Mossberg 500 mods

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The Highlander

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So I recently received a marine finish Mossberg 500A with an 18.5" barrel and a bead sight. Currently has a Tac Star side saddle and foward pistol grip. The gun has no stock and I've been debating whether or not to purchase a knoxx stock. It will be used for HD purposes, but I'd like to take it out to the range and have some fun with it too.

A bayonet lug seems cool but in the end I know it's stupid. I'd like to get a flashlight and possibly a laser but I'm not sure what the best system would be for mounting either. In the meantime I might pick up one of those tac slings on the cheap. Heat shields look retarded as do those breacher/muzzle brake add-ons.

I figure there are a lot of experienced mossberg users on here so I figured I'd get your input on where I should go with this, and perhaps tell me what your own setups look like. (Besides the gun itself, what ammo do you use? I have some federal #4 and #00 buck)
 
nothing, jeez. shoot it. out of everything you listed, the "retarded looking" heat shields make the most sense. if you dont even know what to put on it, you definitely dont have a reason as to why youd want it there, right? so just go shoot the heck out of it. when youve practiced a lot, youll have a better idea of what you need and why.

as for home defense ammo, theres about 039820984305843089543058430895 threads covering that.


great shotgun though. if it were me that forward pistol grip would be in the trash so fast it'd be amazing.
 
Holland & Holland Royal Side by Side

I bought one of these a bit cheap at thier shop the other day, it came in at £55,000 more or less.

I've already bought a side saddle for it, but I was thinking of some other attachments so I could look good in the lounge mirror when I look at myself.

A laser sight? Or maybe a bayonet?

Do you think a grenade launcher would be over the top?

I certainly wont be FIRING it, it would get all dirty :(
























Ahem :) :p
 
Well a light is a must have for me, and if I end up sticking with a pistol grip only configuration, I think a laser would be beneficial for accuracy at longer ranges, seeing as I have a bead with no stock. If you read my post you would see that I am NOT looking to add a ton of goofy crap to my gun.

I was just curious as to what brands/models you consider to be reliable and what your own configurations look like. How do you guys mount accessories on your weapons? I know some people have picatinny forends, but they seem awfully cumbersome and heavy.
 
If you read my post you would see that I am NOT looking to add a ton of goofy crap to my gun.
Click to expand...

It's got goofy crap on it now, and you want to add a light, laser, and pointy knife?

Tale all that crap off, get a stock, and buy 250 rounds of 00 buck.

Go learn to run the gun, then see what you really need.
 
In my personal experience, Knoxx stocks simply work as advertised. When I run my 870, reduced recoil buckshot loads feel like I'm firing a pistol caliber carbine.

Lasers aren't goofy. They're just expensive, and after buying one, you'd still have to spend the same amount of money on ammo getting used to aiming with the laser. The bayonet lug might help you in this case, however.

http://www.midwesthuntersoutlet.com/item.aspx?PID=86308&w=PQ+JDyOLrQE=Y

$20 for an adapter that turns your bayonet lug into a rail slot. Mount your flashlight/laser there.

Now I'll stress again that lasers are expensive. Good lasers aren't cheap, and cheap lasers aren't any good. Make DARN sure that the laser you get has azimuth and elevation adjustments, and make sure it will hold its zero under 12 gauge recoil! Not a lot of cheap ones will do that (none in my experience), so expect to pay upwards of $200 for a good laser. Yeah, that's right. This laser will cost more than a lot of good pump action shotguns cost.

But, a flashlight is essential to an HD gun, and you already have a vertical foregrip, so might as well make as good use of it as you can. Run a pressure pad back from the light, and use something like a rubber band to tie it to the foregrip. I actually use these little scunci hair tie things for that, they just seem like they're less likely to damage the cable over time.
 
I respectfully disagree.

With a quality laser, and knowledge of the patterning of your shotgun and the ammo loaded in it, you can easily use the laser to engage targets out to 50 yards in low light.

With a quality green laser, you can use it out to 50 yards in broad daylight, provided it isn't cold enough to get outside the green laser's operating range. (Rule of thumb, green lasers won't work if it's below freezing.)

Now, whether that's worth the $200 for the red laser, or $400 for the green laser really isn't up to me to decide.
 
Wow. Just wow.
Get the pistol grip off the forend. That will beat you up and actually slow you down. Plus it moves your support hand into that position, and that position ONLY.
Get a good shoulder stock. I highly recommend the Hogue youth stock. Nice feel, and 12" LOP.
get ammo. Shoot ammo. Repeat. Learn to run a 12ga well, fast, and smooth. Learn this skill, and then decide what to get. The bayonet lug and laser have no place on a shotgun.
A light, if you want one, can be added cheaply. That's the only thing on your list that makes even a little sense.
 
A laser on a shotgun, now that is goofy. IT'S A FREAKING SHOTGUN and a cheap one at that!
I own a Mossberg 500 and it is bone stock. It is my keep in the truck field gun.
I for the life of me can't figure out why guys have to "ghetto" out their guns.:rolleyes:
Here are a list of mods on my work guns:

Pistol - Mepro night sights
M-4 - Mepro 21 optic

That is it, no bayonet, no laser, no light, no beer opener.
 
My HD shotgun:
attachment.php


The only change I've really thought about was an M4 stock. I don't like the ATI (seems to fragile) and the Mesa adapter is expensive - I'd hate to buy it and an M4 stock and decide I dont like it.

I have a Midwest Industries sling loop for use with my single point, haven't got it installed. Haven't seen it since before I moved. I keep putting off getting another since I know I'll find it or remember where it was packed, right after I install the new one...

You can think of every way to mount a light, but in short, the SF fore end is the best option.

PGO sucks. I second the recommendation for a houge. The LOP was a little short for my taste, but it is a nice piece.

Get one of those shoulder things that go up. I hear they make guns particularly lethal.
Click to expand...
They're even available in MarineCoat:D
http://www.mossberg.com/cgi-bin/com...es\MossPdgNav\SearchResult.html&category=SIGH
 
Looks like I should be more specific. If you guys would re-read my opening post you would see I'm only was really considering a new stock and a flash light, perhaps a laser. Notice that I mention other add-ons but had already dismissed them as ridiculous/excess weight. I hadn't given much though to replacing the forward grip just yet, but it'd probably be a good idea.

I'm looking for people who have lights/lasers on their HD guns and what brands they recommend. I've fired this specific gun a few years ago, once a few days ago, and have used an 12g 870 many times in between. The side saddle doesn't bother me (in fact I like the easy access since the gun only holds 6 rounds), and the pistol grip is tolerable enough to save it until the end for things to change/add-on/replace. I have ~50 rounds of Federal #4 and #00 buck already (50/50 split) and I will be splitting a case with a few friends so I was wondering if you guys had any ammo recommendation.

TL;DR - I'm looking for brand recommendations more so than being told that things I'm not going to do are dumb. I remember someone was working with a similar gun and was thinking about installing a laser, and thought perhaps he or someone else familiar with lasers would chime in.

Thanks for all the replies, both positive and negative.
 
These past few posts are more in the direction I was looking for. (wrote the post, forgot to submit it) I think I may invest in the surefire fore end.

@Zach- where did you buy your fore end and for what price?

Thanks again everyone.
 
Ask how to modify your shotgun on this board and you'll quickly see who the nitwits are.

The correct answer is:
Put whatever your heart desires on it, and then shoot it. If the accessories work for you, keep them on there. If they suck, pull them off.
Accessories are very subjective.
Personally, I really like my cheap 6 position AR style stock.
I don't find much use for heat shields, I don't expect to fire that many rounds through it at one time, outside of the range.
I added a 3 point adjustable sling to it. The ability to sling the gun and use my hands is a must, I have small kids and in a HD scenerio I might need to grab my kids and run, and I'm not leaving the gun behind to do so.
That reminds me, I need to go shoot mine this week and see how my light holds up to firing slugs.
 
he's right. put whatever you want on it, decide you hate it/that it doesn't work later, and come back and admit you wasted your money. :D


really it comes down to shooting the gun. a lot. that's the only way you can decide what you could possibly want or need on it. am i wrong?

if it were my gun - I'd put a reduced LOP of conventional stock and standard forend on it, a shell holder, heatshield and a simple light mount/clamp by CDM/candewman w/ high quality LED light (I recommend the Surefire G2 LED).


I'd sell the tackycool forward pistol grip (looks like something an airsofter would use, offers a REALLY unnatural firing position, is extremely cheaply made, terrible texture/feel and if you're an average able bodied man 2 3/4" 00 buck isnt anything hefty, its something but not terrible). And sell the pistol grip. I'm guessing you probably have the Mossberg cruiser pistol grip kit (says "use thumb to activate slide release) on the left base of the grip. That is THE worst pistol grip I've ever used or owned. It battered my hand into mush even when firing birdshot. I'd sell it. I'm not against a PGO gun as a truck/trunk or 2nd gun, but that grip is definitely not the one I'd go with. Unlike people bashing you for wanting to have a "tacticool" gun, I'm giving you honest opinions as I've tried and used ALL of these products. i'm also not rich, so I prefer to spend my money only on things I need and that are of high quality.
 
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If you go for a flashlight clamp, don't use a cheap plastic one. They don't hold. I got a steel one for my SureFire 6P and with a 120-lumen bulb it turns night into day!

IMG_0054.jpg

I put a rail on the top of it, and have a laser up there. It's just a cheap-o BSA, but it has held. Those two mods make my Persuader the perfect HD weapon for me...

IMG_2219.jpg

Oh, and I run 3" Magnum 00-buckshot in it, for when I need to "get some"...
 
When it comes to lasers, the first thing to realize is that the usefulness of a laser has nothing to do with brightness, although obviously if it's so dim you can't see it, it's not very useful. Generally that's not a problem with modern designs.

They key to laser sights is understanding the beam divergence measured in mrads (milliradians).

Radians is basically the metric version of MOA, milliradians being 1/1000 of a radian. In laymans terms, a beam divergence of 1 mrad would result in a beam diameter of 1 meter at 1 km distance.

Many high quality lasers have their beam divergence measured at 0.5 mrad, or even 0.25 mrad. Not many makers of aiming lasers list the beam divergence, unfortunately, but you can generally just send them an email and ask what it is.

This matters much more than what they say their effective range is. For example they can claim an effective range of 200 meters with the laser, but what if it's a cheap laser with 2mrad of divergence? At 200 meters, the dot is 40 centimeters in diameter!

For a laser for your shotgun, it also needs to be more durable than would be required for a .223 carbine, for example. It has to be able to hold its zero under the 12 gauge recoil, as I mentioned before. On the bright side, you won't need the laser to be very tight if you're using buckshot. Look for lasers that have a divergence of 1mrad or less. 2mrad would be tight enough, but it's also usually a sign of cost-cutting and cheap construction, so a 2mrad device probably won't hold its zero under the shotgun's recoil.

Then, as always, you practice with it. Get to know your shotgun's pattern and how it relates to the laser. Get used to finding the laser dot when you aim. Projected visible lasers are a very good aiming device, but they aren't a magic point-and-shoot beam.
 
Ask how to modify your shotgun on this board and you'll quickly see who the nitwits are.
Click to expand...

+1...

My 500 has a Tac Star sidesaddle on it,and a barrel clamped light. Just a 3 volt Brinkman with a ABS body/with a rubber sleeve. It surprisingly holds up to recoil for a cheap light.:confused:

For stocks It currently has a standard fixed on it. It also wears a folder or a PGO during camping season. And yes I actually can shoot it with those stocks installed.:eek: (Of course others here will tell you there is no way in h@ll it can be done.)

Put whatever you want on it....then shoot the crap out of it.

You will quickly learn what works ,and what doesn't work for your needs.
 
I like pistol grips along with a full length stock on my HD shot guns, thats ALL. a heat shield is foolish, its a shotgun not a beltfed. Pistol grips on the front serve only to twist and bend action bars. I will never understand people who advocate flashlights on HD weapons. When I wake up at 2 in the morning I can see better in the dark than if I were to turn on a light. Spend your money on ammo and practice.
RX178 please don't try to convince me that 50 yds the laser MIGHT be good for is likely HD scenario as the OP asked about.
 
@Zach- where did you buy your fore end and for what price?
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I got it locally for about $250, IIRC. It was on there before I met my future ex-wife four years ago... Mine is the 623FA, which doesn't have the master kill switch. I'd recommend the 623FGA that does.

They have LEDs too, the 623LF and LFG

You could try some of the cheaper mount/light combos, lots of folks do and like them. I tried several and didn't like any of them. After firing an 870 with a SF fore end, I went into the store and got one for my mossberg.

My biggest complaint is that its a $250 accessory for a $350 shotgun. My only other complaint is that I didn't get the FGA.
 
This matters much more than what they say their effective range is. For example they can claim an effective range of 200 meters with the laser, but what if it's a cheap laser with 2mrad of divergence? At 200 meters, the dot is 40 centimeters in diameter!

But at 20 meters its 4 centimeters......... 200 meter shotgun? Not happening
 
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