New spoon day!
 

Buddy of mine needed some work done on his car and traded me his Mossberg 500. Came with an extra short barrel as well.

First shotgun I've owned. Going to the range Saturday. :D I'd been looking for a semi-auto, but loved the way this gun fired.

What can you all tell me about this shotgun? Mods, cleaning/care, etc..?



http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1437531616.jpg


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1437531683.jpg

Dead nuts reliable spoons. Not much else to say about them. Tons of mods out there, just depends on what you will use it for.


And cleaning? I mean if you feel like cleaning it you can. I know guys that use them as truck guns on the farm, hunt with them, etc and rarely even oil them, let alone clean it.

Goggle the owner's manual.

disassemble is pretty universal on those shotguns. very easy. i think every owner should know the ins/outs of every firearm they own and shoot. it is good information, and if you dont know how it goes together, you wont know if something is amiss.

Buy a box of clay birds and throw a couple in the air with one hand then grab the gun and nail them before they hit the ground :)

How short is "extra short"? Do not answer that. Under 18.5" is go-immediately-to-pound-me-in-the-ass-federal-prison-do-not-collect-$200, unless properly transferred via ATF.

I recommend immediately destroying the "extra short" barrel if it is indeed under 18.5".

I see you are in Oregon so my question is do you have to go through an FFL even if the gun is a gift? I would imagine not but I would make sure to see if you can get a receipt and/or his original paperwork?

As Blue mentions, it is bad juju to have a short barrel laying around for a title-1 gun, even if it's not currently installed. Just to clarify though, I believe the threshold for SBS (short-barreled-shotgun) status is for barrels "less than 18 inches" on shotguns (16" for rifles). So, if it's 18" or longer you are OK. Most will push it to 18.1" just to be on the safe side. Also, keep in mind that "barrel length" is measured from the breach face on a closed bolt, to the end of the muzzle, with any non-permanent muzzle devices removed. Cleaning rods make a good "measuring stick" for this.

Just measured, 20" barrel. So it looks like I'm good.

I'm a bit interested in changing the forend and stock to something different. I like the idea of wood. I also think it would better balance the long barrel. I was also interested in stripping the camo off (it appears factory), unless this is way too much work.


I did a little checking and my 500 doesnt seem to have the retaining nut at the front of the forend. Does anyone know what might be the case here?


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1437599858.jpg

Just my opinion, but even though the gun isn't very valuable, I would leave the camo alone. You can source a wood stock and other bits easily and cheaply. You then have both.

Stocks | Mossberg 500 | Mossberg

I have a number of shotguns and even though the "pump" guns I have are harder to manage for a second shot, it is a bit like driving a manual transmission...once you get the hang of it it is very satisfying and engaging.

The Mossberg 500 is a fine gun. Like Vash mentioned, download the owners manual and get comfortable with all the bits, clean and lube then enjoy.

Good score.

".... my 500 doesnt seem to have the retaining nut at the front of the forend. Does anyone know what might be the case here?"

I guess I didn't pay a lot of attention to the later ones that came through the shop. I thought they all used said retaining nut (took a special spanner, but wasn't difficult to cobble up something that would work). I'm thinking in the interest of economy they just form the forend around the slider. Pull the barrel off and you'll see how it was done.
Jim

Excellent!

Eric was right; it's 18", not 18.5". Not sure where that extra half-inch came from (that's what SHE said).

Even keeping a sub-18" barrel that'll fit your existing legal shotgun is called "constructive possession" by the ATF and just as punishable as if you were running around with a sawn-off shotgun in your pants.

I wouldn't fiddle with trying to take off the camo. If you don't like it, take down to a gun shop/show and trade it one with wood. Oceans of nice shotguns floating around. A 30 year old Remington Wingmaster is a fine gun (as opposed to new one, that sucks Chinese donkey nuts)

To make sure to stay clear of the 18" minimum, manufacturers make it 18.5". Most if not all factory "short" barrels are 18.5. That's where that came from. :)

And yes, the camo is not something you want to take off. It is on there for hunting. It protects the gun very well in water, even more so in salt water. Like others mentioned, rather trade it than start messing with the finish. You'll have a worthless POS when you are done otherwise.

Mossberg 500 and Remington 870 are the chevy / ford pickups of the shotgun world. They are so close to each other in design and performance that it becomes a blur ... most importantly, they both work well and go "bang" every time.

G

I can tell you from owning a couple that this will likely outlast you. :) Dead reliable and pretty much every mod under the sun is available.