just a Country boy, learned to shoot what he had to keep the family fed.

Partcipated in Skeet, Trap, 5 stand, Sporting Clays...he has shot all of these using his 835. Showed up in Gawga to shoot quail, normally he uses his nice 28 ga.."nah, just like to shoot one gun and know it now-a-days".

Of Course he would go out the day before the hunt and run 100 straight in both Skeet and Trap with the 835.

They sent him back to the truck with the dogs...a few times over the days he was there. Each time he was 'demoted' to lesser ga. He ended up shooting a single shot in .410 - still getting his limit.

"Not my fault some of this bunch can't shoot..."

He used to do this with an Win Ranger 1300, seems one of his kids talked him out of that gun...

So my buddy totes and outshoots everyone with his 835 with the mud dripping off the stock from Waterfowling...

He has his nice stuff. He is also in the Process of giving guns to grandkids, getting them started right in shooting shotguns.

He handed one of his grandkids a NIB Win SX1. Had it put back all these years for just this kid, kid. Never fired, fondled often.

Loaded one round, yelled for the target, smoked it. "Here ya go grandson, this gun still has NO misses, lets make sure we keep it that way - whaddya say?" :D

835 will do its part if the shooter does theirs.

My old pard still can...still does.

[salty]

Very good deal on shotgun - do not hunt in a blind with your buddies or they will kick the crap out of you the first time you fire the ported shotgun by them. 835's are built loose in forend - so is the Benelli Nova - you can not expect handfititng in an inexpensive shotgun. Don't get too excited about 3 1/2's as they kick hard and are verrrry loud in a ported shotgun.

[Bobshouse]

I have the 835, seem to shoot better with it than any other shotgun I have. I purchased the slug barrel for mine and pour my own using the Lee drive key slug. Get about 2 inch groups at 100 yards.

My forend is loose also, its common with the Mossbergs....there logo should be "if it doesnt rattle, its not a Mossberg"

[ceetee]

Great story, sm!

I don't think I'll ever get that good, but a man can dream can't he?

So to get the most versatility, then, would you get the rifled barrel? Or the shorter barrel, and use rifled slugs?

[sm]

Smooth.

One can always run more versatile loadings with a smooth bore.

Foster slugs works fine in Smooth bores.

Pellet Loads do not do very well in rifled SG bores.

FWIW I have always used nothing but 2 3/4" shells [ except in .410] for everything out of a smoothbore.

I finally gots a 3" chamber in 12 bore and other than sticking a 3" shell in the bbl while off the gun and going "yeah so it fits", that is it.

The pard - He uses way more 2 3/4" shells than anything. Uses slugs for HD and Deer.

When a Rep gave him some 3" and 3.5' shells for Waterfowling, Geese...he took them along.

Folks are missing this one lone goose -Pard is shaking head, shoulders gun starts a swinging...Bang!

"See I told you would like them 3.5" shells..."

Pard racks slide, produces a 2 3/4" shell :eek:

"Hell the deal was you needed to lead 'em a box car length plus the Caboose...you fellers - amongst other wrongs - just lead him a Caboose." :D

I liked the day he ran 'em from the 27 yard line with the 835.

"Ain't the hardwood they need to tweak - 'tis the hard-heads behind the hardwoods needed tweaking..." :p

[BigRedBowtie]

I don't know if you can get a non-overbored smooth for the 835. I have a rifled slug barrel for mine, use it for deer and bear. It has the cantilevered scope mount on it, so it all goes on and off as one package- really slick. It would work well with something like a red dot on it for social work.

For HD, I just load mine up with some birdshot, #4s or #6s, depending on my mood.

As for the forend... yep- it's a mossy! Great deal on the gun, BTW- I paid $279 for mine in shadowgrass 4 years ago.

[ceetee]

According to their website:

Dedicated smoothbore or fully rifled slug barrels are available for the Model 835®.

A 24" cylinder bore barrel with open sights; seems like just the ticket.

I'll just have to see if I can't earn $130-plus-shipping from the wife somehow...:D