[cmlasley]

I bought my first shotgun a few weeks ago, a Mossberg 500 12 gauge. I have not done any modifications to it, and do not plan to do any to this particular gun. I am using it for home defense with the slug barrel, and for shooting clays with the field barrel.

I intend to get a 590A1 at some point to take over home defense duties, but until then, the barrel swap is pretty easy.

I have only taken the action apart once for a cleaning, but it seems pretty straight-forward once you figure out how it all goes together. How often should I pull the drift pin and clean the bolt, etc.?

Maybe this thread can be for general discussion of the 500.

 

[4Nines]

I bought my first shotgun a few weeks ago, a Mossberg 500 12 gauge. I have not done any modifications to it, and do not plan to do any to this particular gun. I am using it for home defense with the slug barrel, and for shooting clays with the field barrel.

I intend to get a 590A1 at some point to take over home defense duties, but until then, the barrel swap is pretty easy.

I have only taken the action apart once for a cleaning, but it seems pretty straight-forward once you figure out how it all goes together. How often should I pull the drift pin and clean the bolt, etc.?

Maybe this thread can be for general discussion of the 500.

Welcome to the site! Great choice on the Mossberg. This is probably one of my next shotgun purchases. Hopefully someone will chime in that can help you with your question.

 

[Thunder71]

I take all my guns apart and clean/lube them every time they are used, as well as trying for at least every 3 months for defense guns and every 6 months for field guns for an additional quick wipe down and application of light oil (or minimum of a quick silicone cloth wipe down if I'm really lazy).

 

[Quickdraw]

If I use my 500 I will clean it that night. If it gets no use then I clean and oil it once a year.

 

[mesadeldoug]

Just got a 500 in .410. Pistol grip and 5 plus 1 capacity with two and a half inch shells. A fun shooter. A companion for my Taurus Judge Public Defender.

 

[mr surveyor]

I've been a September bird hunter (doves) for several years, and have carried at least a dozen different guns in the field. Having an old shoulder injury to deal with, with somewhat limited mobility, I decided to try something different last year. Realizing that every rifle I've ever owned or shot has had about 1 inch shorter LOP than every shotgun I've woned or shot, I decided to (trying not to show any sign of embarressment ... don't want to lose my man card) a "junior model". Last August I bought a Mossy 500 Bantam to experiment. I hadn't tried a slide gun in the field for many, many years, but was more interested in the shorter LOP. Last year I saw a 15% increase in kill ratio.... this year closer to 20% increase. And the little 500 Bantam (20 ga) with a 22" barrel never missed a beat. I also have an 18" Mav for an "around the house beater", but the little 500 Bantam could easily take its place. Thousands of dollars, many years and lots of guns later and I find an off the shelf, inexpensive gun that actually fits my personal physical needs. And, it's still a Mossy 500.

can I keep my man card?

surv

 

[Rcope822]

I've had my 500 for 15 years. You made a good choice. With the slug barrel , it doesn't rattle much and that's good.With the field barrel , I've won my share of meat at the Club turkey shoots. If you shoot it , clean it.

 

[doczeus]

Realizing that every rifle I've ever owned or shot has had about 1 inch shorter LOP than every shotgun I've woned or shot, I decided to (trying not to show any sign of embarressment ... don't want to lose my man card) a "junior model".

can I keep my man card?

surv

Yeah, ya can.

I bought a Marlin "Youth Model" .30-30 last year, mainly because I couldn't find a suitable example of a "Trapper" model.....That "youth model" is as handy and compact as any of my Trapper leverguns, and just as accurate as any of my full-sized ones.....I'm gonna be looking at some "youth model" shotguns myself.....

DocZeus
AKA
David

 

[tcanthonyii]

I've got 2 12 gauge 500's. Love them. My older one, a 1981 Westernfield needs some new extractors and springs. I personally have a couple thousand rounds through it and god only knows how many before that. Otherwise it's great.

 

[olhippy]

I clean and lube after shooting. That goes for all my guns. If some sit idle, I`ll drag them out of the safe about every3-4 months for a wipe down and visual inspection. Looked in the barrel of my double barrel 12 the other night and something was looking back. A little spider had crawled in and took up residence. The gun is my night time "beside the headboard" gun so I guess the little fellow crawled in then.LOL I don`t know who was surprised the most. That might be another start of an interesting thread---- "What is the most unusual thing you have found in a gun barrel?" LOL

 

[Black Knight]

I just completed a Mossberg 500/590 Armorers course in June at the NRA Headquartes in Fairfax, VA. It is recommended that duty weapons receive what they call an armorers inspection twice a year. I would say you should detail clean twice a year unless you fire it then it should be done as soon as possible after firing. At my police force we do an armorers inspection every 3 months to insure that all our duty weapons will perform as needed when needed.

 

[celt]

If you love guns you will clean them frequently just so you can look at them. Great choice! The 500 platform its my favorite flavor...

 

[Cary]

I inherited an as new 500c from my father-in-law when he died. I don't think he even shot a full box of shells through it. This one came with the 26" & 18.5" barrels. I have really enjoyed this gun and someday will pass it on to another gun enthusiast in my family.
Cary

 

[Chris C]

I bought my first shotgun a few weeks ago, a Mossberg 500 12 gauge. I have not done any modifications to it, and do not plan to do any to this particular gun. I am using it for home defense with the slug barrel, and for shooting clays with the field barrel.

I intend to get a 590A1 at some point to take over home defense duties, but until then, the barrel swap is pretty easy.

I have only taken the action apart once for a cleaning, but it seems pretty straight-forward once you figure out how it all goes together. How often should I pull the drift pin and clean the bolt, etc.?

Maybe this thread can be for general discussion of the 500.

I will probably be in-line with most here when I say, "If you shoot it, clean it!" It's not a big deal to get the residue out of the barrel and rag out the receiver. Give's you a little time to"'caress" your shotgun! The Mossberg isn't a real tight gun, so it will work fine with grit and grime..........but I guarantee it'll be more dependable if you clean it. But give it a good going over every 6 months or so to make sure no rust is sneaking in on you. Nothing worse than rust on a firearm.............it's criminal to allow it to happen.

 

[billt]

I bought my first shotgun a few weeks ago, a Mossberg 500 12 gauge. I have not done any modifications to it, and do not plan to do any to this particular gun. I am using it for home defense with the slug barrel, and for shooting clays with the field barrel.

I intend to get a 590A1 at some point to take over home defense duties, but until then, the barrel swap is pretty easy.

You made a great choice. I have both the Mossberg 500 "Combo Gun" with both barrels, and I recently purchased the Mossberg 590 A-1. The 590 A-1 is one hell of a defensive shotgun. It is rugged, reliable, and built like a tank.

I also just recently purchased the Ontario Knife M-9 Bayonet to go along with it. I can't think of a more lethal combination. I've been stocking up on both slugs as well as buckshot loads, so I'll have plenty of ammunition for both of them. I'm glad I did because both loadings are getting very hard to find now, let alone find them at any kind of decent price.

You will find if you lubricate the hell out of the weapon, then run a case of shells through it, followed by a good wet cleaning, the guns action will really slicken up. The Mil-Spec 590 A-1's, along with the 500's are about the best buy going for a good, solid defensive shotgun. We'll all be dead and buried, and they'll still be running.

 

[hammer 1]

My brother loves mossy's, he still has the first one he ever bought. the receiver doesnt really have any finish left on it. It goes bang when its supposed too. its his go to shotgun. Like thunder, Im a bit anal about my guns, if they come out for use they get wiped down. If they are used, they get cleaned.

 

[CajunBass]

I'll be the oddball here. I bought a Sears/Mossberg 500 from Sears-Roebuck in 1977. It came with two barrels, a 28" Modified, and a 24" smoothbore slug barrel. I paid $99.00 for it. I've never used the slug barrel I don't think.

About a year later I painted the gun with Bowdull paint, and used it deer hunting with buckshot. I drilled a hole in the stock and mounted a sling swivel studd and added a sling. The front of the sling was secured with a radiator hose clamp around the magazine tube. Every deer I've ever killed except one was killed with that gun and Remington 3" No 1 buckshot. It rode in my Jeep CJ's strapped to the roll bar with a bungee cord. It rode in the back of pickup trucks in gun racks on the dog boxes, or just thrown in the bed. It got dragged through swamps, and woods, through fields of dust, mud, and weeds, in heat, cold, rain and snow. It's worked every time I've pulled the trigger. It killed every deer it ever got pointed at. A few squirrels along the way too. I think I even took it dove hunting one time.



I try to clean it and lube it about every February 29th if I happen to think about it. If I forget it, I just wait until the next February 29th. I might put a couple of drops of oil here and there from time to time inbetween formal clealings if it starts to make a noise, or seem slow.

I liked it so much that I gave my son a 20 ga. Mossberg for his first gun about 1988 or so. Then about five or six years ago, I bought another one just because I wanted a 20 ga of my own. Both of the 20's have interchangeable chokes. My wife uses this one for deer hunting about once a year. It shoots 3", No 2 buckshot pretty well with the modified choke tube. I don't think the gun has been fired more than a half dozen rounds to check patterns.



How often should you clean YOUR gun? As often as you want to. I don't think it will hurt them either way.

 

[SkipD]

I have been a Remington 870 owner for quite sometime. My HD shotgun is a 870. I recently bought a Mossberg 500 flex 28" that I have been using for skeet and trap. After 2 chamber polishing sessions,,,,,,, I LOVE IT!