Mossberg 500's

[dak0ta]

So I've seen a lot of 500's, and I've noticed that the stocks and forearms look different. Why has Mossberg changed this so often?

Also, are the older 500's better quality than the new ones? Or where they always budget guns.

Is it better to buy an old used one or a NIB one today?

 

[RandKL]

Why has Mossberg changed this so often

Ask your wife why she had to buy so many pairs of shoes. Also a lot of the different styles you see are from after market manufacturers. The gun is popular so a lot of folks make parts for them.

The Mossy, unlike the Remington 870, the Winchesters etc has never cut the quality of the end product. A brand new one today is the same good quality as a thirty year old one. All the parts are finish-polished, fitted, anodized/blued etc. You can buy upgraded ones with jeweled bolts, cut checkered walnut stocks etc, but you can't buy a downgraded 500.

As to "budget guns"....they aren't. The basic 500 is manufactured and priced to beat the 870 and the 1200/1300 etc. The Mav 88 is a budget Mossy.

If you buy it used, you get better prices. It will often be smoother than a new one due to breaking in and all. New, you're simply spending more to get "new" and that wears off after the first couple of months anyway.

richard

 

[oneounceload]

As to "budget guns"....they aren't.

Compared to what? Chinese junk - maybe so....Mossbergs have ALWAYS been a budget gun, same as the low end Remington's - a so-called "blue collar" gun. Doesn't make them good or bad - it is what it is. They most definitely are NOT high end shotguns; but they can and do work to get what you need done

 

[ArmedBear]

Why has Mossberg changed this so often?

They haven't. The gun's been around for a very long time.

Besides, would you rather have them be like Remington and make the same sucky little sharp trigger for 60 years, now using MIM, but with no ergo improvements?

Mossbergs are durable, affordable shotguns that work well. That's their whole raison d'être. They're not "high-end." A high-end production pump gun starts at about $900, and nobody but Ithaca even tries to make one any more. (No, an 870 isn't a high-end production pump gun, no matter what engraving you put on the thing. It's the same stamped-steel shotgun with engraving on it.)

In the world of shotguns, real high-end doesn't even start 'til you hit five figures. Doesn't stop with five, either. All I can say is, if I win the PowerBall I know what to do with the first check, but until then...

The wonderful thing about American pump shotgun technology is this: you don't NEED to go high-end to get a gun that handles well and will work perfectly whenever you need it to. An 870 or a 500 may not be a Perazzi, but it will bring home birds just the same.

 

[oneounceload]

AB - high end ENGRAVING for your shotgun may start in the five figures........then you have to add in the bespoke gun....

 

[ArmedBear]

I'd call a plain-jane competition P- or K-gun "high-end" in a sense because of how it's made, features, etc.

I'm not sure how to classify adornment, because you can put five figures into engraving and wood for an 870, but it's still a $500 gun.

Bespoke plus adornment, we're talking about 6 figures in too many cases...

 

[oneounceload]

agree with ya there, but it's still fun to look at the Fabbris, Purdeys, DMBs, Bertuzzi and others........

 

[ArmedBear]

If I do win the PowerBall, I'm off to London, believe me.

 

[throdgrain]

Gimme a shout when you get here, we can have a beer.

(If you've won the lottery, you can buy )

 

[dak0ta]

If Mossberg utilized a steel receiver, would it be considered better than the 870?

 

[ArmedBear]

If Mossberg utilized a steel receiver, would it be considered better than the 870?

The 590 is the 500 with some strength and durability improvements, and is issued by various US military units.

 

[Tacbandit]

They're not that expensive, even -vs- a used one...Buy it...you'll like it...

 

[RandKL]

Mossbergs have ALWAYS been a budget gun, same as the low end Remington's

Wrong. A "budget gun" is one that's cheapened for cheap's sake. The Norinco 870 clone is a budget 870....the 870 Express is a budget 870....the Mav 88 is a budget 500. The Mossy 500 itself isn't cheapened in any way, it's simply a different design that's slightly cheaper to make. Subtle difference that most won't even notice or care about, but a difference none the less. Different grades of Mossy 500's can run lower than classic 870's all the way up to the Regals with select walnut and hand checkering and jeweled and engraved bolts and lifters at considerably higher than a Wingmaster. The 500 is a different design that's slightly cheaper to make, it is *not* a budget gun in and of itself.

richard

 

[buck460XVR]

IMHO......the Mossy 500 is the Ford pick-up of shotties and there ain't many guns out there that will give you more bang for the buck. There's a reason there's lots of them around and it ain't just cause they're cheap.

 

[Dentite]

Armed Bear...you need to toughen up that trigger finger of yours! I was reading the replies - not really looking at the authors and when I read the part about the sharp trigger I knew it was yours!

I have a couple Wingmasters and I haven't found it to be an issue, but then again I'm probably just not experienced to know the difference...I've only shot a handful of other shotguns and not any for an extended period of time.

 

[tribbles]

On the other hand, I put a hundred rounds through my new 870 Express yesterday to start breaking it in, and the trigger started rubbing the skin on my finger raw.

My buddy put the same number of rounds through his 500 yesterday, too. No mechanical failures from either gun, though I short-stroked a half-dozen rounds (hey, it's my first pump).

 

[dueyferg]

I just bought a used 500. I noticed that the barrel had a slight rotation in it. Not a forward and back movement, but when you grab the barrel with your hand you can slightly rotate it back and forth. I went to my local gun store and noticed the same thing with there 500's. So I assume this is normal.

 

[Tacbandit]

Quote:
"I just bought a used 500. I noticed that the barrel had a slight rotation in it. Not a forward and back movement, but when you grab the barrel with your hand you can slightly rotate it back and forth. I went to my local gun store and noticed the same thing with there 500's. So I assume this is normal."



Nope...not with mine...They lock up tight. I bought my first as a used police dept. trade in, and it was already well "broke in". I've shot hundreds of every
type of 12 gauge ammo through it, and no matter what barrel it has on it, is
very "snug"

 

[chevyforlife21]

mine is tight also.

 

[natman]

If Mossberg utilized a steel receiver, would it be considered better than the 870?

Yes, steel is stronger than aluminum, but strength isn't really an issue. The bolt on both guns locks directly to the barrel, so the receiver is really just a bracket to hold things together. I've never heard of a Mossberg receiver breaking, although there are so many millions of them I suppose it may have happened.

The main difference is that because of the aluminum receiver a Mossberg is lighter than a similar Remington. Whether this is good or bad depends on your priorities.

 

[dak0ta]

Is the persauder model better than a field model combo with a security barrel?

 

[hardluk1]

Armedbear Those 4 figure shotguns and up my be purdier but not better. I know a quail guide back in sw fl that was invited to shot sporting clays and was the state sporting clay champ two times with an old win. model 12 with a cutts comp on it that was around 40 years old. He use to say how many guys had guns worth many thousands of bucks. It use to get under the skin of some getting out shot buy a guy with a well used gun and overalls. After the second year he stop shooting the clays ,not a big deal to him. That man could just plane shoot. I own to moss 500's, one old ,one new.

 

[MCgunner]

If Mossberg utilized a steel receiver, would it be considered better than the 870?

Actually, I consider the 500 the better gun, at least than the express. The Mossy handles better than the 870 IMHO, less receiver weight, a little better pointability. It is certainly finished better. The ergos are MUCH better especially if, like me, you shoot southpaw. It is a rugged, affordable shotgun, nuf said. I have other shotguns, but my 500 is my rough conditions duck hunting fall back. The gun is in camo finish (very rust resistant) and came with a sling/studs, for those long hikes in the marsh when you're hauling deeks and maybe birds. I like a sling on my waterfowl gun, too, because I'll load the magazine when putting the deeks out ever since I had a close up face to face confrontation with a 350 lb plus wild hog one morning with tusks from hell. Too, this time of year, early teal season, there are the gators. I've had to pepper a gator to run him off, before. I don't like it when the big ones get too close.

See, I wouldn't subject a NICE shotgun to those conditions, a BPS camo at most. But, to take a 2K O/U out there or a 75K side by side? Man, I'd have to be high on crack. That ain't the place for a gun you can't or don't want to replace. I don't even like taking my old Winchester 1400 Ranger out there and it was a cheap gun. It's kinda pretty, though, with that deep blue finish and checkered wood stocks.

Anyway, that's what the Mossberg 500 is great for IMHO and I'm plenty satisfied with it even though it seems to not have a taste for 3" Remington or 3" Winchester Xpert. It seems a little picky on ammo sometimes. The 3" Expert sticks occasionally on ejection and the Remington is a little long for the ejection port upon firing. Federal never seems to be a problem and 2 3/4" stuff, no problem. I haven't quite figured out why the Xpert 3" sticks like that. I've buffed the chamber with 4 ought steel wool to no avail. Just don't like that stuff. I like the 2 3/4" stuff anyway as it will cycle in my Winchester and it's cheaper and it's plenty effective. But, that's the only thing I have against the gun, a little picky about the ammo it likes.

As to stocks, mine are plastic camo. It's a waterfowl gun, so that's a good thing.

 

[Fred Fuller]

If Mossberg utilized a steel receiver, would it be considered better than the 870?

It depends. Try a High Standard Flite King if you want an idea of what a Mossberg would feel like with a steel receiver. Or a Rock Island Armory/Armscor pump, now made in the Philippines. Or even an old Sears/JC Higgins Model 20, that'll work too.

Slightly different design from the Mossberg, in that these all have a tilting bolt, the back of which locks up into the top of the steel receiver- just like the famous Model 12 Winchester. When they're clean, they're the slickest pumpgun you'll ever feel. Try one and see...

lpl

 

[kennedy]

picked up a used 500 at a yard sale for $70, cleaned it up, refinished the stock, oiled it and it works great, bought a 18 in barrel for it $60, and makes a great home defense gun