MOSSBERG 500 SHORTCOMINGS

[williejc]

Despite having a few years' experience with Mossberg 500s, 590s, and 590a1, I can't explain why the Model 500 is a poor self defense choice. However, I can give reasons why 590s and 590A1s are excellent choices. I do know that the 500 has a plastic tang safety prone to breaking and that the magazine tube can't be easily removed for cleaning or spring replacement. Perhaps 26INF(Mossberg armorer)can tell us more about the 500's shortcomings. Are the action parts and receiver identical to the 590 series?

[26 Inf]

Despite having a few years' experience with Mossberg 500s, 590s, and 590a1, I can't explain why the Model 500 is a poor self defense choice. However, I can give reasons why 590s and 590A1s are excellent choices. I do know that the 500 has a plastic tang safety prone to breaking and that the magazine tube can't be easily removed for cleaning or spring replacement. Perhaps 26INF(Mossberg armorer)can tell us more about the 500's shortcomings. Are the action parts and receiver identical to the 590 series?

I really can't say that the 500 is a bad choice for home defense use, my experience is that they are not good for extended rugged use.

We currently have 3 Mossy 500 Mariners and 4 Mossberg 590A1's. Prior to getting the 590's all the officers coming through training who shot Mossbergs and used our Academy shotguns shot the 500's. We shoot rain or shine, hot or cold and the magazine tubes on the 500's always gave us problems - the followers (when we used factory) would hang up and either fail to feed the shell from the tube, or feed it slowly enough it the shell would drop onto the ground. As noted the 500 tubes are harder to clean/replace springs than a Remington - but with a heat gun and a strap wrench you can actually get it done fairly quickly without a lot of drama - we use the heat gun because we loctite them in.

Additionally, on our 500's it is imperative the shooter locks out on the forearm - pushing forward. Generally this is good form with any pump shotgun, but with the 500's if the shooter is pulling back the weapon often misfires. If you look, pulling back on the forearm actually tilts the bolt slightly, angling the breech face against the chambered round and causing low, light strikes on the primer, generally resulting in a FTF. Our 500's went back to the factory once, came back and started doing it again shortly after we got them back. We did all the trouble shooting before we sent them in, the trip back to the factory was a last resort. I'd hesitate to say these shotguns have seen 10,000 rounds each, but certainly close to 5,000.

Another problem with Mossbergs in general (from my perspective) is the longevity of their mag springs. We replace a lot more Mossberg springs, on our guns and on student guns, then we do Remingtons. I know that keeping springs under tension isn't supposed to harm them, but many of the agency weapons we see have sat loaded in units for extended periods of time and they often have issues with the last one or two rounds feeding.

The 500 and the 590 have plastic trigger plates and tang safeties. The 590 barrel is thinner walled than the 590A1. The AI has a metal trigger plate and safety.

If I was building one I would get a 590 and put on the metal components. In fact I think I might.

My son still shoots the DU 500 I bought him at a banquet 20 years ago, his wife trains retrievers and he shoots hundreds of birds each year working dogs, it still keeps on ticking - he prefers to spend his money on fancy compound bows.

[williejc]

Thank you for providing this excellent narrative on the Mossberg 500/590 series. From having talked with their customer service folks at least five times, I wish to assure everyone here that you know more about their product than do a lot of the people working for Mossberg. On this site I learned about Mossberg springs not giving the best service and replaced those in my guns with Wolfe springs. I've had a lifelong love affair with 870s and deeply regret that they have lost their standing because of QC issues. But, in my senior years I no longer view the Mossberg 590s as clunkers and accept them.

In 1981 I went through the Texas Prison System's academy. One day I asked their shotgun expert what he thought about Mossbergs. He replied that a Mossberg is like a 2 inch peter. It's ok around the house but not too good on the road.

[26 Inf]

williejc - you owe me a new cup of coffee after that last line!

[williejc]

You got it.

[Ron3]

I've had some 500's and a 590 and never had any trouble with them. Mind you they didn't get run very hard.

I don't have a pump shotgun anymore but am considering picking one up.

Is the Mossberg safety breaking really a problem or just a repeated rumor? I haven't seen a broken one yet.

[austinN4]

Is the Mossberg safety breaking really a problem or just a repeated rumor? I haven't seen a broken one yet.

Easily replaced with the metal one.

[williejc]

I've seen only one.

[charliefox]

Two separate animals for two separate tasks - the 500 evolved from a hunting gun that would be somewhat babied in the field; heck, they sold it with the 18" barrel as an afterthought (more for slug hunting than home defense at first). The 500 will hold up to moderate use and abuse - my department had these in each of their 4 patrol cars for years without them braking anything and they always worked on range day (thank goodness we never had to use them in the other way). The 590 was developed as the much tougher big brother to the 500, built for tough use like military combat. The 590 will always beat the 500 in durability, but if you want a well built using shotgun to put in your closet for a rainy day you can't go wrong with either; one of those old 500's from my former department lives in my bedroom closet loaded with OO Buck and still works like a charm.

[26 Inf]

Is the Mossberg safety breaking really a problem or just a repeated rumor? I haven't seen a broken one yet.

Me neither on the broken, bigger problem is the safety coming loose and the detent ball not holding it in the disengaged position or actually losing the detent ball.

Likewise with the metal versus plastic trigger plate - never seen a problem with either that I would specificlly relate to the plastic - on either Mossberg or Remingtons. The Mossberg would be more likely to have problems in this area than the Remington simply because of the way the Mossberg trigger plate goes into the receiver via the front tabs.

I think I need to also make clear that other than our Academy shotguns, which are run hard and put away wet, I don't see many high mileage police shotguns. Most get fired several times a year, if that, and spend most of their time in a case in the trunk or setting in the rack. Other than springs, most often LE armorer service consists of cleaning up the crap that gets into them while sitting in the units - and that isn't as much of an issue as it used to be since many agencies have either relegated the shotgun to a case in the trunk, or an overhead rack.

A gunsmith who sees a lot of high mileage hunting shotguns, or works on 3-gun shotguns might have a completely different perspective.

And I agree with Charliefox, unless you are going to shoot massive amounts - 'but if you want a well built using shotgun to put in your closet for a rainy day you can't go wrong with either; one of those old 500's from my former department lives in my bedroom closet loaded with OO Buck and still works like a charm.'