Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Western Field 550cd - 20GA: Looking for info?

LGS has a Western Field 550cd pump action 20-GA for chump-change/pennies. It's missing a few non-critical parts, but functions fine. I understand that Mossberg made these for Montgomery Ward long ago...). LGS-dude (very knowledgeable) says it is a re-badged Mossberg 500. Anybody have any experience with these? Do Mossberg 500 replacement barrels work if I wanted to add a slug barrel? Other parts interchange?

Thanks for any assistance.

It's a Mossberg 500 so parts should interchange. The only caveat is if there was a change someplace in their history like Remington did with their 20 ga 870s. I haven't seen nor heard of any changes by Mossberg but I am not a Mossberg fan.

Barrels will interchange. Some differences with todays 500 depending on when it was made. It may have a single action bar vs todays double bars and if so not all parts will be compatible. Good guns either way so long as you can get the parts you need. Try Havlin sales and Numrich for parts for older guns.

That...

Thanks! Information on the web about Western Field is sparse, at best. I may have to try Cornell Publications. I have a slug barrel enroute and pick up the shotgun tonight.

Any thoughts on dating this shotgun? Would it use the Mossberg serial numbering system, H245xxx? The shotgun has a barrel-mounted adjustable choke, Full, Modified and Improved adjusted by screwing the outter portion in or out. I remove3d the barrel and the receiver-end looks just like a Mossberg swappable barrel. This one only has one operating rod on the pump action.

ETA: According to http://mossbergowners.com/forum/index.php?threads/mossberg-serial-number-data-base.13187/, the serial number date falls into sequence of early 1979.

I had one just like it many years ago. Bought it new in 1977 or 78 maybe. Gave it away to one of my cousin's sons 10 or 12 yrs ago. Perfectly functional gun except the plastic safety button cracked and broke, but easy to replace with Mossberg part. Never tried swapping barrels.

Mine was broken too, but there are many sources of replacement safety buttons, (seems like a class problem with all of these) and I replaced mine already. Got the Mossberg 20-GA Slugster barrel in today and it fits like a charm. It appears to be in all parts and pieces to be a Mossberg 500 just a lil' cheaper. For example, it has a single operating rod. I'm wondering if that can be changed to the new style dual operating rods, or if the bolt and bolt slide would have to be replaced also.

There's no raceway in the right side of the receiver for a second op rod. Older Mossbergs {and Western Field's} had steel safety buttons. Brownell's still sells a steel replacement button and I recommend getting one so you'll have no more problems with broken plastic buttons.

Thanks for the info! Good to know.



Great minds think alike. I already have the steel one on order at MidwayUSA. I replaced mine first off with the plastic one just to get it running, but incremental improvements are always right.