Looking for a Mossberg 500 B, (16 gauge) How Common?

Jack Flash

Jack Flash

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Anyone have experience with these, know how rare or common they are, etc.? I would like to find one.

I don't expect someone to do my research for me, I am just wondering if anyone here works or has worked in a gun shop and / or knows a lot about Mossberg 500s.
 
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They are out there but you don’t see very often. I love the 16 gauge and have been looking for a workhorse Mossberg for awhile, but when I find them, they are pricey

Kelly
 
I like my 870 Remington in 16 gauge as well as my Browning BPS in 16. The Model 37 Ruger is popular as is the Winchester Model 12, but that one will be pricey.

You might want to also check on 16 ga.

Hope I did not screw up again as this was not listed as a Classifieds WTB Post.

Bob
 
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The basic Mossberg 500 in 16ga was the Mossberg 500B
12ga was the A,,20 the C.

They were making them in the early 70's at least when I worked at Pedersen Custom Gun which was a part of the Mossberg Corp.
We used their range so we were inside the Mossberg factory often and walked right passed both of the CNC machines that made the rec'vrs from a 'brick' of alloy in the time it took the operator to sit back down on a stool and smoke a cigarette!
Probably fast for 1972/73.

I think the 16 was dropped from the 500 lineup in the late 70's. But that's just my recollection and guess really. I don't recall having seen one come in for repair or sale in any of the shops I worked in in the later years.

People must really love them or they didn't make all that many 16's.

The early guns had problems with the plastic trigger groups breaking their frame engagement ribs off. The Plastic safety turned people off to.


They sold the 16ga (as well as the 12 and 20ga's) under the WesternAuto Revelation brand and MontgomeryWards 'Western Field' brand.
They used different Model #'s on those, not '500' but I don't recall what they were.
 
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They were definitely made. I once had a good friend who owned a 16 gauge Mossberg 500, and he used it for skeet shooting (non-competitive of course) and was pretty good with it. I think it had a modified choke. We spent many a Sunday morning skeet shooting at the local range. The problem with any gun in 16 gauge is ammunition availability. Most retailers will have a few boxes of it on the shelf, but they will not have much of a selection of loads and shot sizes. And reloading plastic shot cups aren't very common either. My friend did reload 16 gauge, as it's mighty tough to find 16 gauge skeet loads.
 
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Also never seen one.
Didn’t know they made them.
Right now most all Mossbergs and other lower priced Shotguns hard to find.
Yesterday down at Sportsman Warehouse they had one Mossy, it was a 410.
 
Just sold one back in the fall, was lucky to get $200 for it. Not very common, but also not demanding the high prices others are claiming, at least not in my neck of the woods.
 
Here's an ad that includes the Model 500 including availability in 16 ga. I believe this is from 1964/65.
 

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I owned one for a few years, and then sold it to someone on the 16ga.com board.

If I remember correctly the one I owned was made in 1962.

I have only seen one other 500B, so they are definitely not common. By the time the Mossberg 500 was introduced the good old 16 Ga was out of favor. Actually the decline started after WWII I believe.

It was a solid gun.
 
The 16 gauge has retained some of its popularity in Europe. Not so much in the USA. There is little to no benefit in having a gauge intermediate to the 12 and 20, especially as a 3" 20 gauge can throw as much shot as a 16. I have owned only one 16 gauge shotgun (a Sears bolt action) and that was a very long time ago. But I wouldn't turn down a high-grade 16 gauge double gun or a Browning "Sweet 16".
 
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For some reason I still like the 16 even though a modern 20 gauge can do everything the 16 can. I have an O/U, SxS, Pump, Semi-Auto and Single Shot in 16. Have never been able to find a lever gun in 16 though.

Bob
 
I should have mentioned this in my original post:
The first shotgun I ever bought was a long barrel single shot 16. I bought it more or less as a favor to a neighbor when I lived in North Carolina. So I kind of backed into owning a 16. For a long, long time, it was my only gun of any type.

Its job was shooting crows, deer hunting, and home defense. Thus over the years I bought quite a range of birdshot, buckshot, and slugs. When a local GS would have a sale, I would always buy a box or two.

Fast forward to now:
Going through my inventory of 12 gauge, I was surprised by how much 16 gauge ammunition I have accumulated over the years. I'm never going to shoot all that up with a single shot. Besides, I like Mossberg's 500 shotguns so I thought I would look around to see if I could find one. Maybe this is just an excuse to buy another gun, make of it what you will.

Another point is that my inventory of 12 gauge buckshot is pretty meager. Just try to find some in local stores or on-line right now! So having a shorter barrel 16 gauge repeater may be prudent. Hopefully things will not get all that bad but ...

I may have to expand my pool of acceptable guns, but this is not an urgent requirement so I will stick with my preference at least for the short term.
 
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If you can find a 500B it should be a reasonable price.

I shoot many more 16s to than any other gauge, and I reload most of them.
 
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2152 was right about them dropping the 16ga around 1976 . revelation 310b is a Mossberg 16ga made for western auto . Mossberg barrels fit it about after 1970 they had dual action bars early 60s only had one good dependable shooter used to be fairly cheap haven t seen one in while good luck on your search
 
Lots of other choices besides the Mossberg 500 are available if you are not hung up on it. Both the Remington 870 and 1100 were available in 16 gauge, but it has been more than 20 years since those were last made. I mentioned the Sears bolt action in 16 gauge I had many years ago. Not many today want a bolt action shotgun, but that Sears was a fine shooter, and they aren't rare at gun shows. I have no idea who made them, could have been Mossberg or Marlin for all I know. Winchester once made a Model 12 in 16 gauge, but I haven't seen one of those for a very long time.
 
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OP, there is an *almost* complete Mossberg 500b on Gunbroker right now: Mossberg 500B .16ga Complete Receiver - Pump Action Shotguns at GunBroker.com : 875091889

Starting bid $100, no bids so far, doubt there is going to be much competition. It is missing it's barrel, and that won't be easy for you to find. But if you do buy this one, you will have the regulated part, and if you find a barrel on eBay or Shotgunworld.com or someplance, you won't have to go through an FFL.

Good luck!
 
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