What to do to a Mossberg?

[warren5421]

I lucked into a very low priced 500a Mossberg with a Buba worked on mag tube. It has a 28" vet ribbed barrel with a screw in choke. What should be done after changing mag tube to make it slug and buck shot friendly. The stocks are light so maybe birch. The mag tube should be a 5 round but putting in a new tube I can change to more cap as I assume barrel change will be one of the things to do.

[Winger Ed.]

Get the barrel you want, and get or make a magazine 'bird plug'.
Or, getting & changing a new magazine tube & spring is no big deal either.

[Mal Paso]

I used to have one that Buba gave up on half way through a stock change. The forend nut was so crossthreaded it had to be cut off.

Lots of parts available, make it what you want. Check Brownells and Midway.

[longbow]

If you are looking for slug and buckshot friendly barrel you'll want a smoothbore barrel of 18" to 22" with cylinder bore or I/C choke which seems common in buck and slug barrels. If you can get a barrel with screw in chokes even better.

Open sights is a good idea too. Most buck and slug barrels come with front and rear rifle sights but most short barreled defense shotguns only have a front bead. Just a bead is okay for buckshot but adjustable rifle sights are much better for slugs... at least if you are looking for out 50 + yard accuracy.

I am liking my new to me Mossberg 12 ga. Slugster which is cylinder bore with rifle sights.

Mine had a pretty sloppy barrel fit to receiver so I made a shim from 0.004" brass shimstock. That took out all of the barrel slop.

Mine shoots pretty well and nice smooth action.

Once you get your new barrel and mag tube you should be set to go.

I'm sure you'll enjoy shooting it.

Longbow

[warren5421]

Buba worked on my mag tube so it has to be changed. It will not feed a round in or out. Looks like Buba used a hammer on it at some point. I would like to find either a 18.5" barrel or 20" with a screw in choke.

[megasupermagnum]

I know we like to blame Bubba, but there is an equally good chance it was simply dropped/hit. It doesn't take much to stop a magazine follower from sliding.

All barrels and magazine tubes fit on all Mossberg pump actions, within the same gauge of course. For your purposes there are two logical ways to go. #1 is a new standard 6 shot 500 magazine tube, and get a 20" vent rib barrel. They come threaded for choke tubes, and if you wish, there are fantastic sights you can mount to the rib. #2 is get a 9 shot 590 magazine tube, and a 20" barrel. These are not threaded, but you can get them threaded for about $70. There's nothing cheap you can do for sights on a plain barrel. If you really want sights, the best way would be to get a barrel with a front sight, which is meant to be used with a receiver mounted peep sight. These barrels are going to be rare.

The 590 costs more, but you can get a big increase in capacity. They are standard 8+1, but you can add magazine extensions onto them as well. The 500 is much cheaper, easier to find barrels, and the only drawback is they are 5+1, with no way to increase that capacity, not that 6 shots is short much. There is an 8 shot 500 magazine, but that requires an 8 shot barrel, which are at least as rare as a 590 barrel. For the same size gun, and the same cost, a 590 magazine tube allows 1 extra round with no drawbacks, plus an ability for extensions.

Personally I'd go the 500 route with 20" vent rib barrel. Stocks are up to you, there's lots of Mossberg stocks out there. They are all fairly light. For weight, it's best to add lead in side the stock.

[too many things]

as cheap as they sell for may look at new one . and keep old for parts

[toallmy]

I'd take care of the feeding problem first , & then I'd use it with the barrel it came with - possibly try changing the choke . Be on the look out for a smooth bore buck / slug barrel with rifle sights if you planing on buck & slugs .
If you increase the capacity barrels are much harder to find .

[Bigslug]

A Mossberg 500 capacity change also requires a barrel change due to the locating of the barrel's retaining hardware. The boosted capacity mag tubes require a 20" barrel as I recall, so your riot gun choices are either 18.5" and 5+1 or 20" and 7+1.

I would avoid a screw-in choke barrel on such a gun like the proverbial plague. No need for it with quality buckshot loads, and IME, Mossberg barrels pattern pretty tightly anyway.

Converting a 500 to a 590 with it's spring-clip mag retainer and easier clean-through process is a simple matter of changing to a 590 mag tube, barrel, mag spring retainer, and barrel nut. Again, you have to choose your capacity configuration.

[Petander]

Simple is good. Open sights.

I have a 12 gauge 18" smoothbore that I like a lot. I get several good slug loads, good buck loads and the latest one, tungsten, it works great from a smoothbore because it naturally patterns tight.

(My "good" slug load is five in a fist size hole @ 50 yds or so. I do get lucky groups farther out but the trajectory alone keeps me happy around fifty.)

[Mr Peabody]

I buy parts from Mossberg, might look there

[W.R.Buchanan]

Go here and see what I did to my Tactical Shotguns. http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s....php?t=1651983

There is also this Thread here on what I did to my most recent project https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...My-new-Car-Gun.

I am a M500 fan as I have extensive experience shooting them in Tactical Mode. Mossbergs are the best shotguns for this usage for several reasons.

Size of the Ejection Port facilitates Port Loading.

Cartridge lifter doesn't get in the way of Port Loading like it does on 870's

Ambi Safety makes gun ambidextrous.

Super easy to work on and slick up, and After Market Parts are cheap. all teh smae stuff they make for 870's they also make versions of for M500-590's

They are way less expensive than 870's !

Randy

[toallmy]

If you are going to make it bang - hard on both ends , get a nice soft but pad .

[hickfu]

I like the 500, I have a tactical with the 18" barrel but I bought a 24" rifled barrel as well. Next will be a 28" barrel with Accu-chokes for duck, geese and turkey. The 500 is just so versatile

[toallmy]

I just wish they made them in 28 , 16 , & 10 gage also .