Mossberg 500 shotgun

The Mossberg 500 smoothbore pump-action shotgun is considered one of the most common repeating shotguns with a movable forend. The shotgun was first released in 1961. It is currently produced in various modifications, which are designed for hunters, representatives of security services and police, or for self-defense. At the same time, the general appearance of the weapon remains unchanged.

Many people have seen the Mossberg 500 shotgun in various movies, it is truly considered legendary.

Note that this model is a cheaper clone of the Remington 870, with some changes in the trigger mechanism - the location of the manual cocking lever. In the Mossberg 500, this lever is located on the neck of the stock. The shotgun has a classic type under-barrel magazine, where the cartridges are located one after the other. The most popular model of the Mossberg 12-gauge pump-action shotgun with a safe wooden handle.

History of creation

The first copies of the Mossberg 500 smoothbore shotgun appeared back in 1961. This weapon was designed and produced in the USA by the O. F. Mossberg and Sons Inc." During its existence, the company produced many examples of smoothbore weapons, but it was the Mossberg 500 pump-action shotgun that truly made it famous.

At that time, an incredible interest in smooth-bore weapons arose in the United States. Both official American authorities and the general population became interested in this type of firearm. Taking into account everyone's wishes, I decided to design a smoothbore gun that would simultaneously satisfy the needs of both the official authorities and the American people. It was supposed to be used for hunting, for self-defense, as well as for performing combat missions by special forces.

When developing the Mossberg 500 shotgun, the goal was to create a design with a minimum number of parts, and each component should be easy to manufacture and not require manual adjustment.

The receiver is made of aluminum by milling, while the barrel is locked by the protrusion of the bolt cylinder, which fits into a groove on the barrel. This reduces the load on the light alloy receiver.

On the guns of the first releases, the movable forend was connected to the bolt by one rod, since the patent for the use of double rods was held by Remington at that time.

In 1970, the patent expired, and Mossberg 500 shotguns also began to be equipped with a forend with two rods. In the same year, the company began mass production of the Mossberg shotgun. The first version of this weapon became the basis for a whole list of shotguns. Despite the variety and some further changes in design, this gun has not changed and remains the same as it was at the very beginning.

The history of the Mossberg 500 pump-action shotgun

The first copies of the smoothbore Mossberg 500 appeared back in 1961. This weapon was designed and produced in the USA by the O. F Mossberg and Sons Inc. During its existence, the company produced many examples of smoothbore weapons, but it was the Mossberg 500 pump-action shotgun that truly made it famous.

In the same year, the company began mass production of the Mossberg shotgun. The first version of this weapon became the basis for a whole list of shotguns. Despite the variety and some further changes in design, this gun has not changed and remains the same as it was at the very beginning.

Design features of the Mossberg 500

The Mossberg 500 smoothbore shotgun is made in accordance with the traditional design of pump-action shotguns. It has a movable forend, as well as a non-removable tubular under-barrel magazine. The trigger type gun has a plastic body, all working parts of the weapon are located inside the body. The body itself can be easily removed when the need arises to disassemble the weapon.

Disassembly is extremely simple and does not require much time. Thanks to the ease of disassembly, any owner can quickly clean the weapon and just as quickly put it back into working condition. The shotgun is available with or without a stock (with a pistol grip), while the Mossberg 500 stock can be made of wood or plastic, depending on what material the body is made of.

This gun is non-automatic, and therefore it is reloaded manually, by moving the forend back and forth. The bolt and forend are connected to each other by two rods located on both sides of the magazine. The principle of operation of the gun mechanism is also standard: the forend, moving backward, ejects the spent cartridge case and cocks the hammer. Moving forward, the forend sends a charge into the chamber. The barrel is locked using a wedge. The safety is equally convenient to use for right-handers and left-handers.

The magazine of the very first modification of the gun could hold no more than five charges. Moreover, if we were talking about charges of 12/76 caliber, then only 4 of them were included in the magazine. Charges whose caliber was 12/70 could fit 5 in the magazine. Subsequent versions of the weapon began to be produced with longer magazines that could hold 8 charges .

From the very beginning of its work, the company fulfilled the order of the US Army. That is, one of the versions of this weapon was supposed to be intended for the American military. It was assumed that it would be used in the most unfavorable natural conditions, including those where there may be an excess of moisture, therefore, during the manufacture of the gun, a special solution was also developed to protect the weapon from rust. The entire body of the gun was covered with this solution. This is a matte solution that has an anti-reflective effect, making it much easier to aim a gun in sunny weather.

When characterizing the barrel with which the Mossberg 500 shotgun is equipped, it should be noted that the barrels equipped with versions for self-defense and hunting differ in length from the barrels intended for combat special operations. The civilian version of the gun has barrels with lengths of 610, 660 and 710 mm, while the military version has barrels with lengths of 350, 470 and 510 mm.

From the very beginning it was planned that the barrels of the civilian modification of weapons should be longer than those of the combat versions. However, recently designers have met people's wishes halfway. For example, if someone now has a civilian Mossberg 500 12 gauge with a long barrel, then such a barrel can easily be replaced with a shorter one of the same caliber, moreover, not smooth, but rifled, from which, accordingly, you can fire bullets.

From the above it is clear that the Mossberg 500 shotgun is designed in such a way that it allows for the replacement of barrels. This is done easily by unscrewing the locking washer. In terms of its caliber, the replacement barrel must match the caliber of the gun itself.

Not long ago, designers equipped the gun barrel with a compensator brake. According to the designers, its purpose is to dampen the upward movement of the barrel during shooting. Thanks to the mentioned device, it became easier to aim the gun and, accordingly, easier to hit the target.

Although the gun has a sighting mechanism, it is not always used when shooting (footage from Western action films is evidence of this). The gun is designed for shooting primarily at short range. In addition, the rate of fire of the gun is usually high (it depends on how quickly the shooter can move the fore-end), and therefore, for the most part, there is no time required for aiming. In addition, the gun has very harsh recoil, which can be unsafe for the shooter.

More about the Mossberg 500 design

The shotgun was designed on the basis of an older pump-action analogue - the Remington 870 shotgun. To avoid possible claims from Remington designers, the Mossberg 500 developers fundamentally changed the design of the trigger mechanism, changing the location of the manual cocking lever. In the Mossberg 500, this lever is located on the neck of the stock.

In general, the gun is made in accordance with the traditional design of pump-action shotguns. It has a movable forend, as well as a non-removable tubular under-barrel magazine. The trigger type gun has a plastic body, all working parts of the weapon are located inside the body. The body itself can be easily removed when the need arises to disassemble the weapon. Disassembly is extremely simple and does not require much time. Thanks to the ease of disassembly, any owner can quickly clean the weapon and just as quickly put it back into working condition. The gun is available with or without a butt (with a pistol grip); Moreover, the Mossberg 500 stock can be wooden or plastic, depending on what material the body is made of.

This gun is non-automatic, and therefore it is reloaded manually, by moving the forend according to the “back and forth” principle. The bolt and forend are connected to each other by two rods located on both sides of the magazine. The principle of operation of the gun mechanism is also standard: the forend, moving backward, ejects the spent cartridge case and cocks the hammer. Moving forward, the forend sends a charge into the chamber. The barrel is locked using a wedge. The safety is equally convenient to use for right-handers and left-handers.

The magazine of the very first modification of the gun could hold no more than five charges. Moreover, if we were talking about charges of 12/76 caliber, then only 4 of them were included in the magazine. Charges whose caliber was 12/70 could fit 5 in the magazine. Subsequent versions of the weapon began to be produced with longer magazines that could hold 8 charges .

Operating principle

Since the Mossberg 500 shotgun was aimed at use among the masses of the population, the developers tried to simplify it as much as possible:

Before charging, the Mossberg 500 is put on safety. To do this, move the firing pin release lever to the lower position.
The cartridges are placed in the magazine with the cartridge case muzzle forward, with the primer towards the firing pin.
In order for the cartridge to be directly in the chamber, the forend is sharply moved back and returns back.
Before the shot itself, the gun is removed from the safety by the reverse action (the lever rises up). A red dot indicates readiness.
Pull the trigger.

To block the shutter, there is a lock with a long shackle, which allows you to secure it so that the shutter opens halfway.

Specifications

The performance characteristics of the Mossberg 500 include:

Type of weapon: pump-action shotgun.
Calibers: 12, 20, 410. Each type has its own chamber length.
Barrel: 360, 470, 510 mm – used in the production of security weapons; 610, 669, 710 mm – for a hunting rifle.
Capacity: 5,6,8 rounds.
Total length of weapon: 1105 mm.
Weight of the gun with loaded magazine: 3.3 kg.

Let's compare the main parameters of the Mossberg 500 shotgun with its main competitors - the Remington 870 and Winchester 1200 shotguns.

Mossberg 500	Remington 870	Winchester 1200
Caliber	12/76	12/70	12/76
Weight, kg	3,4	3,4	2,9
Barrel length, mm	up to 760	up to 760	up to 760
Magazine capacity, cartridges	5+1	5+1	4+1

Modifications

Due to its popularity, the Mossberg 500 has a number of modifications and analogues:

Mossberg 500 hunting: Combo Field, Combo Turkey, Slugster, Waterfowl.
Mossberg 500 flex with quick layout system
Mossberg 500 Tactical 6 or 8 round: Adjustable Stock, HS410 Home Security, SPX, Thunder Ranch, Tri-rail Forend.

Mossberg 500 is available in several calibers:

12, with chamber lengths of 70, 76 and 89 mm.
20, chamber 76 mm.
.410, chamber 70 and 76 mm.

Hunting modifications of the Mossberg 500:

Barrels are 61, 66 or 71 cm long.
Barrel narrowings of different gradations, including replaceable nozzles.
Solid or ventilated sighting rib, optional rear sight and front sight, like a rifle.
Magazine capacity of five or six rounds.
The stock is semi-pistol, made of solid wood or plastic, camouflage painted (Slugster model).

Security modifications:

Barrels are 36, 47 or 51 cm long. No narrowing is provided (cylinder).
sighting devices consisting of a front sight with a solid bar and (or) a dovetail mount for installing optics.
Magazines with a capacity of five to eight rounds.
The stock is semi-pistol or “sawn-off” - a handle without a butt.

Versatile. Mossberg 500 ATI Scorpion Tactical Shotgun

Mossberg is one of the most famous shotgun manufacturers in the United States. A new multi-charged Mossberg 500 ATI Scorpion Tactical model, created on the basis of the well-proven 500 line, has arrived on the German market. Compared to it, the new model has a number of additional technical solutions.

OF Mossberg & Sons, located in North Haven, Connecticut, has been producing shotguns and pistols in a variety of systems since 1919. In 1989, the company added another plant in Eagle Pass, Texas, which produces specialty models as well as all of the Maverick line of shotguns. Despite the fact that Mossberg produces weapons of various systems, now, as before, the basis of the production program is shotguns with manual reloading with a longitudinally sliding fore-end and self-loading 12-gauge shotguns of various designs.

When developing the design of the Mossberg 500 ATI Scorpion Tactical pump-action shotgun, two colors were used: black and dark earth. The shotgun has a T4 stock and accessories manufactured by ATI.

Pump-action shotguns, with a history dating back over 100 years, have become popular with police and sport shooters alike since their introduction. During all this time, their design has not undergone significant changes. However, in recent decades, stocks made of modern high-strength and non-corrosion materials have begun to be installed on new models. Pump-action shotguns with polymer stocks have long been included in the production programs of most manufacturers. At the same time, the stock from ATI (Advanced Technology Inc., USA) is made in accordance with a new, deeply thought-out concept aimed at the ability to use weapons in various situations. The installation of this stock on the Mossberg 500 ATI Scorpion Tactica model is quite understandable: after all, apart from modern shotguns with manual reloading with a longitudinally sliding fore-end, no other type of weapon has such a versatile application and does not use different types of ammunition. A polymer stock, ease of installation of its elements, simple weapon design and large magazine capacity combined with the ability to install an optical sight are just some of the main features of modern pump-action shotguns.

Processing and equipment

The metal parts of the Mossberg 500 ATI Scorpion Tactica model are matte black, and the stock and TacLite T4 handguard are in the currently popular Flat Dark Earth (FDE) finish. The ergonomic back of the butt with a thick rubber pad significantly reduces the recoil force, which allows you to comfortably endure shooting even in long bursts for a long time. The length of the stock is adjustable to suit shooters with heights from 160 to 200 cm. This way, you can adjust the weapon to clothing of different thicknesses and select the optimal position of the gun in the ready-to-shoot position. The cheekpiece and back of the head are adjustable in height depending on the scope used. A low setting is recommended when using a conventional open sight, and a high setting, for example, when using a red dot sight.

On ATI's Halo Side Saddle system, chuck holders can be mounted on either the right or left side.

Due to its design and coating, the ATI handguard is convenient for reliable holding, even with a gloved hand or a wet hand.

Mossberg 500 line shotguns come standard with a slide safety located on the receiver tang. At the factory, a round rifle front sight is installed on the barrel. Additionally, a removable rifle front sight is located on the barrel casing.

The muzzle and cheekpiece of the Mossberg 500 ATI Scorpion Tactical can be adjusted to suit the shooter's individual needs.

At the rear of the butt there are two holes for attaching a quick-release sling swivel. ATI's Halo Side Saddle system is a reversible base for ammo holders that can be mounted on either the right or left side of the base. On top of the system is the picatinny base. With its help, the owner of a weapon can easily install on it optical or collimator sights necessary for participation in certain disciplines of sports shooting. The standard open sight allows you to take part, for example, in speed shooting competitions at falling targets held by the Bund Deutscher Sportschuetzen (BDS), as well as in other shooting competitions with repeating shotguns with open sights. The Mossberg 500 ATI Scorpion Tactical pump-action shotgun has a magazine of sufficient capacity (five rounds). Those who find this insufficient can increase it by installing commercially available tube magazine extensions. The new model has a chamber length of 76 mm.

At the shooting range

When shooting from a gun with manual reloading with a Mossberg 500 ATI Scorpion Tactical longitudinally sliding fore-end, no delays were noted with various types of cartridges. Regardless of what ammunition was fired (S&B 12/63.5 Practical Sport shot cartridge; Geco 12/67.5 Coated Competition cartridges loaded with bullets; various 12/70 cartridges loaded with shot with a diameter of 2.0 mm ( 24 g) to 3.3 mm (36 g); Magnum cartridges, as well as 12/76 cartridges equipped with Federal bullets), all of them came without delay from the tubular magazine and were sent into the chamber using a tray; when reloading the weapon, spent cartridges were securely removed from the chamber and thrown out through the window. In total, employees of the German magazine DWJ shot more than 400 cartridges of various types, types and sizes. There were no delays noted during the firing.

Each shooter can independently equip the gun in accordance with his individual wishes, which is facilitated by various types of stocks and the Halo Side Saddle system. Of course, the package also includes a proprietary Mossberg cable lock. When firing cartridges loaded with rifle bullets from a distance of 50 m from a sitting position from a rest in series of five shots, the average dispersion diameter was 70 mm.

The front sight, mounted on the barrel casing, is raised and has an optimal position for accurate and fast shot shooting.

The trigger mechanism of the gun has very good characteristics. When you press the trigger after a minimal preliminary stroke, the stall point is clearly noticeable. The trigger force is 2350 g. The trigger is dry. The weapon is convenient to hold in the ready-to-fire position. This is greatly facilitated by the possibility of individual adjustment of the butt and a pistol grip with a soft insert in the rear. The rubber butt pad significantly reduces recoil force.

DWJ findings

For a relatively low price, Mossberg offers a hand-loading shotgun with a longitudinally sliding forend 500 ATI Scorpion Tactical, which is distinguished by decades-proven manufacturing technology, sufficient equipment and high reliability. An adjustable nape, a clearly visible front sight, and a Halo Side Saddle system with a picatinny base on which an optical sight can be mounted allow the gun to be used in many sport shooting disciplines without additional, usually costly, alterations and retrofits.

Stefan Menge Translation by Victor Nazarov

Advantages and disadvantages of Mossberg 500

The Mossberg 500 pump-action shotgun is widely known throughout the world and is considered one of the most popular types of weapons. He has his positive and negative qualities.

The advantages of this gun include:

Affordable price segment.
Light weight due to the use of plastic and aluminum in production.
Well thought out ergonomics.
Unpretentiousness in content.
Simple, but at the same time reliable design.
Ease of use.

Despite the impressive advantages of the Mossberg 500, it also has its disadvantages:

Noisy operation of the mechanisms, which is especially audible during reloading.
Due to the lightness of the model, there is a strong recoil when fired.
Difficulty in tuning.
Small weapons store.
Inconvenience of turning on the fuse.

Over many years of using the gun, the Mossberg has become popular among the general population, who, although aware of its shortcomings, considers them insignificant. That's why Mossberg has been a leader in sales for so long.

Advantages and disadvantages

The Mossberg 500 is widely known throughout the world and is considered one of the most popular weapons. He has his positive and negative qualities.

The advantages of this gun include:

Affordable price segment.
Light weight due to the use of plastic and aluminum in production.
Well thought out ergonomics.
Unpretentiousness in content.
Simple, but at the same time reliable design.
Ease of use.

Mossberg 500 Field synthetic

Despite the impressive advantages of the Mossberg 500, it also has its disadvantages:

Noisy operation of the mechanisms, which is especially audible during reloading.
Due to the lightness of the model, there is a strong recoil when fired.
Difficulty in tuning.
Small weapons store.
Inconvenience of turning on the fuse.

Over many years of using the gun, the Mossberg has become popular among the general population, who, although aware of its shortcomings, considers them insignificant. That's why Mossberg has been a leader in sales for so long.

Mossberg 500 Waterfowl

Disassembly

To disassemble a shotgun, you need to do the following:

Unload the weapon by jerking the fore-end several times. Make sure there are no cartridges in the magazine - the red pusher is visible through the loading window. Twist the forend again and perform a control descent.
Move the forend so that the bolt opens halfway (to the hole for the safety lock).
Unscrew the screw on the front end of the magazine.
Move the barrel forward and remove it from the receiver.
Using a Phillips-head or bit-head screwdriver, press out the trigger mechanism mounting pin.
Remove the trigger.
Place the gun with the bottom edge of the receiver up, remove from it two shaped plates located on both sides from the inside.
Push the forend back until it stops. Remove the bolt slider.
Remove the cartridge elevator by squeezing its branches at the butt plate of the receiver.
Remove the bolt.
Push the forend forward and remove its rods from the receiver.
Open the store.

If a pistol grip is installed on the gun, it is removed before removing the trigger. To remove the Mossberg 500 stock, you need to remove the butt plate and unscrew the fastening screw through the long hole.

Price

In the minimum configuration, the Mossberg 500 costs about 50 thousand rubles. Owners note the reliability and ease of use of the gun.

The Mossberg 500 shotgun is perfectly balanced and comfortable for offhand shooting. The shooting qualities are very good, the combat is tight and sharp. Many people consider the recoil of the Mossberg 500 to be excessively strong. The shooter must be prepared for it not only mentally, but also physically. Incorrect positioning of the weapon and insufficiently secure holding of the weapon when shooting can lead to injury.

It is known that any gun with a more or less long history has its own special charm, if not charisma. The Mossberg 500 shotgun is no exception. But in addition to metaphysical categories, this apparatus is also famous for its very real advantages. It is considered reliable, unpretentious and quite versatile.

It is called the Vietnamese broom, it was used during the Vietnam War, originally imported for sale to the military as a hunting rifle, it began to be used for tactical purposes during battles in the jungle.

The Mossberg 500 shotgun turned out to be the most important milestone in the history of the company, which became one of the leading players in the market of hunting and service weapons from a little-known manufacturer of sporting shotguns. Designed to be a cheap and accessible hunting tool, this legendary pump-action shotgun has found use in a variety of applications and has outlasted even its more established competitors.