Are the new ones any quieter than the old ones? they supposedly tightened tolerances and made them quieter, but i have not handled one since the 90's.
My 535, a newer gun, is quite tight by comparison to my 20 year old 500. It's a different model, but really, it's just a 500 with a 3.5" chamber. My old 500 is a camo/plastic gun, tough as nails. I will need to wax this 535 and shim the stock for a little better fit before I start waterfowling with it. It's wood and blued steel. I really didn't know Mossberg had tightened up the newer guns, not a big deal with me. I think the looser gun, like a looser 1911 vs a comp gun, can take the muck and crap I put the gun through a might better than a tighter one, perhaps....I say perhaps because I know a lot of guys that have no problems in the same environment with other brands. I just don't have a problem with how loose it is. I don't deer hunt with it. I don't use shotguns on deer, that's why God invented the bolt action rifle.
I will agree that i have caught the tip of ill fitting gloves in the elevator on an 870, but have never pinched a finger. I don't think the elevator is too much of a bother...after all the mossberg elevator is remington's design and they stopped using it in favor of the 870 type and let mossberg run with it. Like i said it just never felt smooth to me.
It always happened while duck hunting and my finger was numbed from the cold. Warm weather, it never really bothered me, but when you're knee deep in mud and water is not the time you wanna pull a gun apart. I always was able to clear it with a pocket knife pushing the shell back in from beside the elevator, though.
The Mossberg elevator is up when in battery, out of the way. Even if you slip and the round flies back, it has nothing to fly back under and jam the action as the elevator is in the up position.
The way I do it on my Winchester is hold the elevator up with my off hand, but sometimes when the birds are flying, I get in a hurry.