Mossberg 500 bullpup conversion

[blahpony]

I converted my Mossberg 500 to a bullpup yesterday. It's the same 20" barrel now in a 31" long gun. I did change to a Houge rubber grip to deal with the extra recoil of a 12 gauge. I also added the red dot sight as the conversion kit takes the barrel out of view.







Link to the kit.

 

[stoky]

This is (was) the "factory" version.

I had an Aimpoint on it for awhile. I might try a smaller dot sight on it.
The guard on the right side precludes using the sights left handed, unless you really want custom dental/facial rework, which I guess is what their lawyers had in mind.

 

[Ash]

Your job looks better than the factory job, though I always thought the factory bull pups were interesting - Remington never seemed to have the will to make one.

 

[USAF_Vet]

I've looked long and hard at the BPU kit. Never pulled the trigger on it due to being a lefty, and didn't want to risk not being able to operate it sight unseen.

How does it handle ejection if you shoot it left handed? I keep hoping to see them come with a shell deflector.

 

[bannockburn]

I do find it a bit strange that they state on their website that until further testing is done, they're not sure it will work with the Maverick 88.

 

[blahpony]

I've looked long and hard at the BPU kit. Never pulled the trigger on it due to being a lefty, and didn't want to risk not being able to operate it sight unseen.

How does it handle ejection if you shoot it left handed? I keep hoping to see them come with a shell deflector.

I can't say 100% about shooting left handed. They do have a deflector plate surrounding the ejection port. I can say that it will eject the empties to the front and the right. When I would rack the shotgun, it would send the empties about 7 or 8 feet forward and 2 or 3 lanes over. None of the empties would hit the lane dividers.

 

[Ranger Roberts]

I've been waiting for them to come out with a kit for the Mossberg 500. I've handled one made from the 870 and liked it. I have a bunch of "beater" 500's in my shotgun safe that I rarely touch, it would be pretty cool to convert one of them.

How was installing it in the kit? Any major hiccups or was it pretty straight forward?

 

[blahpony]

I've been waiting for them to come out with a kit for the Mossberg 500. I've handled one made from the 870 and liked it. I have a bunch of "beater" 500's in my shotgun safe that I rarely touch, it would be pretty cool to convert one of them.

How was installing it in the kit? Any major hiccups or was it pretty straight forward?

It took about an hour, but I wasn't rushing. The main difficult part was using the allen wrenches in some of the less roomy spots. And that wasn't that bad.

The company will email you ahead of shipping verifying you have the proper model. They then ship it. It took about 3-4 days to get to my house.

 

[Lord Teapot]

is it worth the cost of the bullpup kit? i've considered bullpuping my 870...

 

[expat_alaska]

OK, Flame Me

Many years ago I was intrigued with creating an 870 bullpup.

I know the lockup on a 500 gun is steel-to-steel, but the receiver is aluminum, whereas the 870 is steel-to-steel-to-steel, if you get my drift.

Having thought about it for many years, I am not so sure I want the receiver right next to my cheek.

With my previous 870's I have tried all manner of tacti-cool items, and I went back to my current Wingmaster 870 12 gauge 2 3/4" with an 18 1/2" VR cyl choke barrel, Choate 2-shot mag extension, walnut furniture, and thick recoil pad.

I like it...

 

[blahpony]

is it worth the cost of the bullpup kit? i've considered bullpuping my 870...

It was worth it to me. My 500 had been sitting in my cabinet doing basically nothing. The only place I would shoot it was at my local indoor range. They required slugs. Needless to say, this wasn't easy on the shoulder. So I would bring a more fun gun to the range and the 500 would stay home.

After the conversion, the same slugs through the gun have much less recoil due to the butt pad. I think I put more slugs through it yesterday than I had in the whole time I have had it. My arm was only slightly tight and that went away in a few hours.

For the $330 I paid (it was on sale when I ordered it) it brought a gun from the back of the cabinet back into the usual range rotation.

 

[USAF_Vet]

I do find it a bit strange that they state on their website that until further testing is done, they're not sure it will work with the Maverick 88.

from what I saw on a Youtube instalation video, there is a safety block that couples to the factory M500 safety tang on the receiver, locking it to fire. The kit has a new trigger housing mounted safety that locks out the trigger.

Since the Mav 88 does not have the receiver mounted safety tang, and already has a trigger housing crossbar safety, I'm assuming that's why.

 

[larry_minn]

After a carbine course everyone brought out "toys" to let other try out. One was a (IIRC) Moss 500 bullpup. I forget who made it.

Anyway I liked it except the trigger was rought, heavy.....

I would think with "tactical" being so big. Rem. would sell a factory bullpup. (or do they?)

 

[bannockburn]

USAF_Vet

Thanks for the explanation. If it does work with the Maverick 88 I would definitely be interested in getting one. I will email Bullpup Unlimited about it.

 

[bannockburn]

Heard back from Bullpup Unlimited (rather promptly I might add), and they say it won't work with the Maverick 88 because the action bars attach directly to the forearm. The bullpup forearm design requires that the action bars be connected to a forearm tube, like that found on the Mossberg 500. Not sure if the action bar tube assembly from a Model 500 can be adapted to work on the Model 88.

 

[USAF_Vet]

No adaption needed, Bannockburn. Buy a 2 piece action tube from a Mossberg 500 and install it on a Mav 88. My Mav 88 sports a Mossberg 500 action arms and fore end.

If that's the only reason it won't work on a Mav88, I think the M500 2 piece action arms and fore end only runs about $50 or so. If you're dropping $300 on the bullpup kit anyway, what's another $50?

 

[bannockburn]

USAF_Vet

It's not the cost of the action bar assembly of the Mossberg that concerns me but more like getting it to work. Have seen a number of reviews of the Maverick 88 where the reviewer even mentions having problems getting the two piece assembly to work on the Model 88. Don't know if the mag tubes are different or if the overall dimensions for the pump action on either gun just aren't compatible. Would like to hear from someone who has actually done this before I buy one of the bullpup kits and find out it won't work.

 

[USAF_Vet]

You are hearing it from someone who has done it. My Mav 88 sports a Mossberg 500 fore end. I've never had an issue with it, and it's been wearing it for about 5 or 6 years, and hundreds and hundreds of rounds.

Bought the Mav 88 in '09. Didn't like the integrated fore end, bought a busted up non functional Mossberg 500 sans barrel and stock for $40. Disassembled the Mossberg for spare parts, and swapped the action rails and and fore end. I did not have to swap the mag tube, although the Mav 88 mag tube will not fit on a 2 piece Mossberg 500, I found out.

My Mav 88 is all factory parts, except the 2 piece fore end/ action rails, and the fore end grip itself is aftermarket. If the rain holds off, I'll be heading out this morning to go shoot it. I can take some pics and maybe video of her in action.

So, if BPU claims the integrated forearm is the only thing holding their kit from working on a Mav 88, I may have to just suck it up and pick one up.

 

[bannockburn]

USAF_Vet

Thanks for the info. Already got a price on the Model 500 forearm action bar assembly; bullpup kit will have to wait a bit longer til I have the extra cash for one.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

Cool.

 

[kBob]

When the Factory Mossberg Bull Pup came out it did not have the carrying handle/sights. Pard and I were at the shotshow that year in Atlanta GA and played with the sightless guns at the booth then got into a conversation with the Mossberg rep there and Pard and I drew up that carrying handle with sights in it on paper napkins at the table. Never got anything for it but get to tell this story every time they come up. Posted a picture on THR way back of the unsighted original at the show in par's hands.

As Ute I was hot for the High Standard Semi auto Bull pup. Some models sported the first aluminum tube flash light I have ever seen in place of a carrying handle. Dick Tracy of Sunday Comics used one and had a two line write up on the little Crime Stoppers "card" at the upper left corner of one Sunday edition. Years later I got to shoot one with that little curved butt plate....man am I glad I never had the money for one! Even more brutal than Winchester's steel over folder on an 870.

-kBob