Mossberg 500 Shotgun barrels question

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Got my Mossberg 500 out of layaway. Came with two varrels...the smooth slugger and the longer smoothbore with a choke.

I'm not interested in swapping barrels all the time so I put the slug barrel on...since it's smoothbore I figure I can shoot both slugs and shot thru it.

Now...I have an extra barrel...considering either chopping it down to 18.5" and getting a pistol grip and using the gun mainly for a defensive weapon, then I can always put the slug barrel and full stock on it for hunting. Or I can just sell it. Any thoughts?

-- Satanta (satanta@zdnetmail.com), December 14, 1999

Answers

Satanta; Great shot gun you have there, interesting question also,... Should you cut down the barrel to 18.5" make sure it's from the end of the barrel to the front part of the shell. Or it could be described as illegal firearms. Pistol grips are good only if you have the shotgun already pointed at something. If you try and swing the pistol grip shotgun up real fast,there is a tendency to also grip the trigger at the same time,OOPs !!! I'd probably sell the barrel back to the gun dealer and ask for more slugs and or # 2 or #00 buck shot shells... Mine is a Mossberg 835 Ultra real sweet toy...:)

-- Furie (furieart@dnet.net), December 15, 1999.

Furie....got the Mossberg because I've had a couple in the past and know how good they are. ~s~ My last one has a 13" barrel on it...but like you said. Depends on how it's measured. The local law enforcement knew of the gun [some had shot it] and knew why I had it and 'turned a blind eye on it' so-to-speak. HOWEVER....one of the tiny toontown sheriffs didn't. So I'm a bit more careful now and keep it in reasonable limits.

Got 100rds of Winchester 2 3/4" slugs for $49 a month ago. Got another hundred rounds of #4 shot. Will grab some 00 buck shortly.

Thanks for the thoughts on the grip...am really wanting the full stock with the pistol grip made by Choate [I think]. If I can sell the extra barrel I'll get it. [Got the gun from K-Mart, doubt they'll buy the barrel back]

Anyone here wants a Mossberg barrel with choke? 28" with Accu-Choke[I'll even toss in the key. ;) ] Takes 2 3/4" and 3" shells! Got a couple of days then I'm hacksawin it into something else!

-- Satanta (SharpeningTheS@w.com), December 15, 1999.


Leave it the way it is.

Most Mossbergs come with a 18 or 20 inch cylinder bore and a 26" or longer barrel with a choke for hunting.

My personel Mossberg is short barrel with sights, not just the front post, and a full stock.

Pistol grips are cute but realtivly useless. Try firing buckshot from the hip without bracing the buttstock against your body. Sprained wrists and twisted sholders are a real posibility.

Go to a range and "pattern" your gun. Most people think a shotgun spreads like and inverted funnel. One pull of the trigger and you clear out the whole room. It ain't like that.

BASIC RULE: Shotgun pellets spread one inch per yard traveled. So if you shoot your shotgun down the hall in your house and it is 24 feet from your bedroom door to the living room, your shot will only spread 8 inches.

I love the Mossberg for where the safety is. Up on top right under your thumb.

-- bang bang (gunsmith@guns.com), December 15, 1999.


Bang Bang- Yup. Like I said...been a few years since I've shot but I remember most. ~G~ One of the reasons that I got the #4 shot is if I need to hunt something smaller it won't blow it all to crap, but in a situation where I may beed to shoot inside the house- it'll do just fine. [plus it was cheaper than 00 buck.

Your point about the grip is well taken. Think I'll go with the full stock with the grip. Especially since I broke my wrist a few years ago in a motorcycle accident and I'm not built like King Kong anyway!

-- Satanta (ShotgunsForever@myhome.com), December 15, 1999.


How much you want for the Barrel Santana? Use this email to answer:Rakkasn@yahoo.com

-- Billy Boy (Rakkasan101st@aol.com), December 15, 1999.


Satanta: Cabela's has a pretty good deal on #4 and 00 buckshot; 200 rounds for $59.99. The url is too long to post here. Go to http://www.cabelas.com, then select "hunting", then "ammunition", then "Sellier and Bellot #4 and 00 Buckshot". Comes packed in a free ammo can. Good luck.

-- Norm Harrold (nharrold@tymewyse.com), December 15, 1999.

Best forget about the pistol grip. Mossberg's version produced for its own 'cruiser gun' shotguns is, I'm sorry to say, nothing short of atrocious. The grip angle is all wrong, it indexes far too low and is painful in recoil with heavy loads. Interestingly, the pistol grips Mossberg markets for Winchester 1200/1300 and Remington 870 shotguns are excellent. They are very similar in design to the Speedfeed pistol grips, and are ergonomically much more effective though rather odd looking. If the pistol grip came with the gun, consider selling it as well as the extra barrel.

As to pistol-grip shoulder stocks on shotguns, I'd pass on that too. The stock design is set up for fast pointing as is, assuming it fits you properly. There are no advantages to monkeying around with the original design that I have been able to find. Of course, YMMV. But I think your idea of spending any extra money on more ammo is by far a better investment.

Your slug barrel is likely 24", if it is like others I've seen. Cutting off the other barrel to 18.5" won't save much in the way of overall length when all is said and done. If you don't think you'll need the extra barrel as is, sell it. A local gunshop will likely buy it from you outright or put it out for sale on consignment. Again, invest the proceeds in ammo.

The Mossberg 500 is a good 'light duty' shotgun, and by that I mean for home security or general hunting purposes. I am not being overly critical- I have a couple of M500's myself. The weakest design feature of the M500 is the magazine tube, which is very difficult/nearly impossible to pull maintenance on. The reason for this is its magazine tube is 'capped' in such a fashion as to make it necessary to remove the entire tube for cleaning or access to the magazine spring. This is a chore best left to a competent and properly equipped gunsmith in most cases.

For a serious 'down and dirty,' duck-in-the-ditch-and-drag-through- the-mud shotgun, choose a Model 590 if you want to stick with the Mossberg brand. It was built to military specifications and the major change from the original M500 was to make the magazine tube easily accessible. I advise against loading a 500's magazine 'all the way' when it will be left sitting for long periods, as for home security purposes. 'Crunching' a magazine spring you can't easily replace or attend to is not a good idea, IMHO. Neither is getting it full of sand or mud.

As to practical accessories, consider TacStar's Sidesaddle (which carries six extra shells on the left side of the receiver, about $35) and a carrying strap, which will mount to sling swivel studs which should have come with your gun. You already have sights, and that should cover it pretty well. Just remember, always think safety first in storing and using your shotgun.

-- Lee (lplapin@hotmail.com), December 15, 1999.


There are actually two measurements you should be concerned with: the barrel length and the overall length. If you get one right but not the other, they can still arrest you. And it's THEIR starting point for measurement that counts.

-- chairborne commando (what-me-worry@armageddon.com), December 18, 1999.

Take a dowel rod, mark off 18 inches from one end. Place the dowel rod in the muzzle so that it rests against the BOLT FACE (That's the part that pushes the shell into the chamber, it has the fireing pin sticking out of it.)

With the end of the dowel rod resting against the bolt face if the 18 inch mark is still above the end of the muzzle the barrel is too short to be legal by federal standards. Most states follow the federal rules.

Hope this helps DRC

-- Dave (DesertDave@aol.com), December 19, 1999.


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