In an earlier article I talked about having two pump shotguns fall into my lap for something like $300.00 and was forced to re-think where the defense shotgun fills a niche for me. The Howa 3000 was outfitted as a basic room broom with only very basic concessions made to making the gun more useful as far as a sling and carrying some spare ammo. Let me reiterate that for me the shotgun works best as a short range weapon in defense of a static position. I am not trying to use it as a substitute for a rifle.
This next shotgun is a basic Mossberg 500 that I was lucky enough to get with the short 18 inch barrel right off. For some reason the previous owners had a thing for pistol grips, placing a premium on storage and concealability over being able to hit a target. Having owned Mossberg 500s in the past I have some take off parts. The first order of business was to put a proper stock on it. I cut the stock to fit me and ground the recoil pad it came with to fit, waste not and all that.
The pistol grip was okay if a bit thick in the wrist, but really I was looking for some texture to help improve the grip. I chucked a carbide grinding ball into the old Dremel and stippled the grip to add that texture. I suppose I should stain or refinish it at some point, but for now it works as I want it. I was lucky in that the previous owner either stored it away from moisture or actually wiped it down with oil from time to time.
The barrel came with the ventilated heat shield installed. I removed it at once; my experience with the damn things is that they allow for dirt and moisture to become trapped underneath and encourage rusting beneath the heat shield. The bead sight had been knocked off and not having one; I had to order a replacement. This was where I had to step back and think about what I wanted as opposed to what I needed. I wasn’t necessarily opposed to making it more capable, but I had to balance that against consideration like: how would I realistically employ this gun, money spent, time and a budget.
In any kind of shooting, you have to be able to hit your target to be effective. Being visual creatures, we probably should be able to identify our targets before we shoot. So it was with those considerations in mind that I wound up purchasing the Ashley Outdoors tritium Big Dot bead sight and the MAGPUL forend. All said, I was something like less than $100.00 dollars out of pocket. To my way of thinking the MAGPUL forend was a good and inexpensive way of mounting an existing light so as to identify what I am pointing my shotgun at and the Big Dot sight is easy to pick up quickly.
I won’t get into the actual details of installation. I will say this, If you are capable of reading and following instruction and employing some critical thinking, you will be able to do this. Something like less than an hour later I was in business. I had to clean the barrel down to bare metal for a clean surface for the JB Weld to attach to and you will need to let the stuff cure overnight. In any event, the Mossberg is mostly how I want it and it works. I run standard 2 ¾” #4 buckshot, because 24 pellets around .25 caliber coming at you is probably going to be very memorable. I keep some Brenneke slugs for when things need punching through.
The Mossberg 500 itself, while not as smooth as a Remington 870 has better thought out features. The aluminum receiver that people criticize is not under stress as the bolt locks up into a barrel extension and it makes for a lighter and easier gun to handle. Twin extractors are another good feature, but the ejector is a well thought out piece of manufacturing. The ejector is screwed into the receiver and is easily replaced if damaged and requires no special tools. The shell lifter is directly actuated by the forend and not spring loaded like most of its competitors and it is skeletonized so you can access a shell that might slipped past the shell latch. The action release is right behind the trigger guard and is easily accessible. The safety is a sliding catch mounted on top of the receiver and is easily reached. The magazine tube is not brazed into the receiver and is easily replaced by the end user and doesn’t require returning to the manufacturer in the event you should damage the tube magazine. It’s a solid piece of work, well thought out and functional.
The total package in all its ghetto gloriousness. Tips the scales at 7.5 lbs, the ability to see justifies the extra weight, but otherwise the gun is light, fast and easy handling.
The total package in all its ghetto gloriousness. Tips the scales at 7.5 lbs, the ability to see justifies the extra weight, but otherwise the gun is light, fast and easy handling.
Great work on the Mossberg 500! Your practical upgrades—like the MAGPUL forend ,Big Dot sight and other Firearm Accessories make a solid shotgun even better. The attention to detail and personal touch are impressive. Keep it up!
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