Mossberg 500 not cleaned since sept

[DontBurnMyFlag]

I recently had my friends shot gun transfered to me at the gun shop. I remember him shooting 25 rounds when he got it in september. He didnt clean it or shoot it since then. It just sat around as a home defense gun for him. Now, Im wondering if the will have any problems since it hasnt been cleaned for months. Should I give it a good cleaning? Or is 25 rounds enough to over look until I take it to the range? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[FMarlon]

Not real sure about that. I have always been a real neat freak about my firearms. I have been known to clean my carry piece as much as 4 times in a week even when I dont make it to the range. Then again, I always function test it when doing so, but you get the point...

If I were you, I'd clean the heck outa that sucker before and after the range.

 

[GutWrench]

As far as function I dont think 25 rounds is enough to worry about, I have been known not to clean my old trusty 870 for weeks durring duck & goose season. But if it were me I would clean it just for fun. I also like to inspect all my new(used) firearms just to make sure its in safe order before going out the first time.



D.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Clean it. While damage may be minimal, you have some pitting in the bore. See the Cleaning 101 thread for input.

Shotguns regularly cleaned and maintained last longer.

 

[Shootcraps]

As long as you're using modern, non-corrosive ammo it won't hurt. My guns went for years without cleaning while I was in Germany.

 

[mattw]

Nothing at all to worry about. It is fine, just lube the action bars before you take it to the range then clean it after you get done for the day. If you don't have time, just wipe it down and clean when you get a chance. The longer it goes without cleaning, the harder it will be to get off the caked up carbon but it will eventually come off.

 

[Cosmoline]

I used my old Mossberg 500A for bear defense while fishing all last summer. I didn't clean it once during the summer. When I went to clean it in September, I realized there was sand and grit all through the action. When I took it apart sand poured out. In spite of this I had been able to cycle the action and fire the shotgun without difficulty. You do not need to worry about a Mossberg jamming from ordinary range crud.

 

[Captal_de_Buch]

I think a lot depends on how well it was cleaned before the first 25 rounds.

If the guy doused it with breakfree or something like that before he shot it.. then you're probably OK..

If he just took it out of the box, straight from mossberg, and shot it, there is bound to be some rust on the barrel by now.

Not to fear.. there are lots of old mossy barrels floating around.

 

[Cosmoline]

A little rust won't hurt anything at all. These shotguns are tanks, built to take the worst environments. Mine took swims in several major Alaska rivers, not to mention mud bogs. I have no idea why a new barrel would be required because someone shot a box of shells out of it.

 

[pauli]

while i am all in favor of keeping firearms fastidiously clean... it's a shotgun. it's designed to be at home in a rusted out pickup truck.

i recall a certain someone on this forum saying something about 1911's and swiss watches, and it holds true for shotguns too.

clean it, to be sure, and try to keep it clean. but i can't imagine you've got anything to worry about.

now, if it were some fancy dancy gas action dealie...

 

[mattw]

assuming it was cleaned before the 25 rounds, I find it hard to believe that there is any pitting or rust that was not already there.

 

[bakert]

I would clean it just because it's a new "to you" gun but wouldn't worry about any damage. Although I've heard of rust caused by moisture being more apt with plastic hulls compared the old paper shells in the chambers and bores, I know of a lot of shotguns used for hunting that haven't been cleaned for years except for wiping the exterior down with an oily rag occasionally.

 

[dfaugh]

Interesting you should mention this

A good friend of mine just brought me 3 old guns(including one shotgun), that belonged to her father, and she wants me to clean them up, as much as possible, just to display as family heirlooms...Obvious they haven't been cleaned in years, and the outsides are in pretty rough shape(some pitting/rust, no blue left anywhere on shotgun)...But, interestingly, all of the bores(although a bit dusty/dirty) look great.....

 

[Correia]

You would have to do a search, but a few years ago I cleaned an 870 that hadn't been cleaned in like 40 years. No that isn't a typo. It had been used non-stop that whole time, and not cleaned for approx FORTY years.

It still worked fine.

 

[Nathanael_Greene]

I thought most pump guns were designed to require cleaning only once a century or so...

Seriously, I've bought a couple of pump guns in pawn shops that looked as though someone had buried them without the benefit of encasing them in anything first, and they cleaned up and shot just fine.

In fact, I've never seen a pawn shop gun that didn't look like it hadn't been cleaned since Carter was president, and the ones I've bought have all worked fine.

 

[DontBurnMyFlag]

Thanks alot guys. Yea , i was concerned the gun might be damaged. He bought it, shot it, and left it in his apartment. I plan on using this gun for target practice, bear defense, hiking, camping and all the outdoors dirt stuff. So its gonna have to get used to getting beat up. Thanks.

 

[AZ Heat]

Interesting thread... reminds me that I'd better get my dad's Mossberg 500 and clean it. My friends and I shot hundreds of rounds through that thing over a 15 year period and it still hasn't been cleaned. Still looks great and functions perfectly. Still should clean it at least once a decade just to be safe. Mine on the other hand gets a few good swipes with a bore snake after every session.

 

[FedGunner]

The magazine tube WILL have rust in it.....

Clean and oil it well and you will be fine.