Mossberg's 500, 12 Gauge

I've got two Mossberg 590s, one 18" and one 20". The 18 is a bit quicker on target. My only advice would be to practice a bit to make sure you don't have a tendency to short stroke, and that the gun runs reliably with no breakdowns. I wouldn't be very worried about that, but it is always good to confirm.

My "testing" consisted of buying a case of skeet loads, a case of clay pigeons, and a cheap thrower. Up to an old quarry location in the Mt. Hood Nat'l forest, and spent the afternoon doing tactical wing shooting. That'll get a good start on the muscle memory ;)

Oh and google up "the box o'truth" to get the real lowdown on wall penetration and shot spread patterns.

I am a believer in the Federal Flite-Control loads. They stay tight at surprising ranges. See the site above for some testing with them.

Good luck and have fun!
 
mc5aw said:
The Mossberg 500 is the best value for a 12 gauge available. I've owned a 500 and the 930 semi-auto, and highly recommend all Mossberg products. I've also owned a Remington 870 (pre-Ilion) which was a fine shotgun as well. For cost effectiveness and quality however, I'd go with the Mossberg.
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+1 They work. What else can you say?
 
Mossberg 500's have been around a long time and they are a great and reliable shotgun, a tried and proven design.
If your concerned about over penetration into the neighbor's home, load it with #2 shot shells which will work fine for close work.
 
Mossberg's are:

Cheaper to buy
Cheaper to add barrels
Reliable
Lighter
"bling" isn't as available as other major brands, but CHEAP/UNRELIABLE add on's are available from every JoeBlow

Remingtons are"
a tad heavier
a more solid feel and action
a little more expensive
better quality "bling" add ons
keeps it's value better
 
Been eyeing the "500 Thunder Ranch" version myself since it already has the short stock...not to crazy about the breaching muzzle break (some call it a "stand-off device"? Shotguns tend to be a stand off device all by themselves!)
If I wanted to cobble one together, it'd be a 590 military 20in. 9shot with the above Hogue stock Sipowicz mentioned and use it!
Remington isn't what it once was and I'm still trying to figure out where Winchester is going. Ithaca was my preferred shotty, but the Mossy's work and don't cost a small mortgage.
Dale
 
Nothing wrong with the 500. I prefer the remington 870 mostly because of the cross bolt safety. If you are used to shooting rifles it is the same safety so under stress, muscle memory is on your side.

The Mossberg has the slide safety on top, which is the traditional shotgun safety. Which is better if you are a lefty,

You really can't go wrong with either the 500 or the 870. :)
 
I have two repeating shotguns and they are both older M500s. I like the 3" chamber and top mounted sliding safety. I like that the barrels can be swapped in moments with no tools.

One is a 20" model with full length magazine tube. Came with rifle sights, sling swivels and utilitarian wood. This was traded in by an armored car company and shows a lot of use but no wear. The other is a sporting model. I have two barrels for it. The 24" ribbed model and the very rare and hard to find 20" ribbed barrel. Both take changeable choke tubes. (I have several guys claiming dibs on the 20" barrel when I croak.)


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For a HD use, I would think a 4+1 capacity 500 would be just fine. The "silly Speed Feed" would give you four more rounds, if you felt you needed more ammo at your disposal. Our Remington 870s are equipped with six-round Side Saddle mounts on the left side of the receiver, which also gives good access to additional ammo. The only problem I have with the garter belt elastic shell holders on the butt stock is that they tend to slide around and get out of position when I've wanted to reload. To each his own.
 
Ranger514 said:
For a HD use, I would think a 4+1 capacity 500 would be just fine. The "silly Speed Feed" would give you four more rounds, if you felt you needed more ammo at your disposal. Our Remington 870s are equipped with six-round Side Saddle mounts on the left side of the receiver, which also gives good access to additional ammo. The only problem I have with the garter belt elastic shell holders on the butt stock is that they tend to slide around and get out of position when I've wanted to reload. To each his own.
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That is why I have the 590 for a house gun, it has an 8 shot mag. I do not like the Speed Feed concept or ammo on the side of the action. FWIW I do have a bandoleer with 20 rounds on it hanging next to the Mossie(both 00 and slugs) which could be grabbed and quickly thrown over the shoulder, but in all honesty I doubt & hope that that much ammo availability will ever be necessary.
 
NYLakesider: I wasn't picking on anybody. My comments were meant for SmokeStack Lightning, the OP. I just wanted him to know the 500 base model is less expensive and will serve a basic HD purpose very well. Extra ammo can be carried in a variety of ways, and he can address that issue separately.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I own a 590 SP. Since I don't drive a patrol vehicle to and from my duty station, the 590 SP travels with me in my private rig. I like having the extra magazine capacity in case I run into a situation on the road. My scabbard has a pouch with another dozen rounds I could grab if I felt the need.

I also have a bandoleer hanging on the wall in the walk in closet of my home filled with a mix of 00 Buck and Slug. Like you, I feel ammo is a good thing to have handy. Great minds... :) BTW: Nice Vette.
 
I have the Maverick 88 with 18 inch barrel, which is made by Mossberg. Its identical to the 500, with the exception of the safety, which is the cross-bolt on the Maverick.

It's a good basic shotgun. They are reliable and lightweight. The aluminum receiver and polymer stock make the gun kick like an angry mule. After 20 shells I'm bruised and done.

The ONLY thing I don't like about these guns are the slide rails. They are very loose, which makes the forearm wiggle quite a bit. This is normal, but I just don't like that part.
 
Are you talking about the JIC version? Thats what I have, it'll snap your wrist! But it's a good gun overall...
 
Ranger514 said:
NYLakesider: I wasn't picking on anybody. My comments were meant for SmokeStack Lightning, the OP. I just wanted him to know the 500 base model is less expensive and will serve a basic HD purpose very well. Extra ammo can be carried in a variety of ways, and he can address that issue separately.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I own a 590 SP. Since I don't drive a patrol vehicle to and from my duty station, the 590 SP travels with me in my private rig. I like having the extra magazine capacity in case I run into a situation on the road. My scabbard has a pouch with another dozen rounds I could grab if I felt the need.

I also have a bandoleer hanging on the wall in the walk in closet of my home filled with a mix of 00 Buck and Slug. Like you, I feel ammo is a good thing to have handy. Great minds... :) BTW: Nice Vette.[/QUOTE]







Great minds indeed do think alike.:)


Hot cars and guns have been my most serious vices for quite a while now. Rest assured I had others but outgrew/outlived them somehow!:D
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I have this older model from the eightys, had a 30 incher, fam got me a shorty barrel for my birthday.
 

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Badkarma 1 said:
Been eyeing the "500 Thunder Ranch" version myself since it already has the short stock...not to crazy about the breaching muzzle break (some call it a "stand-off device"? Shotguns tend to be a stand off device all by themselves!)
If I wanted to cobble one together, it'd be a 590 military 20in. 9shot with the above Hogue stock Sipowicz mentioned and use it!
Remington isn't what it once was and I'm still trying to figure out where Winchester is going. Ithaca was my preferred shotty, but the Mossy's work and don't cost a small mortgage.
Dale
Click to expand...


FWIW, you can purchase the shorter LOP stock (12.75") separately that comes on the Thunder Ranch. You just have to call Mossberg and ask about it. That's exactly what I did for my 590A1. Here's a pic of my 590A1 with the Thunder Ranch stock and the factory 590A1 stock beneath for comparison.

mossy590a1003_zpsa5dec177.jpg



mossy590a1004_zpsc3feac30.jpg
 
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