Westerfield

[starmac]

This is supposed to be a mossberg 800, Has anybody owned one, and what did you think.
I'm thinking it has to be worth 225 bucks.

http://fairbanks.craigslist.org/for/3835782620.html

[pietro]

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The link to a Western Field now leads to a deleted item................................


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[starmac]

I'm sure it sold pretty quick, or someone could have flagged it. It was a pretty smart looking rifle by looking at the pictures.

[Artful]

This is supposed to be a mossberg 800, Has anybody owned one, and what did you think.
I'm thinking it has to be worth 225 bucks.


I've got a Mossberg 800A and only complaint I have ever had was that the trigger guard is poly/plastic.
I have two friends that had them as well and we can all scare a golf ball with every shot.

[starmac]

Artful, the pictures of this looked like this thing had not had a lot of hard use, but I thought it was older than something would be to have a plastic trigger guard. Pics can be decieving though. lol How long has the western field name been out of use??

[Artful]

Western Field was a trade name used by Montgomery Ward for sporting goods made by many different companies.
A quick list shows guns by Mossberg, Noble, Stevens, Savage, Kessler, Marlin, Savage, and Colt.
All of Montgomery Ward was liquidated by the end of May 2001. Last store to close was in Salem, Oregon.

Googlage shows an interesting bit of history...

production of the rifle was from 1967 to 1980



This rifle was actually developed at the request of Montgomery Wards who wanted a low to mid priced bolt action center-fire rifle to go along with their line of entry level shotguns...most of which were supplied by Mossberg.

Two of Mossbergs highly thought of design people, Carl Benson and Louis Seecamp(just in from Germany) went to work on the issue around 1963. The basic design and features comes from the Mossberg 635 Bolt action Shotgun, incoprprating the design of the sliding safety, plunger style firing pin, and trigger bolt stop of the 835 into a prototype that Seecamp had already developed. That included a 6 forward locking lug bolt and a extractor/ejector from Seecamp's prototype. The bolt face is counterbored and allows venting of any escaped gases thur a bolt body venting system. The trigger is a short take up type(as opposed to the Mauser two stage type) and the actual bolt stop is the sear itself..the trigger is factory set and not intended to be adjusted any further than what the rifle is shipped with. The "magazine" is similar to the standard Mauser type and is top loaded with a hinged floorplate.

There are some 20 variation of the original model(which was in production for 13 years) There are also a few Tradename versions: New Haven brand=880A,880B abd 880C, the Revelation brand=220A,220B,220C,220AD,220BD and 220CD the Westernfield which are straigt parts swaps as follows: 767,768 and 780 are Model 800A Mossbergs. The Model 782=800B...the model 775=model 800AD and the Model 776=mode l800BD.

Over all production was somewhat limited with approx 150,000 units in all styles and brands being shipped. Nearly one half of these were in the Westernfield brand in caliber .308W which also contributes to the lack of parts in the field I believe that the Model 800 was limited to the short action cartridges with the Model 810 being introduced to handle the 30-06 length family.

Frankly, If I had a Model 800 with a missing magazine assy(there is not a separate box magazine or clip) and with the shortage of parted out guns..I would look to getting together about a 1/2 dozen used and semi-abused Military Mauser triggerguard and magazine assy and with the use of a hacksaw and some welding...making a unit..The time and labor spent gunsmithing this would likely be less time and manley than searching the world over for an original.


Don't know that I'd pay as much as this link shows...
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_mossberg_model_800a_worth

I happen to have a 1965 Mossberg Model 800a. I recently took it to a gunsmith to have some minor cosmetic work performed on it and he told me that he had never seen a rifle stock that old in such excellent shape. I bought it at a garage sale from an elderly woman for $575.00. It had belonged to her late husband. Right now the rifle is worth between $600.00 and $700.00. My rifle has a very nice rifle sling, front and rear sights, see through scope mounts and a Bushnell 3x9 scope. The barrel needs to be reblued in a couple of spots, but I treat the stock with tru oil and keep it cleaned. But the true value of any weapon is found in its worth to the owner as opposed to any buyer. I still hunt with mine and my 12 yr old son will get it when I pass on. To him, it will be priceless.

[starmac]

Good info Artful, For some reason I had thought western auto quit selling guns further back.

[richhodg66]

The "deadest quickest" deer I ever killed was a dink buck on opening day in 2004 right after I git back from Iraq using one of the Manliccher stocked variants of the Mossberg 800 and a Federal 150 grain factory load (only one I have ever shot with a round of factory ammo).

That one isn't in pristine shape but shot alright, thought kind of tempermental, no doubt due to the full length stock and bedding quirks I never addressed. Some days it would surprise you how accurate it could be others, it was pretty mediocre.