(This is a reader gun review contest entry, click here for more details – enter by December 26th!)
By Nicholas Oetken
When I buy a new gun, it has to fulfill a specific purpose that is not yet fulfilled by a gun I already own. This is purely for cost reasons since I’m not exactly made out of money; otherwise I’m pretty sure I’d have several, overflowing gun safes. Previously, the only shotgun I owned was an antique double barreled 12-gauge that I inherited, but it’s so beat up and rusty I’m still afraid to shoot it. I needed something reliable to be my home defense cannon and something else with a longer barrel for bird hunting and skeet shooting. So . . .
Rather than purchase two different shotguns to fulfill these roles, I elected to go with a one shotgun and two barrels. I admit part of this decision was based on cost, but a larger part of it was because I wanted a shotgun that would be as truly versatile and multi-purpose as I could ask for.
I’ve been skeet and trap shooting, bird hunting and blasting pumpkins apart for as long as I can remember. I’ve handled and fired nearly every kind of shotgun there is under the sun: pump actions, semi-autos, double barrels and breech loaders from several manufacturers. Based on these experiences, I knew I wanted a 12-gauge pump action, and something that was of good reputation with aftermarket parts and accessories widely available. As you may have guessed, things narrowed down to a Mossberg 500 and a Remington 870.
I agonized for a month, religiously on the lookout for sales in local sporting goods stores and online, patiently waiting for the right deal. Finally, one of the stores had a sale going on for a Mossberg 500 Field Combo, with an 18.5-inch and a 28-inch vented rib barrel, for a price I simply couldn’t pass up. It was a good thing I got it when I did, since I was told by the manager behind the counter that I’d picked up the last one in stock.
I’m not here to start another fight in the undying Mossberg vs. Remington war. I’ve had many opportunities to shoot and familiarize myself with the two pieces of Americana throughout my life, and I respect them both. But considering the immense popularity they both hold and the fact that my uncle privileged me with handling his own 870 Express next to my 500 this past fall, it’s going to be impossible for me to write a review without mentioning at least some of the differences between the two. Moving on….
Opening the Box
I took the Mossberg 500 Field Combo home in its factory cardboard box, which I honestly found to be rather cheap. Couldn’t Mossberg at least pack their guns with Styrofoam sheets or some form of padding? Regardless, I was quickly filled with joy when opening the box revealed the shotgun, both barrels, a safety lock, a magazine stopper (unfortunately it’s illegal to hunt with more than three shells loaded at a time in some states), and the manual.
The first thing I noticed pulling the 500 out of the box was how light it was. This gun weighs just over seven pounds, which immediately made me think about how it would handle on the range. I was already eying the rubber recoil pad at the butt of the gun, figuring I’d appreciate it when the time came to shoot the next day.
Typical of most Mossbergs, this 500 has an aluminum alloy receiver, contrasting heavily with the steel of an 870. This is the area where many Mossy and Remmy fans draw the line. Both hold their share of pros and cons; while the alloy frame supposedly isn’t as durable, but more resistant to rust, the steel is supposed to be more durable, but more prone to rusting.
Even though all 500s have interchangeable barrels, given they have the same magazine capacity, without this kit I would have had to buy one of the barrels separate. By going with the Field Combo, I basically got a barrel for free. That said, both of the barrels have a smooth, blued finish. The vented rib barrel in particular is double beaded and choked, which for me is a must with any shotgun I’m going to be using for hunting and clay shooting.
A notable feature of this 500 is something that not all 500’s come equipped with: a silver trigger made out of a stainless protection that Mossberg calls marinecoat. Mossberg makes a 500/590 variant called the Mariner where nearly everything on the outside except the pump, trigger guard and stock is made out of this material.
Controls
One reason I ended up choosing the Mossberg 500 is because I’ve always preferred the location of the operator controls over the 870. I know, I know, a lot of people are going to tell me the 870 or whatever else is better, but I respect everyone’s gun preferences and hope they’ll respect mine as well. To me, the controls on the 500 are right where I naturally want them to be.
The safety on the 500, being placed atop the rear of the receiver, is naturally ambidextrous. I don’t know about you, but I find this to be significantly more convenient than the trigger guard safeties you’ll find on the 870’s and other shotguns. When holding the gun with either hand, I can easily flick the safety on and off.
I also greatly appreciate how the slide release button on the 500 is placed to the rear of the trigger guard. This means I don’t have to extend my fingers as far to reach it, at least compared to the 870, where the slide release is placed on the front of the guard.
A general consensus I’ve seem form among people is that the action on the Mossy isn’t as smooth as the Remmy, and after comparing the 500 with my uncle’s 870 side-by-side to make a final opinion myself, I have to agree. Nonetheless, that doesn’t mean the Mossberg’s action is bad at all. It feels tough enough and certainly makes that classic movie noise when you pump it; it just isn’t as smooth.
Switching the Barrels
Switching the barrels on the 500 Field Combo is incredibly straightforward, another plus I love about this shotgun. All you have to do is unscrew the magazine knob, and then pull the action down midway. The barrel will pull right off from the receiver with a slight twisting motion. Then, place the end of another barrel into the receiver, screw the knob into the magazine tube, and pump the action.
Since I’m talking about the barrel change, I might as well mention a huge difference between the 500 and the 590 in the design of the magazine tube. Whereas the tubes of the 500 are closed at the end of the muzzle, the 590 can be opened at the muzzle end. This means that it’s significantly easier to clean and replace parts with the 590, something I seriously wish the 500 had. I guess I can’t blame Mossberg, since the 590 and 590A1 are supposed to be a step up from the 500, but it’s still my least favorite feature of the Field Combo.
Range Time
I gathered a variety of different kinds of Federal and Estate 12-gauge birdshot and headed out to the range. I admit I was a little nervous. Considering the lightweight of the 500, I was worried the recoil of the gun would kick hard into my shoulder. I fitted the 18.5 inch barrel on first. I leaned forward, pressed the rubber recoil pad tight to my shoulder, took a breath, and fired.
Surprisingly enough, the 500 handled very well. It wasn’t just the rubber pad that made the gun so great to shoot; the recoil was much more manageable than I had remembered with other 12-gauges I’ve fired in my lifetime. Even so, I still appreciate having the rubber pad at the butt of the gun. I racked another shell into the chamber and fired again. Next thing I knew I was firing faster than I could rack in new shells into the chamber.
I switched the barrels after the short one became hot, and resumed firing at a variety of targets. The 28 inch barrel gave me noticeably longer range than the 18 inch, and the double beads definitely aided in accuracy. Any clay pigeons that I had missed with the short barrel I more than made up for with the 28 inch.
The trigger on the 500 is crisp even if it requires a bit of extra pull, but it gets the job done. Besides, while I’m shooting a shotgun of any kind, the trigger is typically the last thing I think about.
Reliability
Mossberg claims that only the Mossberg 500/590 series has passed the MilSpec 3443 Torture Test by the U.S Military. The examination assessed the reliability, interchangeability, drop tests, endurance, and quality of many different pump action shotguns. With Mossberg emerging as the winner of the pack, the 500/590 series was subsequently adopted by the military for several years. Currently, however, they are being phased out in favor of the M26 Modular Accessory Shotgun System, which can be mounted under the barrel of an M4 carbine.
With that in mind, I’ve fired hundreds of rounds through the 500, and I only encountered one misfire. I’m assuming this was due to faulty ammo, since the firing pin had engaged the primer but the shell hadn’t fired. I ejected the shell, racked in a new one, and the Mossberg continued to fire as reliably as before. I’ve encountered no other jams or problems of any kind.
Applicability
Applicability wise, you can use the Field Combo for just about anything a shotgun can be used for. Yes, you can use a short 18.5 inch barrel for hunting and clay shooting, and yes, you can use an extended 28 inch vented rib barrel for home defense if you needed to. But I love the versatility of having both barrels and the ease of switching them out. The Mossberg 500 Field Combo can fulfill all of the roles I can ever think of needing a shotgun for: home defense, trap and skeet, hunting, and most importantly, blasting pumpkins apart and branches off of trees.
Conclusion
It’s a Mossberg, it’s a pump action, it’s a 12 gauge, it comes with two barrels, and it goes boom. What more could I ask for? I was in the market for a shotgun or shotguns that I could have for both home defense and hunting/clay shooting, and I found it with the Mossberg 500 Field Combo.
Here’s the thing, you don’t have to be a Mossberg guy or gal if you want a field combo set. You can easily get a two barrel configuration from other shotgun manufacturers as well, for both pump actions and semi autos.
As for me, the Mossberg 500 Field Combo is versatile, lightweight, and reliable. It works and that’s what counts.
Specifications:
Chamber: 12-gauge
Barrels: 18 inch and 28 inch vented rib
Capacity: 5+1
Weight: 7 ¼ pounds
Receiver: Aluminum Alloy
Barrel Finish: Blued
Trigger: Marinecoat
MSRP: $320
Ratings (Out of Five Stars):
Ergonomics: * * * *
As far as shotguns go, the 500 is comfortable if not ground-breaking when it comes to ergonomics. Mossberg definitely had both right and left handed shooters in mind when they designed this shotgun back in 1960.
Controls: * * * * ½
I prefer the controls of the 500 over other pump shotguns I’ve used in my life. Everything is right where I naturally need them to be. The action isn’t quite as smooth as an 870, but that’s no issue for me.
Reliability: * * * * ½
Mossberg claims this is the only pump action shotgun to pass the army’s torture test, and I’m inclined to believe it based on my experiences with the gun. The one and only misfire I’ve ever had I’m sure is due to faulty ammo, but just in case, I’ll have to lower the score just a notch.
Accuracy: * * * * *
Well, this is a shotgun, so anything I am closely aiming at is practically going to get hit. The 28-inch barrel increases the range of this gun by a mile.
Customization: * * * * *
Over the years, Mossberg has invested much into the accessories and add-ons for the 500/590 series. Rail attachments, stocks, grips, lights, magazine tubes and barrels are everywhere.
Overall: * * * * ½
It’s going to be tough for me to find a pump action shotgun that can beat the quality and versatility of the Mossberg 500 Field Combo. I plan on putting this one to good use!
Guess I’m getting that 590A1 next weekend. There goes the Christmas bonus. Oh well, hopefully it’ll be money well-spent.
You can’t go wrong with a Mossy 500.
the 500 mossberg is the best pump gun made bar none—i have 3 never one problem
I disagree. You can go wrong. Ive had my 500 since 1994 no problems. I got my son his first one the Thursday before last for his birthday. Took it to the range and before we could finished the first box of ammo it quit feeding. I was shocked never had this problem. Called Mossberg told them the symptoms and they sent me a new cartrage stop. Took it to the range click nothing happens. Still wont cycle either. Fantastic!! Called Mossberg sat on hold aaaagain. They ask me to ship to them. Dont have the box anymore of course. So going to have to buy somthing to ship. The thing that chaps my ass the most is I talked him out of a Remington because I love mine so much. Big disapointment my son is bummed he does not even want it now. Hes afraid of the gun. Mossberg you ruined my sons birthday. So when I do get this fixed Ill just have two 500s one that I hate for screwing with my son and one ill never shoot cause I dont trust the weapon system. What a let down.
Bought 500 combo with scope last year. The short barrel of my gun is a rifled barrel not suitable for bird shot. It is suitable for sabot slugs. I am dead on a 120 yrds. The recoil is dependent on the ammo you shoot. I am using Hornady 2000 fps 2 3/4 inch sabot slugs and they kick like a mule. Out of the box at the range during sighting in process it didn’t chamber smoothly. I chalked this up newness. I have to put a few boxes of bird shot through the smooth bore barrel to see if it doesn’t loosen up. I took it along with my 300 win mag deer hunting this past November in MI and didn’t get a chance to use it on a deer. I found the pump handle rather noisy in 20 degree weather shifting it on my lap. I love the speed at with I can change the barrels.
It is Federal law that you can only have three rounds while hunting waterfowl. The configuration for hunting upland birds is determined by the individual states. Virginia has no magazine limit for upland bird hunting. Your state may vary.
It does. The state of CA limits us to 3 rounds for upland hunting. I have the 12 ga. Mossberg combo, have had it for years. When hunting it wears the 28 inch vented rib barrel and the mag plug. At home it wears the short barrel and open mag. I added a maverick 88 extended mag security gun so i could have an upstairs and downstairs shotgun.
I bought a wood furniture 500 in 20 ga. with hunting barrel and screw in chokes for the times when a 12 was too much gun. Great bunny and quail gun.
I like Mossbergs. I recently aquired a Beretta pin tail and while it’s a good shotgun it doesn’t do anything enough better to justify the extra expense of the Beretta name.
“I’m not here to start another fight in the undying Mossberg vs. Remington war.”
It’s funny, after the last volley in this war from the Remington side, Freedom Group swore their finger wasn’t anywhere near the trigger.
Damn, wish I’d thought of that one.
The MBA wunderkinden at Freedom Group deserve to be shamed at every available opportunity for what they have done to numerous American icons.
Rem 870 has only one extractor, mossy 835 has 2 – three 870’s now serve as garden stakes in the vegetable garden, mossy 835’s still live in my truck. Rems fail to extract 3.5″ waterfowl loads after a few hundred rounds afield – very frustrating. (tried buffing and polishing chambers, to no avail)
The first 870 was so bad you had to get two more to make sure?
Don’t overlook the Mossberg Maverick 88, which is pretty much a Mossberg 500 with a black polymer stock. I believe the Mossberg 500 barrels will fit the Maverick 88. These sell for under $200 used.
My thoughts exactly. I’m not really certain why a budget minded person (such as myself) would bypass the $200 Mav 88 NEW (Academy) in favor of the $300+ 500. I have an 18.5″ Mav 88 and it’s a helluva boom-stick.
Dat tang safety do… But seriously, especially for a lefty. And, at about $100/bbl, $320 for the combo is like getting the 500 for $220 and buying a barrel.
Does the slide still rattle, or did they fix that flaw?
Ours makes a ton of clanking noise (just walking or twitching/adjusting during carry), if you are not careful.
The quality control debacle inherent in Remington products doesn’t seem to have infected the 870. At least, not that much. Still, I’d much rather have a new production 590 over the 870. The olde school Wingmaster is still a beauty. The current 500 is a solid purchase. I plan on making a New Years resolution to not purchase current Remington products.
Thanks for your review and may your purchased continue to work well.
I agree with the fact that Remington has lost my business do to their lack of quality control. Little Green’s 887 fubar, was the reason that this pheasant season my hunting truck received an improvised sunroof, me momentary hearing loss, and my buddy received a bloody lip. I never doubted my brothers word or his firearms proficiency, he said all he did was close the breach and it fired, but after learning of the recall I owed him a drink. Road hunting it is common to have gun loaded, breech open, and barrel pointed safely into something not viable. Roof or door is preferable, instead of having a shot go through the tranny or tire at 80mph on a minimum maintenance road. He traded that off the next day for a Benelli Super Nova and has never been happier since it is 3.5 and priced like other pumps. I have the Mossberg 930 semi auto with a 18.5″ barrel 7 plus 1 and it is an impressive way to send a pound of lead. I had to loc tite the sight rail and that was it.
Remington is in the same lawsuits, over it’s model 700 rifles.
Since the 1950’s, they where warned about accidental discharges by the factory engineers and workers.
The cost to repair? About three dollars. Now it’s their 870 shotguns?
Remington managers have chosen the stockholders over the customers. This is why people boycott there products nowadays.
my 500 had a rough action when I first got it, so while watching tv, I sat there, holding the magazine release down, and worked the action till my arm couldn’t take it any more, and viola! the action was much smoother.
kind of like a Kahr with the 200 round break in, but lots cheaper.
That’s the combo I have. Got it at one of Big 5’s bi-monthly “sales”.
$279? How could I pass that up?
I later got another with wood furniture and two 28″ barrels (1 ported, one not. I can’t tell the difference) that are threaded for chokes for right around $200 at a pawn shop. That was a hell of a deal, too.
It’s my guest shotgun for my friends who want to go trap shooting but can’t or won’t get their own gun for whatever reason.
i prefer the moss’s over rem’s. i think the manual pump release is in a better location and the deflector is removeable via flat-head screw, this is NOT an option on a remington.
I had also considered the idea of one shotgun with two interchangeable barrels to serve the dual purpose of trap shooting and home defense.
Then I realized – That’s a stupid idea!
Ok, maybe if you only go hunting or shooting clays a few times a year, you could make that work. But a home defense gun needs to be available for home defense. All the time. Converting it for other purposes means unloading your home defense ammo, swapping barrels, and maybe inserting a magazine plug before heading to the field. When you come home, you have to reverse the entire procedure and load it up before it’s ready for defensive purposes again. Maybe that only takes a few minutes, you say. I say there will be times when you come home too tired to do that and simply throw it in the safe.
If you’re in a weekly trap league, or hunt with your shotgun more than a few times a year, the idea of retrofitting your home defense gun for such purposes just isn’t feasible.
Agree. I have an 870 Wing master with a 28″ barrel and an 18″ police barrel. I bought an Ithaca 37 with a longer barrel on sale, so I would not have to mess changing the barrel on the 870.
While I agree, not everyone has the budget (or understanding wife) required for multiple guns. I have a dedicated shotguns for HD and for clays / upland game. Many of us on TTAG gave been adding a gun or three to our collections for years (and decades). That’s isn’t the case with everyone.
Agree. My gun inventory has grown through out the years, which is why I first started with the 870.
Good review. This may be my next shotgun sans the 28″ barrel.
Ok I’ll bite….I have an 870 thats probably older then the rosey cheeked posters here stroking on their Mossys.. Iv never had jamming issues, or extractor issues.. shells chamber like a wet prom queen…It’s an old war horse that racks like an Ithaca…
I have an older 870 Wing master that is a much better and smoother gun than the Mossberg 500. I have an Ithaca 37 that is even better than the Wing master. Yeah, I used to hunt with a friend’s Mossberg 500 that was made sometime back in the 60s or early 70s. The 500 is a good gun, but it does not compare to an older 870 Wing master. I still think that the Browning BPS and Ithaca 37 are two of the nicer pump guns on the market. I sort of like the Benelli Super Nova as well.
IMHO, the ithica is arguably the finest pump action shotgun ever made. I’ve never had the pleasure of shooting a browning.. Iv always been a Remington budget guy.. I think Remingtons quality has slipped in the last 30 yrs as Steve pointed out, the new ones don’t have the refined qualities that the old ones did…
Have a left handed brother. Back in the day left handed guns were few and expensive. The model 37 Ithaca with its bottom load and eject solved the issue nicely. As a bonus the 37s were at least the equal of anything we blue collar kids could afford.
And if you cover a lot of ground in your hunting the Featherlight models were the shiznit.
Old Remingtons are the shit. New Remingtons are shit.
Good review.
Personally, I skipped the 500, scraped together all the door handle and between-the-couch-cushions change I could get, and got a 590A1. 20 inch barrel with ghost ring sights of course…
The Mossberg 500 series shotguns are a fantastic value. They are simple and reliable.
F.Y.I. They are very easy to completely disassemble for detailed cleaning and lubrication.
Yes easy to disassemble, but not reassemble.
As far as I can remember, I reassembled mine without much difficulty at all.
They are pretty simple to reassemble as well, the parts are just extremely tight when it’s new. It used to take me an hour to put together because everything was so tight but now the parts basically fall into place really easily. The action has smoothed out a ton too, still not as smooth as the 870 (and not anywhere damn near the Ithaca 37 or browning bps) but I have had absolutely no problems with it. Forend does shake around a lot though. Haven’t had any reliability issues from that but it could scare game hunting perhaps.
Mine came in field and deer combo with a scope 279 on sale some time ago, long ago. I bought the security barrel (18.5″) and a Hogue tamer pistol grip and fore end kit to replace the wood furniture which I refinished. The receiver is drilled and tapped which now has a piece of rail mounted. In home configuration it wears a laser light combo total cost to date 390 plus tax not counting sling or sleeve which I made out of leftover leather from other projects. IMHO the best 12 gauge multi tool you can have.
That was a good review.
I just spent a month scanning through all the variations of the 590 and 500 ( I too prefer Mossberg’s slide release location) at Budsgunshop. I want one for home self-defense, but was disappointed that you have to spend close to $500 to get one with a pic rail for a flashlight.
Midway USA and Brownells have quite a lot of aftermarket stuff at reasonable prices. If you live in a more gun friendly area you might be able to get some from gunsmiths that have parts from other peoples guns that have been worked on.
For a few extra bucks, Mossberg also sells a rifled slug barrel with a scout mount for a scope. Pair it with ammo like Hornady’s SST slugs (sabot rounds), and you acquire a very accurate slug gun capable of pushing a 300 grain slug downrange at about 2,000 fps with the 12 gauge, or a 250 grain “hello” at 1,800 fps. Mossberg also sells their 535 shotgun, another pumper (my favorite) that’ll handle full magnum 3.5 inch shells, and their Turkey/Waterfowl combo gives you a short (20″) barrel that’ll do for home defense at only 2″ longer than minimum.
I hate to rain on the mossberg parade, but i have a 500 flex and at this point i’d go with the remington if I had to do it over again. The mossberg is versatile and the controls are all in the right place. But – the quality is not there.
The first time I shot it at the range the trigger group fell out (trigger group retaining pin just came out and was lost). After fighting with customer support, I just fixed it myself with a tent spike i had in the back of the car.
I used to use it as both a home defense and trap gun too (I do like the interchangeable barrels). In the mid-summer heat of the midwest after a couple of rounds (50 or so shots), the pump would jam. Regularly. I’m guessing something in the slide levers got too hot and expanded out of spec. Once it cooled off a little, it worked ok again. I ended up buying another dedicated (higher quality) shotgun for trap/skeet.
Added to this, I just discovered surface rust on the mag tube and trigger. Not a problem to clean off with some solvent, but the gun is less than 2 years old and is cleaned semi regularly and doesn’t leave the house in general.
Your experience with Mossberg is rare. I own several and know a lot of folks who own them. No problems. But everybody I know that has bought a new Remington in the last several years has had problems. Every. Last. One. Which is mostly 870s. One .30-06 rifle that just won’t function right 2 days in a row. Something always hanging up on that rifle.
Still, if you’re not trusting of Mossberg go with Benelli or Browning. Just don’t go green.
The real heart breaker is that of the options mentioned (Mossberg, Remington, Benelli, Ithaca, Browning) the name Winchester doesn’t appear at all. This once great company doesn’t even have a current product worthy consideration. What a shame, and a loss for all of us old enough to remember when.
The Model 12 was a damned nice gun.
Being a cheap f*ck, I bought a Maverick 88. I was hacked off the dealer didn’t sell me a combo, but he just didn’t have one in stock. So instead of an extra $100, it cost me over $200 later on, for the short barrel. Much cheaper than buying the short barrel then adding the long one. But I know where the controls are, I prefer the sliding safety on the trigger guard, and I can operate it with my eyes closed. Probably wouldn’t fire it that way. Put it this way, the latest Winchester shotguns have the same configuration.
No regrets with my purchase. Good value, stone axe reliability, and not too many tears if it disappeared one day.
Thank you for the detailed review, and also to the rest for quality comments – I really appreciate relevant content, useful in making a decision. I doubt I will ever hunt game in stealth mode, so rattle scaring game away is of little concern. I like the idea of having it in HD mode and quick changeover for days at the range. Vast majority of use will obviously be clays, so my question is if the 28″ “combo” barrel means interchangeable chokes. If not what is it? I need to decide whether having one barrel with choke choices outweighs having 2 barrels (I have other HD items), and the budget conscious route to having both (better to buy 2nd barrel or additional chokes separately).
My first shotgun was an M500. I didn’t know much about shotguns but I knew the 500 and the 870 were the top pump models out there with amazing aftermarkets. I didn’t research the differences because the sheer volume of reviews and arguments were overwhelming. One of my closest friends highly recommended the 500 as one of his favorites. I took his word for it and got the Mossberg. I later realized all the reviews comparing the two more or less said the same things. I really like the controls of my Mossberg. The action is loose and wobbly which feels weird but I know it will function flawlessly.
Nice! You can’t go wrong with a Mossy.
Good choice! Both Mossberg 500 and Remington 870 are great shotguns.
I recently paid $298 for a combo Field/Deer that has the 28″ barrel with 3 choke tubes and a 24″ rifled slug barrel with rifle sights. The slug barrel is amazingly accuate with sabot slugs and my grandson calls it my elephant gun. I am very pleased with my purchase and I spent an additional $15.40 and got a turkey choke tube.
I bought a new Mossberg 500, stamped “Western Auto” around 1980, for around $120. It originally came with a 28″ fixed modified choke, (no vent rib) barrel, and wood furniture. Over the years, I replaced the furniture with synthetic camo, and a 20″ vent ribbed barrel with screw-in chokes. (probably should have got a 24″?), and a Pachmayr Decelerator recoil pad.
This was my only shotgun for about 20 years. I (and others) have fired literally thousands of rounds though it. Skeet, to Turkey, to steel shot loads. Also Magnum slugs and buckshot. Squirrels, rabbits, upland birds, waterfowl, turkeys, deer, pests and many clay pigeons have fallen in front of it.
Never a jam, misfire, or malfunction of any kind.
I have other shotguns that I hunt with more often now, but this baby still sits next to my bed, ready for anything.
What more can you ask for?
I have owned and hunted with 870’s for decades. I recently bought a Mossberg 500 used and wow what a great shotgun. I can remove the shell latches, ejector and guts in minutes. safety is in the right place and at 25% less than the cost of a current 870 with peened in latches, ejector and fixed mag tube that rusts really easily. Just a better design and a gun that will make gunsmiths poor, fix it yourself, if it ever breaks. I went from 14 870’s to 1, because my wife thinks it’s pretty with Jacaranda laminated wood.
Not an avid gun person. Usually not in situations where I need one. I don’t hunt. Our city is decently safe of violent crime. However, now that the wife and I have retired we would like to do more Boondocking in our motorhome in areas far from law enforcement help I would like to get a shotgun strictly for self defense purposes. Ease of operation in a pressure situation and accuracy on a likely close, target are my priorities. Cost of course as my purpose is limited and scopes and rails etc should not be needed. My searches keep coming back to a Mossberg 500 or 590. Would this be an appropriate choice? Also I have read that a rifle with a butt stock is easier And more accurate for an inexperienced shooter over a pistol type handle. Is this correct ? Thanks in advance
Find one with a regular stock and an 18.5-20″ barrel, and either of these shotguns will serve you well for the stated purposes. You can find these new or used with great results either way. 12 gauge is typically easiest and cheapest, but be aware that the recoil will be stout. 20 gauge is a smaller alternative Mossberg that will also do just fine. To your question: a butt stock as I’ve recommend is FAR easier to control and maintain accuracy with.
Mossberg 500 permits a newcomer to own a basic but reliable shotgun without spending a lot of money. Mossberg 500 is one of the most versatile firearms. https://jungle-ammo.com/product/mossberg-500-for-sale-near-me/
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