Mossberg 500 vs. 590? Which should I go with?

[TheGewehrGuy]

I am looking for a multi-purpose gun, home defense, SHTF, bear/wolf/cougar protection, and maybe some hunting and clay shooting (I will probably never use it for such though).

At my local Big 5, there is a Mossberg 500 and a Mossberg 590, both look almost identical except the tang vs. cross-bolt safety, and the mossberg 590 has a bayonet lug and heatshield.

Mossberg 500= $299
Mossberg 590= $380

I would be getting a heat shield for the 500 anyway, so I am looking at at least $330 anyway.

Each are in the same configuaration, 20" barrel, 8 round capacity (I think), and fixed stock, exactly the way I like it (except I would prefer a smaller cap).

Is the 590 really $50 better than the 500? I am poor so $50 is a lot of money to me right now.

Thank you.

 

[dirtengineer]

My 590 is parkerized. The 500 has more options. The bayonet lug can dig into you if you use a sling.

 

[leadcounsel]

Apples and Apples.

Seriously, both are solid reliable shottys. Either will be fine. Skip the heat shield.

 

[whalerman]

Hey Gewehr, if you have no special desire for large capacity, why the need for a heat shield?

Do you expect an extended battle at the house?

 

[LawScholar]

Between those two, I like the 590, though I'm at 870 guy.

 

[1KPerDay]

The safeties should be the same.

IF the 590 is an A1, it will have a heavier barrel, metal safety and trigger guard, and bayo lug. IF it's the standard (non-A1) 590, it's pretty much identical to the 500 apart from the magazine tube and plug (and thus the barrels as well). The 500 has a closed front mag tube with a screw-in barrel retaining thing, while the 590 has an outside-threaded mag tube and a threaded cap. IIRC the 500 in that length holds 7 in the tube, the 590 holds 8. (2.75" shells)

I personally like the heat shield on my 590 (non-A1) but I use it for 3-gun and sometimes go through 25 or 30 shots quickly in a stage, and sometimes roll the gun over to load. Barrel can get hot.

Gratuitous pics. Click for larger if desired.

 

[TheGewehrGuy]

The heat shield would be purely aesthetic. I don't plan on going into combat, but if I have to I want to be prepared also lol. I doubt I will ever need to use it, I would just rather have it than not.

 

[throdgrain]

I like the 590 better personally, but if you're going to shoot clays I'd suggest a 500.

You can buy a shorter barrel for defensive purposes, and a longer, multi choked barrel for clays.

A cylinder choked 20" barrel like on the 590 is great indoors but pretty aweful for any sort of proper clay shooting, I've tried it

 

[evan price]

I think that what you actually are seeing is a Maverick 88 and not an M-500, since you say it has a cross-bolt safety. All M-500's use a tang safety. Mav88's are available in the extended mag tube configuration that you describe, which means they also use a 'special' barrel with the mount lug brazed farther towards the muzzle end. I think they call that the "Security" model 20" barrel.

The M-500/Mav88 with extended mag is slightly harder to find barrels for since the majority of Mav88's and M-500's were the 5-shot mag tube variant, and the barrel mount lug is what limits the magazine capacity- it can't be extended. In order to convert to a longer magazine you need the barrel with the longer lug. If you want to try a barrel with interchangeable chokes, Mossberg only makes a 20" barrel with either rifle or bead sights and fixed chokes, and 28" vent rib with interchangeable chokes. That's it. And there's probably ten of the 5-shot barrels for every 7-shot that comes up for sale.

The Maverick 88 is Mossberg's inexpensive pump shotgun. Nearly any part can be interchanged with the M-500 with some small exceptions- the trigger group and safety are different, and the Mavericks all used polymer stock sets with the action bars pinned to the fore-end. M-500's lately have started using the same fore-grip setup as the Mav 88's. That means that an aftermarket fore-grip unit won't fit the Maverick style action bars. It can be converted over to the M-500 style action slide tube, nut and arms by just getting the parts from Havlin Sales. It's a drop-in part set.

The M-500 has a little bit better fit and finish than a Maverick 88 and the tang safety. There's really not much more difference.

The M-590 has a different style of magazine tube, it has a cap that comes off the end to remove the follower and spring without having to remove the barrel and mag tube like the Mav88 and M-500 do. And, M-590 barrels are different yet than the M-500 or Mav88 barrels.

To be honest, are you planning on doing a lot of bayoneting? A bayonet lug isn't that useful.

My two cents- from a guy who has a lot of Mossberg shotguns and uses them for home defense and zombie preparedness- is to buy the Mav88 or M-500, forget about the heat shield (it does nothing for you other than to look "kool" in a home def.-type gun) and spend the $120 or so you saved on a couple cases of shells. (You did say money was tight?)

You should be able to get at least 2 flats- 500 shells- for that $120. Shoot up those shells and learn to really be a good shot with your shotgun. It's not a magic wand. You still need to know how to shoot it. You'll be a lot better off towards zombie defense and personal protection.

Call me a Fudd if you want, but I find the 5-shot M-500 or Mav88 with a 18.5" cylinder barrel and full stock works bees-knees for whatever I need for defense purposes.

 

[BADUNAME37]

Mossberg only makes a 20" barrel with either rifle or bead sights and fixed chokes, and 28" vent rib with interchangeable chokes. That's it.

For my 500, I purchased a 24" fully-rifled and ported barrel that has front and adjustible rear Williams Fire Sights on it. It is designed for shooting slugs, mainly saboted slugs. I'm sure, with the right slugs, this barrel would be just like shooting a high-powered rifle.

 

[GWARGHOUL]

My 590 seems to have a better action, and the bars seem tighter, and shaped a bit different, and more rugged.

The 500 stock tube is a 5+1 gun, whereas the 590 (any version) is 8+1.

Both are great guns, but the 590 is more geared for home defense and combat or plinking than hunting. I inquired about getting the barrel for a 590 threaded to accept chokes, and well.. it was a lot cheaper to pick up a used accu-choke barrel for my 500 and clean it up and spray paint it (hey, its a field gun... doesn't have to be pretty).

My 590 is a A1 clone.. sans the heavy barrel and metal trigger guard. It has the heat shield, as well as a pistol grip/buttstock setup (forgot which brand, but is very comfortable in either position)..and it has a 6 round side saddle. I paid $365 for it. My guess is it had less than 10 rounds through it, if any, and was cosmetically perfect.

My 500 is a older one, with wood, and was definitely used (but not abused) came with a 24 inch slugster barrel. I paid $125 plus $25 transfer for it...dropped another $45 on the 28 inch vented rib barrel and a full choke, painted it etc... going to get a truglow sight here this week for it. Made it the turkey gun.


The maverick.. I've shot one. Decent gun for the money, but you can find a used 500 for the same or less money.

I think you should get a 500, that way it can serve all purposes, and parts/accessories are cheaper and more plentiful. Before I got the 590, my 500 was next to my bed.

 

[evan price]

Friendly, what I was referring to as by only those "three barrels", was those are the only three that Mossberg makes for the "Security" models with the longer 7-shot mag tube. Those are your three choices- that's it.

In the conventional 5-shot mag tube you can get all sorts of barrels.
I've got an 18.5" bead sighted Mav 88, a 20" rifle-sighted M-500, an 18.5" rifle-sight M-500, a vent-rib Accuchoke 28", a couple of various choked 28" smooth barrels, a Mod Cyl vent-rib 28", a few more I don't recall. There's so many 5-shot barrels out there you can just cut one down where you want it.

You can find a used M-500 or Maverick with the 5-shot mag tube for under $150 in pawn shops, gun stores, etc. if you look, other than the one I bought new (28" V-R Mav 88 for $179), I never paid anything more than about $125 for any of them I have now, and three of them were $100 or less.

 

[RAINS]

I've had 870's, a mossy 500, a budget brand maverick 88 /security and a 590 (not A1). I like my bought at big 5 590 the best! Go for the 590 or if you don't want the heat shield go to a real gun store and get a 500. Big 5 dose not carry 500's only the cheaper made security/maverick guns and the much better 590's. have fun!

 

[MAKster]

If you want a shotgun that you can swap barrels easily the 590 is the wrong model. It only comes in 20 inch barrel with extended mag tube. There are no longer barrels that will fit. You would have to put on a 500 style mag tube and use a 500 barrel. The least expensive route is to buy a 500 with 28" barrel at Dicks or Walmart for around $250 and then buy a separate 18.5" barrel for around $80.

 

[BADUNAME37]

Friendly, what I was referring to as by only those "three barrels", was those are the only three that Mossberg makes for the "Security" models with the longer 7-shot mag tube. Those are your three choices- that's it.....

When I called Mossberg, they told me I could not get a barrel for the longer magazine tube, so I got one that has the shorter tube on it so I can interchange barrels!

 

[PR-NJ]

The 590 is a cool shotgun, but it has limitations. It's built like a tank (pun), being intended for military (and maybe LE?) applications. The primary limitation is, as mentioned, you won't be able to switch barrels (at least not easily) and use it for hunting and such.

 

[swmp9jrm]

Take what you read with a grain of salt, but here's a description of the differences between the 500, the 590, and the 590A1. The comparison is a few paragraphs down from the top.

Mossberg 500 vs. 590

 

[Zach S]

IF the 590 is an A1,

For $380, I doubt it. Most of the A1s I've seen were around $450 and up.

I prefer the 590, due to the "open" end of the magazine tube.

Havlin Sales offers a longer 590 bbl (24"?), but I don't think its threaded for chokes.

As mentioned above, a 20" Mossberg will screw you out of any bbl swapping options, and used 500s are cheap... If I hunted, I would get the 590 for defense, and a used 5 shot 500 for game.

I would not pay $300 for a new maverick. I can find them used, in like new condition, for $200 or less. No matter how cheap they are, they still don't appeal to me since I hate cross bolt safeties. They are backwards for us wrong-handed folks...

 

[Jaymo]

590 with the heat shield, bayonet lug, Speedfeed stock that holds 4 extra rounds, and a 6 round Sidesaddle shell carrier.
That's 19 rounds on/in the gun. Then, you can get a sling that holds rounds too. Great home defense gun.
That's what mine is, anyway.
I have an 835 and a 20 gauge 870 for hunting.
The 9200A1 Jungle Gun is a sweet one, if you can find one. Mine has the Choate mag extension, mag spring, and follower, Accu-Choke threaded heavy barrel, 3" chamber and a fiber optic front sight.

I'm still fond of my IGA coach gun.

My Mossbergs have been more reliable than my 870, much to my chagrin. Plus, the bolt release is less comfortable to use than the Mossberg.

Not bashing Remington, so don't get any ideas. I love the 870. The Mossy has a tang safety that works better for me, due to my being left handed.

That little 870 has been a great dove/squirrel/rabbit gun. Light/handy, and birds/small game animals are just as dead after being shot with it as with a 12 gauge.

The main problem with my 870 is that it is a 3" mag gun that won't cycle 3" shells through the mag.
Receiver and barrel are both 3" mag.
One of these days, I'll get around to trying to find out why and fix it.

A 500 or 590 will serve you equally well as a home defense shotgun. The 590 holds more ammo and looks cooler, but the 18" 500 is a little handier.