my friends new Mossberg 500 only holds 2 rounds!

[gunsmith]

I helped my friend,a store owner down the street who doesn't really speak English,deal with all the red tape involved in buying a shotgun here in the peoples democratic republic.
Obviously I am not really a gunsmith or I wouldn't be confounded by this dilemma.
the shotgun was delivered unassembled in a box, my friend got it home and put it together,but it only holds 2 shells,any suggestions? is this common?

 

[Okiecruffler]

Sounds to me like it came with the plug in the tube. Remove it and you should be back up to normal.

 

[KMKeller]

Okie has it right. Inside the tube is a wooden dowel with a rubber grommett on one end. You need to remove that and it'll solve the problem.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Likely what Okiecruffler said.

Crack open the action, and with the bolt about halfway back loosen the barrel retaining nut at the end of the magazine tube and remove the barrel. Point the magazine tube down, shake if necessary. The end of the plug, a small diameter wooden dowel (unless Mossberg has changed them) will slip out of the hole formerly occupied by the retaining nut. Pull it the rest of the way out and voila- full magazine capacity is restored. Reinstall the barrel and you're done.

Magazines are plugged to comply with Federal migratory bird hunting laws which require that magazines be limited to two rounds.

Of course, you could also read the owners manual... 8^)

lpl/nc

 

[BeLikeTrey]

HAHA!

I cursed myself silly when I first got my 500-A. Couldn't figure out why I couldn't fit more than 2+1 in the darned thing. A wooden dowel with 'O' rings around it was in the magazine tube when I finally decided to break it down. I think it is a hunting REG. that you can only have 3, so the dowel iis required. I could be wrong as I don't do any wing hunting. But that was my understanding.

I still chuckle when I think how furiously I tried to get those darned shells to fit.

 

[MrMurphy]

My 18.5" Mossberg 500, 18.5" Rem 870 and 18.5" Benelli Nova, all strictly antipersonnel guns, all came plugged too. Don't feel lonely.

 

[45R]

Was it a Side by Side?

I'd go with the dowel.

 

[Andrew Wyatt]

mine held four when i got it, as mossberg only makes one migratory bird plug and has two different magazine lengths.

 

[gunsmith]

thank you!

I passed this alomg to my friend,it should take care of it...thanks again!

 

[Bainx]

That plug is there for a reason.
Just as a reminder, dove season opens on Sept.1 at high noon here in TN.
If you are caught with over 3 in the gun, your butt has had it.

Shoot safely!

 

[Psssniper]

What you have there is the California Fienstein shotgun

Here in the peoples republic of California it has been decreed that no one should have a sporting shotgun with high capacity capability

(just kidding )