My New Shotgun Mossberg 500

[jimbo74]

Here is my new shotgun, a Mossberg 500. This is also the first gun I have ever owned. I was in the US Air Force over 5 years, so I carried an M16 while deployed (my avatar pic <<<< ) and familiar with the M9 as well.

Picked it up today from Big 5. Man, that 10 day wait is killer! I was like, ok 5 more days... then... every day was an eternity..

I got the Mossberg 500 Silver Combo.

Already swapped the shorter barrel onto it.

And bought some ammo.



The local indoor range allows slugs only, so I will be using those there.

A friend recommended a HD load called the MiBullet. They are $5 a round though, but may get these at a later time. What do you guys think of them? EDIT: ok, so I found a review by Gunrunnerz here, and he said it was junk. Although I like the idea, I think the ammo I got was/is pretty decent. It was actually what my local store said to use for HD. 12G ammo is expensive I think I got a deal at about $1 per round.....

[jimbo74]

As long as it isn't a sabot So I was doing some research, and those need a rifled barrel. I don't have that.

[T6pilot]

Change the plastic safety out, great shot gun no matter what handed you shoot

[jimbo74]

what is wrong with the stock safety?


Which would be the recommended and why?

I have Seen black Aces, ProMag, and Brownells, there may be others as well. Do I just need a new screw and the button, or do I need the whole kit with a new spring, ball etc?

[jimbo74]

Got some stuff today.



and ordered some ammo from ammosupplywarehouse.com

14 boxes of (5 rd) Rio Royal Low Recoil Slug 12 ga 2 3/4" for the range

4 boxes of (5 rd) Rio Royal #4 BUCK 12 ga 2 3/4" for HD

[jeffrice6]

Congrats!

[jimbo74]

so here is what I have right now....

The Federal on the left is 00 Buck, the left side of the box is #4 Buck, the right side is Rifled slugs, and the Federal on the right is also rifled slugs

[RedRiderF26]

I got my 500 from big 5 too. I got a camo finish combo. My longer barrel came ported and with 3 different chokes, awesome hunting gun. Your gonna like yours

[jimbo74]

sounds like you got a much higher end version than mine. Mine doesn't have adjustable chokes.

[jimbo74]

went to the range today, fired off the vital shock, and also my 18 of the other rifled slugs.... Pretty intense! and has a good bit of kick... my shoulder hurts. Found out there is a piece of wood in my magazine.. took it out, 5+1 capacity

[steel30]

That piece of wood is your tube magazine plug. Don't throw it away...you will need it to limit your tube mag capacity to 2 if you choose to hunt.

[jimbo74]

yeah, I learned all about it today.... So I started firing, and then went to the rangemaster, and was like, so I might be retarded, but I can only get 2 shells in here.... haha....

Also, doing some other learning, I don't have a choke on my field barrel.... do I need one? I mean, I don't think it is supposed to have one? what does the choke do? If I had one? I kinda feel that it would increase accuracy be necking down the projectiles into a tighter pattern....

Can you use a slug with a choke? I assume you wouldn't

[vinny_land]

Originally Posted by jimbo74

yeah, I learned all about it today.... So I started firing, and then went to the rangemaster, and was like, so I might be retarded, but I can only get 2 shells in here.... haha....

Also, doing some other learning, I don't have a choke on my field barrel.... do I need one? I mean, I don't think it is supposed to have one? what does the choke do? If I had one? I kinda feel that it would increase accuracy be necking down the projectiles into a tighter pattern....

Can you use a slug with a choke? I assume you wouldn't

Enjoy your new Mossberg 500. Your field barrel will have some sort of choke on it, meaning it is fixed and can't be changed, unless your buy a different barrel that accepts threaded chokes. If I remember, the field barrel comes IC or Mod.

[jimbo74]

ah ok...... not too worried about it..... Just didn't know about it.....

[Snerk]

Originally Posted by jimbo74

I think I got a deal at about $1 per round.....

I managed to pick up four boxes of steel birdshot for around $8/box. 25rds each...

Threw in a shotshell box and my total out the door after tax was $47. Under 50c/rd.

Granted, I don't have any slugs or buck.

[jimbo74]

birdshot is cheap, slugs and buck are not......

https://www.ammosupplywarehouse.com/

is where I got my stuff, 5 rds of #4 buck was $2.30

and 5 rds of rifled slugs were $2.90

[Thanatos2203]

Buckshot is cheap...you just have to know where to look.


http://www.jgsales.com/12ga-spartan,....-p-60160.html

[jimbo74]

[alpha_romeo_XV]

The Mossberg 500 combo was my 3rd gun purchase many years ago ("good old days", $89 and no 10 ten day wait). She's still working just fine after cases of shells through it. I did find a wood stock in the $10 bargain bin at gun show several years ago and put that on. I keep the short barrel on it for my home defense gun.

[jimbo74]

so looking @ yours, it has a silver intersection, and also noticed you have a swivel on your mag cap... Is your forend the newer design with the little rails that come off of it?

[alpha_romeo_XV]

Originally Posted by jimbo74

so looking @ yours, it has a silver intersection, and also noticed you have a swivel on your mag cap... Is your forend the newer design with the little rails that come off of it?

This Mossy is 35 years old, definitely not newer. I just looked at Mossberg's website and see some 500's have the blued bolt and some the chromed bolt, and some have the swivel sling stud barrel cap and others don't. Don't know what they're thinking is on this. If they give you a butt stock with a sling stud then why not one on the cap too? The rear stud is no good without the front one. No clue why some bolts are blued and some chromed.

[jimbo74]

Ah, ok definitely the old style then, not the pinned forend like I have

[snapshot7]

Originally Posted by jimbo74

Got some stuff today.

Fyi bore-snakes for shotgun barrels get real dirty real fast. I'll only use snakes cleaners for hand guns and rifles.

[bsg]

nice pick-up and congrats on your 1st. i purchased a Mossberg 500 from BIG5 back in time when you could buy your shotgun there on layaway. you could stretch out the time on your layaway if you were consistent with making payments. regardless of budgetary constraints, several youngsters that i knew were able to buy their 1st shotgun that way.

[jimbo74]

I am just noticing a couple things......

dry firing with snap caps at home

anyways, what does the little lever behind the trigger do?

also, my mag tube actually has a threaded hole, and my barrel screws into it.... well, there is about 1/16" gap or more, is that normal? or do I have a problem?

Ok, so the lever only sticks out when the firing pin is cocked back, if I pull the trigger, it releases/fires and sucks back up into the gun.... does it on safe and on fire

[Yohl]

The lever behind the trigger is your slide release button. You'll need to press that button to be able to rack your first round into the chamber

[jimbo74]

ok, I think I figured out what the lever does, when it is down, the firing pin is cocked back, but until it is fired and goes back up, you can't cycle it. if you push it in while it is in this state, it allows you to cycle it, without pulling the trigger

why?

I assume this is for clearing a round that is already in the chamber without shooting it?

I assume it is best to store it with the pin not cocked, and with an empty mag? with safety on?

if i was storing it loaded for HD, I would leave the barrel empty, and just my 5 in the mag, or I would have to leave the hammer cocked, with safety on?

[jimbo74]

Originally Posted by Yohl

The lever behind the trigger is your slide release button. You'll need to press that button to be able to rack your first round into the chamber

can't I drop a round in from the side? with the action back? I just did this, and didn't use the lever?

[jimbo74]

ok, so I think I figured out what you are saying......

I do want to ask if there is a way to decock it, without dry firing it with nothing in the chamber..... if it is cycled, I don't think there is any way to decock it, for storage and safe

[usmcchet9296]

Originally Posted by jimbo74

what is wrong with the stock safety?


Which would be the recommended and why?

I have Seen black Aces, ProMag, and Brownells, there may be others as well. Do I just need a new screw and the button, or do I need the whole kit with a new spring, ball etc?

The 500 series and the 590 (not A1) come with plastic trigger guard and safety and they have been known to fail so it is wise to replace them with steel parts when you can ..... nothing will ruin your day when the tabs on your stock plastic triggers break off and the whole trigger housing falls out. At the range thats just funny but if you are in a fight or flight situation that could be bad

[SandHill]

Originally Posted by usmcchet9296

The 500 series and the 590 (not A1) come with plastic trigger guard and safety and they have been known to fail so it is wise to replace them with steel parts when you can ..... nothing will ruin your day when the tabs on your stock plastic triggers break off and the whole trigger housing falls out. At the range thats just funny but if you are in a fight or flight situation that could be bad

I had the plastic safety break on mine. Didn't break all the way off and didn't cause the whole trigger housing to fall out. However, it did cause the gun to slip into safety mode when I didn't intend that. Drove me crazy. For a while I put a piece of duct tape on it so it wouldn't slip into safe accidentally when I was shooting trap with it.

Sent it back to Mossberg for warranty repair. They replaced the plastic safety with a steel one and paid shipping for return. Gotta love that.

Before this happened to me, I thought people who worried about the plastic parts were being paranoid, but now I get it.

[jimbo74]

so, I added a Tacticool piece today..... It's my gun, and I like the way it looks I will need to take it to the range though, and see if it makes me any more or less accurate, as looking down the barrel isn't the same anymore, however, if I do both eyes, might not even matter



It is a Weaver branded rail, was only $8, and I put it on with blue threadlocker

[BretByron]

It's a safety so you don't accidently rack the first round in.

The 590 A1 was my first purchase ever.

[BretByron]

It's a safety so you don't accidently rack the first round in.

The 590 A1 was my first purchase ever. $250

[jimbo74]

what is a safety so I don't rack a round in? I don't get it, I put a Rail on top?

[BretByron]

what is a safety so I don't rack a round in? I don't get it, I put a Rail on top?

No. The little lever next to the trigger.

[GrinderCB]

I still own one of those. They used to refer to it as the "Big 5 Combo" cuz Big 5 Sporting Goods had a somewhat exclusive for a while. Good shooter for a basic, all-purpose starter shotgun. Later I went on GB and bought a set of used walnut furniture to replace the plastic stuff - I like the cop-shotgun look. Considering buying a used 20" slugster barrel for deer season.

[LowThudd]

Originally Posted by jimbo74

ok, so I think I figured out what you are saying......

I do want to ask if there is a way to decock it, without dry firing it with nothing in the chamber..... if it is cycled, I don't think there is any way to decock it, for storage and safe

No, you cannot decock it. That is why the lever is needed. So you can chamber a round, or open the action or unload the gun, without pressing the trigger. .

[CandG]

I can't believe I still don't own a pump shotgun. Those Big 5 combos are great, hard to go wrong with that. One day I'll pick one up, right now I have bigger fish to fry (or rather, the legislature does). Congrats OP, enjoy!

My advice to you, as a new gun owner, take it easy on the accessories for a while. Most new gun enthusiasts, almost invariably, spend a small fortune buying toys for their new gun. Within a couple months, most of those toys end up in a box. Just enjoy it the way Mossberg intended for you to enjoy it, at least until you get a much better feel for what kinds of upgrades you might want in the future. Spend that money on ammo instead, for now. I know you probably won't listen to me, because I wouldn't have listened to me either when I was a new gun owner

[jimbo74]

I wish I would have known about the removable chokes, that I don't have...... but oh well, live and learn