Found another Mossy

[MCgunner]

I've been hunting with a Mossberg 500 camo for 20 years, bought new, still in good shape despite the rough treatment in the salt marshes around. I had a perfectly good old Revelation 310 before that, itself a Mossberg 500, and bought a 500 accuchoke barrel for it for steel shot when that became mandated. I got a 10 gauge H&R a couple of years ago for goose hunting and that one has been good, very tight patterning with steel T shot.

I owned 3 12s (the 500, a Winchester 1400 auto, and an old SxS that I've pretty much retired, though it still shoots. I'd thought about getting a 935 for the 3.5" chamber and gas operation, but wasn't really thinkin' about it hard as money is a little tight for a while. Then, today, I was just horsin' around before work and stopped in at a pawn shop that sometimes has a deal. They had a like NEW Mossberg 535, blued, wood stock. Someone has cut the stock down to 13" of pull, but I figure I'll just slip a slip on limb saver over it and bring it back close to 14", what I prefer. I can take the pad off if I'm wearing winter clothing, which always tends to hang up a 14" pull stock. That might have been the previous owner's idea on the subject, don't know.

I haven't shot it, yet. I will soon enough. I wanna get some 12 gauge 3.5" T shot to pattern and compare to my 10. I'll keep shooting the 10 if the 12 can't match it, and I doubt it can cause that 10 shoots 90+ percent 30" pattern circle at 40 yards. Hard to beat that. No holes, either.

I really didn't need this thing, but in the shape it's in, 170 bucks just seemed hard to resist. Only thing I'll do to it is sand down the recoil pad to fit, which the guy that cut it down never did. I will also need to install a swivel stud kit for my sling. It's got a mod choke in it, doesn't look like my 500 chokes will fit, but mod is what I normally shoot, anyway. It does have the plug in it, too, thankfully as I'd have a short error in length to play with making one. I'll probably try the thing out in the marsh this coming season. I'm pretty used to my old 500 and still like it for ducks, but I gotta use this new to me gun at least once. If nothing else, it'll make a good back up for geese OR ducks. If I can get 3.5" Ts to pattern well, I'll use it on geese. It might kick like heck, though. My 10 is 9 lbs, this thing seems lighter.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Good deal, enjoy....

 

[rule303]

The 500 chokes will fit the 535, just not the 835 (overbored barrel). I shoot a 10 ga BPS, and have found it to pattern better, and shoot softer than any of the 3.5" 12's I have tried. I wouldn't have passed up that deal either!

 

[MCgunner]

The choke looked short compared to what I'm used to in the 500. I'll have to try to insert a 500 choke and see. Maybe I'm wrong on that. I didn't actually compare 'em side by side.

 

[MCgunner]

Dang, you were right, the 500's choke installed. Good deal, I have TWO sets of chokes for it, somewhere. LOL I'll probably not care, though, as I like Mod with steel shot in my other guns. I've used I/C on ducks over decoys early season some, works, too, and can be advantageous on Teal in early teal season.

 

[Virginian]

It's been over 20 years, but I still remember that Mossberg kicked LESS than a Benelli Super Black Eagle I in my opinion. I ended up going to 10 gauges until tungsten saved me.

 

[stan rose]

Congratulations. I am happy you found such a good deal.

 

[MCgunner]

Meh, I was shooting Federal Tungsten/Iron BB 3" in my 500 for geese 10 years or so ago. Then, the price of Tungsten must have gone up like the rest of the metals and I couldn't afford it anymore. That's when I started thinking about T steel in 10 gauge or 12 3.5'. I got the 10 because everyone talked about how it patterned. Don't shoot snow geese all THAT often, so I didn't wanna dump 700 on a Browning, though I love those things.

Anyhow, now I can see just how bad these 3.5" 12s pattern. If nothing else, it'll be a good back up on dove hunts, goose hunts, and I will use it on ducks alternately with my 500, probably. For what I gave, hell, I'll find SOMEthing to do with it. LOL In pumps, I do like Mossys and Brownings 'cause I shoot from the wrong side. The controls just work better for me than Remingtons, Ithacas, anything else I've tried. Now, the left hand safety on my Winchester helps, but I shoot doubles a lot and still prefer the tang safeties.

Hell, I may trade both these Mossys in on a BPS someday...or maybe not.

 

[snooperman]

Heck, that is a bargain on a very reliable hunting gun. Buy it and don't look back. Enjoy it.

 

[MCgunner]

Well, today, i took a trip to Academy and found a swivel stud set to fit, installed it. I also got a medium slip on limb saver. It fits great with the stock recoil pad the way it is, but if I fit that pad to the cut down stock, I'll take a smidge off the top and bottom and it would no longer fit. So, I think I'll leave the stock pad be. I won't take off the limb saver anyway unless I'm hunting with my heavy hunting coat, not cold all THAT often down here. It looks really good with the limb saver on it and it feels like it'll really help the old shoulder.

The drop on the stock fits me well as is. I don't think I'll need to shim it unless it bothers me shooting. This is different from my old 500 which banged up my cheek bone until I lowered the stock by quite a bit by shimming the stock. It's wonderful, now. But, both guns feel pretty much the same when I shoulder them. Good thing about repeaters, though, easy to fix fit if it ain't right. It feels REALLY good now, though. I'll have to take it to the range for patterning and I'll try mount and firing it at a pattern board, make sure I'm pointing straight with it.