Mossberg 500 Forend Removal

[arib]

I just got a mossberg 500 and I want to put a hogue forend and stock on it since the originals feel like junk. Before I order them I want to know how to remove the forend. Is it only held on by the retaining clip or is there a nut I'm not seeing. I'm stumped!

[sloguy]

I just got a mossberg 500 and I want to put a hogue forend and stock on it since the originals feel like junk. Before I order them I want to know how to remove the forend. Is it only held on by the retaining clip or is there a nut I'm not seeing. I'm stumped!

first, remove the forend from the action. you will see 2 notches in the metal at the front. you need to use a square edged piece of metal to turn that nut off. thats it.

ive sucessfully used the tang of a file to turn that nut in the past.

[Rob454]

Actually you need to remove the barrel. to do this slide the fore end towards the back ( as if you were pumping in a round and i know this is obvious but make sure its unloaded) leave the slide towards the back. dont pump it back forward.) on the end of the mag tube there is a nut with knurled sides. remove the nut. Once you remove the nut the barrel shoudl slide free of the receiver. it may take some wiggling. once barrel is removed you will be left with the mag tube and the receiver. if you look at the tip of the foregrip there will be a large nut with two notches . I usually use a long screwdriver with a small flat head tip. i wrap the screwdriver in tape so i dont scratch the gun. then unscrew the nut. the forend will simply slide off once you take off the nut but in my case I had to really work at getting the forend off. Removing the barrel makes it easier to do the swap
Rob

[sloguy]

Actually you need to remove the barrel. to do this slide the fore end towards the back ( as if you were pumping in a round and i know this is obvious but make sure its unloaded) leave the slide towards the back. dont pump it back forward.) on the end of the mag tube there is a nut with knurled sides. remove the nut. Once you remove the nut the barrel shoudl slide free of the receiver. it may take some wiggling. once barrel is removed you will be left with the mag tube and the receiver. if you look at the tip of the foregrip there will be a large nut with two notches . I usually use a long screwdriver with a small flat head tip. i wrap the screwdriver in tape so i dont scratch the gun. then unscrew the nut. the forend will simply slide off once you take off the nut but in my case I had to really work at getting the forend off. Removing the barrel makes it easier to do the swap
Rob

better to remove the forend from the frame. removing that nut while the forend is on the mag tube is asking for complications. specially in a new gun thats never been apart before.

[wilit]

FYI, be sure to measure the action slide tube (the thing the forend is attached to) before you order your new forend grip. Mossberg has two different sized tubes. The one that came on my 500A is 7 5/8". I ordered a Choate forend pistol grip and also an ATI grooved forend grip and both are designed for the 8 7/8" action slide tube. I was able to cut down the Choate grip to make it work with the shorter slide tube, but the ATI wasn't able to be modified to work.

[arib]

The tip of the forend is totally solid- there is no place to stick a screwdriver. Looking at the exploded view in the manual I see where everything is, but it doesn't correspond to the gun. The forend is directly on the mag tube so I don't know wtf is up. I have an 870 so I know what your talking with the forend nut, but I'm just not seeing it.

[sloguy]

The tip of the forend is totally solid- there is no place to stick a screwdriver. Looking at the exploded view in the manual I see where everything is, but it doesn't correspond to the gun. The forend is directly on the mag tube so I don't know wtf is up. I have an 870 so I know what your talking with the forend nut, but I'm just not seeing it.

i will digital videotape disassembly if you want. its very easy once you know how. just lemme know if you need that.

[arib]

Sloguy if you could viedotape it that'd be awesome. I'm looking at the gun right now and there is no "action slide assembly" and no "action slide tube nut" like there is on the diagram. There is a clip at the back of the forend that fits in the notches on the action bars. The forend rides directly on the magtube so I'm still stumped. Its a brand new big 5 combo if it matters.

[wilit]

Sloguy if you could viedotape it that'd be awesome. I'm looking at the gun right now and there is no "action slide assembly" and no "action slide tube nut" like there is on the diagram. There is a clip at the back of the forend that fits in the notches on the action bars. The forend rides directly on the magtube so I'm still stumped. Its a brand new big 5 combo if it matters.

Can you take a picture of it and post it? That doesn't sound right.

[arib]

yeah i'll try with my cell phone

[arib]

i can only figure out how to get an extremely small pic so if anyone can enlarge it or even see what i'm talking about please chime in.

[sloguy]

i can only figure out how to get an extremely small pic so if anyone can enlarge it or even see what i'm talking about please chime in.

[shinigami]

I have a Mossberg 500A and have a 6 3/4" forend tube (5+1) and had to buy a forend adapter nut when I bought a Hogue forend.

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=643889&t=11082005

[arib]

Thanks for the pics sloguy. Looking at them I can definitely tell mine is different. On mine, there is no gap or nut at the tip of the forend. The forend sits directly on the magtube and is directly attached to the action bars. I was just at big 5 and the other combo models were the exact same, but the 8 shot ones (with the forend like sloguys) had the nut and everything you guys describe. I don't know if thats just the new mossy design or if its just put together wrong (I don't think its defective cause it fires with snap caps and cycles shells fine). I'm gonna try and shoot it on Saturday and hopefully it'll be fine, but at this point I feel like I should've just got another barrel for my 870.

edit: shinigami does that adapter nut screw onto anything? if your forend is like mine and rides directly on the magtube please tell me how the @#$% you got it off because this is driving me crazy.

[shinigami]

The nut is recessed, there is a tool that you can buy called a forend wrench, it's a good tool to have if you're worried about scratching your gun or damaging the threads.

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=723227&t=11082005

If you don't have the tool (I didn't) I fabricated a metal bar that fits the slots on the nut. Then used a monkey wrench to turn the metal bar. It took me a few minutes to take it off. Once it's off, you'll see that the forend nut screws into the action slide tube assembly.

#5 in this diagram

http://www.nrapublications.org/TAR/MossbergExView.asp

The Big 5 Mossberg combo has a bigger (fatter?) forend than the 8 shot version. But basically it's the same thing.

Can you take a bigger picture file of it?