My First Firearm...a Mossberg 500

[MJS888]

I have a few newbie questions about my new Mossberg 500 (with 18.5" and 28" barrels), which is my first firearm. I decided on this brand due to the convenient location of the action release and safety control for lefties. I also picked up some ammo but so far have only fired snap caps. The gun presented me with a few puzzles that the owners manual did not address. First, there was the little nub-headed screw in a paper envelope that looked like the stub sticking out of the stock. I eventually noticed the threaded hole on the magazine cap and figured that one out.

I also found in the box a three inch long black metal part, mostly rectangular, with a hole in one end. Anyone know what that is?

In addition, lying loose in the box was a clamp with a thumb screw in the middle that appears designed to hold two cylindrical objects in parallel. It seems possible this clamp was used to secure the second gun barrel in the box (the gun I purchased was on display at the store). Could it also be used to mount a flashlight to the magazine tube?

I next noticed that the magazine would not accept more than two shells. My first thought was that California may have a law prohibiting shotgun magazines from holding more than two shells and I would have to return the gun and buy another after leaving the state! I called the gun store where I purchased it and was told the magazine contains a plug which can be removed by first removing the gun barrel (which requires removal of the magazine cap) and then unscrewing another part on the end of the magazine tube. I did see a thin etched line about 3 mm from the end of the magazine tube and I nearly tore the skin off my thumb trying to unscrew it! Then I searched youtube and discovered how to remove the plug. (The end of the magazine tube does not unscrew!)

When I cycle the action after firing, the ejected shell (snap cap) usually hits my right arm (I am left handed). Are there any common types of spent shotgun shells which get hot enough to burn?

Does it harm the gun to pull the trigger (safety off) without a shell or snap cap in the chamber?

[Travis590A1]

Dry firing is never great for any gun but a couple times here and again you will be fine. There is a wooden "plug" in the mag tube, very easy to remove. Usually snap caps weigh less or more than standard shells depending on the load. I'm left handed and I have never had a shell eject and hit me. By the way welcome to the world of guns, be warned its addicting. I started with a mossberg 500 at 18 years old I'm now 26 and I own over a dozen firearms and hope to own many many more have fun and be safe.

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[Zarovich]

My first gun after the birth of my first child. Stockton!

[Sweden9]

Good choice for a first gun. Every one needs at least one shotgun. I started with the same setup but in 20 ga.

(I also found in the box a three inch long black metal part, mostly rectangular, with a hole in one end. Anyone know what that is?)

It is for removing the choke tube. It probably came with a modified choke.

(In addition, lying loose in the box was a clamp with a thumb screw in the middle that appears designed to hold two cylindrical objects in parallel. It seems possible this clamp was used to secure the second gun barrel in the box (the gun I purchased was on display at the store). Could it also be used to mount a flashlight to the magazine tube?)

Yes it is for keeping the barrels apart during shipping and for store display.
You can use it for a flashlight clamp, I have, but if you want to use a light for HD I would not use it. There are much better options out there.

[89 Vision]

Excellent first choice. My first gun when I turned 18 was a Maverick 88, the poor stepchild to the Mossberg 500. You're off to a good start.

[dut]

Nice. My first was a Mossberg 500 as well, Tactical model.

[billofrights]

I ran into the same thing with the wooden dowel plugging the chamber when I got mine. I was all panicky and finally read the manual.

For all of the BS stickers and notifications you have to slap on everything, it'd be nice to have a big blaze orange one saying "BARREL PLUGGED, OWNER MUST REMOVE."

[Merc1138]

I ran into the same thing with the wooden dowel plugging the chamber when I got mine. I was all panicky and finally read the manual.

For all of the BS stickers and notifications you have to slap on everything, it'd be nice to have a big blaze orange one saying "BARREL PLUGGED, OWNER MUST REMOVE."

Wooden dowel in the barrel? You mean the magazine tube? That's not something you have to remove, as depending on what you intend to use it for and where you are, you may need the magazine tube to be plugged to only hold 1 or 2 rounds.

That's pretty much most shotguns.

[MJS888]

Good choice for a first gun. Every one needs at least one shotgun. I started with the same setup but in 20 ga.

(I also found in the box a three inch long black metal part, mostly rectangular, with a hole in one end. Anyone know what that is?)

It is for removing the choke tube. It probably came with a modified choke.

(In addition, lying loose in the box was a clamp with a thumb screw in the middle that appears designed to hold two cylindrical objects in parallel. It seems possible this clamp was used to secure the second gun barrel in the box (the gun I purchased was on display at the store). Could it also be used to mount a flashlight to the magazine tube?)

Yes it is for keeping the barrels apart during shipping and for store display.
You can use it for a flashlight clamp, I have, but if you want to use a light for HD I would not use it. There are much better options out there.

Thanks for cluing me in about the choke tube tool! I did not realize that my 28" barrel has a choke installed. BTW, I also chose the 20 gauge. My research led me to believe that a 20 gauge round of #2 or #3 buckshot would have more than ample stopping power in a close range self-defense situation (and "rounds on target" is generally more important than "stopping power") . I've managed to acquire some 3 inch #2 buckshot shells and 2.75 inch #3 buckshot shells (which were much harder to find than birdshot rounds).

I tried out that clamp on the end of the magazine tube and it seems like a pretty secure way to mount a small flashlight, and Amazon does have a couple of very powerful and inexpensive small flashlights for sale... Do the "better options" to which you referred all involve installing rails on the shotgun or replacing the forend?

[five.five-six]

No, you can't just step out on the front porch and blast 2 in the air to scare burglers away.

[MJS888]

Dry firing is never great for any gun but a couple times here and again you will be fine. There is a wooden "plug" in the mag tube, very easy to remove. Usually snap caps weigh less or more than standard shells depending on the load. I'm left handed and I have never had a shell eject and hit me....

My A-Zoom snap caps weigh about the same as my 2-3/4" birshot rounds and less than my 3" buckshot shells; however I think whatever is left of the buckshot shells after they're fired would weight less than the snap caps. I noticed a bit more force is required to eject a snap cap from the chamber than to load a snap cap into an empty chamber (from the magazine). Is this the case with real spent ammo, or does the lighter weight of a fired/emptied shell reduce the force required to cycle the action?

Are spent shotgun shells hot (to the touch) right after having been fired?

[MJS888]

I ran into the same thing with the wooden dowel plugging the chamber when I got mine. I was all panicky and finally read the manual.

My manual did not mention the magazine plug (or the clamp or the choke tube tool). Perhaps the Mossberg manual is getting worse over time.

[Dattebayo]

From my personal experience, I haven't found any change in force required to chamber or eject a round. At the same time, I cycle the pump with authority to ensure I don't short pump it and end up with an empty chamber. Thing I do like a lot about the Mossberg line shotguns is their dual extractors which extract a shotgun round a lot better than a single extractor. You really don't have to put any force and the extractors make the shells pop right out.

The only thing that I imagine that would get hot to touch in a shotshell will be the brass base, as the powders are often seperated by paper or felt and rest inside this brass base. The rest of the hull is often composed of either a plastic or paper which don't transfer heat well.

[TigerShark]

Sweden - I recently bought a Mossberg combo. There was a parallel clamp to secure the barrels for transport.

[JDay]

There's a plug in the magazine tube limiting you to two rounds for hunting migratory birds, it is easily removed. And dry firing only hurts revolvers and rimfire firearms, anyone who says otherwise doesn't know what they're talking about. Dunno what those extra parts are for, I got mine years ago and it came with nothing other than the barrels.

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