Mine As Well Buy A Shotgun(sigh).

Sweet,.....
Here's my Mossy 500. It was a Slugster that ai had DuraCoated.
Barrel in pic was a severely worn and rusted Western Field. I had it cut to 18.5" and it cleaned up very well. Nearly done with it, LOVE the Knoxx stock.

10 Years Report

I've now been running a Mossberg for the past 10 years. It was my first firearm purchase, and it came as a combo, with a 24" improved cylinder rifle sight barrel, and a 28" bead sight barrel. The 28" got chopped, smoothed, and re-blued at 18". The 24" rifled barrel I kept just in case I needed tighter patterns at longer ranges.

What I've found is that Mossbergs like to be shucked HARD. Dead casual cyclers need not apply. It has dual action bars and dual extractors, but cycles best when you put a little "stremf" into it! The Mossberg setup works better for me than any other pump b/c of the safety & pump release location. It is real intuitive; forward is fire, backward is safe. I think of the chamber, and keep the safety in the direction of where I want the projectiles. The pump release is also conveniently located, and I can activate it with my firing hand thumb. I was never able to get used to the Remington 870 setup, but the Mossberg arrangement worked very well. In the past 5 years, I started shooting action shotgun matches, and I started putting the longer barrel to good use. We are often required to make 25 yard shots (with birdshot) on steel knock-down targets, and you need as many pellets on target as possible.

In running these matches, I found that my shotty doesn't like soft, aluminum rimmed cases. The dual extractors rip right past the rim, creating a wicked FTE that must be cleared with a cleaning rod. After many thousands of rounds, I've also noticed that my magazine tube developed a wierd problem. The barrel screws in to the end of the mag tube. At the end of the mag tube is a threaded endcap. That threaded endcap has loosened up and made it a PITA to insert & remove barrels. I still need to call Mossberg and see what they have to say. In all honesty, I'm not expecting a warranty repair, or red carpet treatment after all this shotgun has been through in the past 10 years.

The 500s shoot well and are easy to maintain, and are cheap to boot. Aftermarket accessories are all over the place. You really can't go wrong. Hell, for the $250 I spent, even if my 500 combo shat the bed, I wouldn't be upset at this point. Sometimes you have to confess when you've "ridden a horse long enough."

Shotgunning is a whole 'nuther realm. You've got such a wide array of shells; birdshot sizes, buckshot, slugs, beanbags, etc. You've also got different patterns & results at different distances with barrel length & choke. One of the first thing people find out in action shotgun matches is that it IS easy to MISS with a shotgun, even though Hollywood and the Governator would have you believe otherwise.

Enjoy the path which you are about to embark,

B9

Link to my wierd mag tube issue:

http://www.ricanhavocproductions.com/500a.wmv

i love my mossberg 590a1 14" AOW





ive never had any problem with it at all.

I have a Remington 870 as my primary home defense gun. It's an 18" 6-shot model with the nickel finish in 12 gauge. Love it! Even snooping around the house at night with just whatever light from the outside is creeping in the nickel finish is reflective enough that I have no problem lining up for a shot. So no need for lights or lasers or anything. I have the Knoxx stock on it too, which makes it even better. It shortens the gun by an inch or so which makes it great in close quarters, and then you can lengthen it out for better stability for longer shots.

I've handled the Mossbergs but none of them felt nearly as solid or as well built to me. I know I could use my Remington as a baseball bat or beat someone over the head with it and the gun will still probably be ok. The Mossbergs didn't feel as solid. For me it was worth it to spend the extra bit of money on the 870's. Best of all there's a $30 rebate on most of the Remington 870 lineup good through the end of the year. In some cases that'll equalize the price with the Mossbergs while still giving you IMHO a bit nicer gun.