Unloading a Mossberg without rack anc eject dangerous?

[AcceptableUserName]

So I've been practicing the method of unloading the shotgun as prescribed in the manual (eject first shell, let second land on elevator and pur out through ejection port, close action, depress cartirdge stop one by one) but I've noticed this could theoretically be dangerous. Unless you use your fingers to stop the shell released when you depress the cartridge stop, it has a tendency to release and fly backward, hitting the front-top of the trigger guard inside the loading port right on the primer/brass. Has there ever been an accidental discharge this way?

 

[Robert]

Never heard of that happening and never had a round fly out when unloading my 590. I find they hang up on the tab on the bottom of the lifter and require a slight up motion to clear. Or they just pop out in my hand. I really doubt they could travel fast enough and strike trigger guard hard enough to fire a shell.

 

[RandKL]

it has a tendency to release and fly backward, hitting the front-top of the trigger guard

The shell is hitting the exact same spot it would in the normal pump action cycling of the gun. If it's not going to go off by you simply pumping your gun in the everyday use of said gun, it's not going to go off by you unloading the gun via that method. Besides, when you depress the shell stop with your thumb, your thumb is there to catch it.

richard

 

[9mmepiphany]

Unless you use your fingers to stop the shell released when you depress the cartridge stop

do you have the option of your fingers not stopping the shell?

you'd have to be pretty quick to be able to get your fingers out of the way after releasing the tab.

what would be your option to this method...cycling the rounds through the action? i don't think this would increase your safety margin

 

[AcceptableUserName]

Yea, I can stop the shells. More or less just wondering if a shell's ever come flying back and hit just right to cause a discharge in the loading port. But it haeppens when racking and I didn't realize that lol. Seems like the angle might change very slightly though between the two mothods.

 

[inSight-NEO]

From what I can tell, the shells, once released, do not have much momentum behind them...certainly not enough for what I think would be necessary for a discharge.

Regardless, this is essentially the same technique I use for unloading all of my shotguns...not just Mossbergs.

Now, you could cycle the rounds and extract them via the ejection port, but this would not be much safer and frankly, would be a bit harder on the ammo itself, I believe.