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Joined: Dec 2021
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I've owned and hunted 500,835,870,1300s and BPS PUMP GUNS.All get the job done. The only one I didn't sell was an 870 SP which is still my travel out of state shotgun 20 years later.
Bottom line is you have to have confidence in it. With the chokes and ammo today anyone can find a combination that they are happy with. For me I been transitioning to the sub gauges in double barrels and autos trying to reduce the weight as I still hunt a more mountainous terrain and my age is catching up to me.
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Joined: Dec 2010
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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I've had several 500's over the last 45 years in 12, 16 and 20 gauge. I've shot the living piss out of them and nary a crack in any. It isn't something I've seen with any regularity unless you're talking the paper thin section on the barrel side/top of the forearm tube on the old style {pre 96} forearms and a crack there is of no consequence/concern to integrity. Cracks elsewhere are most likely caused by shooting/pumping with a loose retention nut or gross over tightening of the retention nut. There is absolutely no reason for it to happen any more often than on an 870 as they use the same type of retention design. I have a 12 gauge from the 60's in the safe and no cracks. No cracks in my 1997 crown grade either and it has endured much use and abuse. A 500 will generally hold up to more use with fewer problems/breakdowns than a 37 or 1200. They're good guns or they wouldn't be pretty much unchanged since 1961. But they have their fair share of issues like every gun. The triggers universally suck. It's like pulling the hood latch on car. Cracked plastic trigger guards are fairly common. Mil-spec guns, and some commercial 590s have metal trigger assemblies. Cracks in the forend wood are fairly common. I've seen a number of 500s with broken safeties - they can crack across the screw hole. And double feeds, like with the M37, are not terribly uncommon. And that magazine tube is impossible to extend without replacing the entire magazine and barrel. The 590 fixes that. Nonetheless, it's a good workaday gun. There's enough slop in them to be reliable without much maintenance. The safety is in the right place. It's got dual extractors. So it gets a lot right. In terms of the Winchester 1200, it might be noted the 1200 was accepted into military service 10 years before the 500, without modifications except for a heat shield and sling swivel studs. The 500 didn't pass reliability testing initially and needed material modifications, ie a metal trigger assembly due to excessive cracking in the plastic assembly, in order to be acceptable. In fact, the 1200 has a significantly longer military service history than the Mossbergs. You telling me what the common problems are when I worked in a busy shop actually repairing everything that came in is hilarious ! I remember exactly two Mossbergs that came in with broken trigger guards. That was a more common issue with 1200's than Mossbergs. As I said before, 95% of the time when a Mossberg came in for repair it was for a broken safety button. Of course you'll find the occasional broken firing pins, ejectors, extractors etc. on virtually every make and model occasionally. What I know for a fact is that we got 1200's in for repairs a lot more frequently than 500's, despite the fact that a lot more 500's have been sold. The Mossberg is an excellent design since it's essentially a Remington 31 modified/adapted to streamlined modern manufacturing methods and materials. I remember years ago people saying the Mossbergs would never hold up to much use because they used that cheap ass aluminum receiver and plastic trigger guard { early ones had steel safety buttons so folks didn't worry about those}. Seems funny as hell looking back now when one considers all the guns that use aluminum receivers and various plastic parts that are not inexpensive and are considered fine, dependable, durable guns.
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Joined: Nov 2020
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LOL. You defend the 500 like it was a special-needs child. Relax. I'm not dogging your one and only. I like the 500, too, or I wouldn't have one. But saying it's without issues, like every other guns, is being disingenuous. It has issues just like any other gun. On top of that, to me, it's unrefined, clunky and sloppy. That's part of it's charm, part of what makes it affordable, and part of what makes it reliable. But it does have issues just like every other gun on the market. That's all I'm saying. So, try and calm down.
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 11,326
Campfire Outfitter
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I always thought of Mossberg as the Lee reloading of shotguns. They work but are not the highest quality nor the most refined.
That said, they still get the job done.
I may not be smart but I can lift heavy objects
I have a shotgun so I have no need for a 30-06.....
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Joined: Dec 2010
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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I agree they all have issues/come in for repairs occasionally. Some more frequently and with less use than others. The pumps I remember seeing for repairs most often were 1200's, 37's and the various Savage Stevens models. Some of that no doubt was dependant on what sold in the biggest numbers locally, some due to age and abuse as people tend to abuse/neglect the crap out of cheap pump guns. I like the 500 because I shoot them well and they've served me faithfully for nearly a half century of hard use. I defend the 500 because that seems to be the one slammed most often for being of low quality. The complaint I hear most often is that they're loose, rattly and clunky and that seems to be why/how people judge them to be low quality. If that's the criteria you're going to use, then Ithaca 37's must also be of low qualty because they're at least as sloppy, loose and rattly as a Mossberg. Like I explained, the rattly issue is no issue at all to me as it's quickly and easily taken care of. Replace the plastic safety with a metal one and a 500 will generally serve long and well with few issues.
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Joined: Dec 2010
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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I always thought of Mossberg as the Lee reloading of shotguns. They work but are not the highest quality nor the most refined.
That said, they still get the job done. No pump gun is really "of the highest quality" nor are they particularly refined. Some are made of better materials and better finished than others but aside from some of the highly engraved/inlaid/commemorative/custom shop editions, at the end of the day they're all just cheap utilty guns. To me the 870 Express is about the most clunky, poorest handling {heavy bitch} roughest finished modern pump gun out there. Mossbergs bluing looks good compared to the Express's "pea gravel blasted" finish that rusts if you stare at it hard.
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The forearms on novas are great for rattling big bucks in
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I'm not sure anyone can reasonably argue the 500 is anything but high quality. It's soundly designed, reliable, strong, made with appropriate materials. It's virtually unchanged for over 60 years. Maybe the barrels aren't highly polished, maybe the bolts aren't highly polished, maybe it uses a plastic trigger assembly. But the gun flat out works. And at the end of the day, that is really what matters.
As far as the 37 goes, I'd take a 500 or a 870 over a 37 for self defense any day. When a 37 gets out of timing, you're either going to shuck a shell out of the magazine onto the ground, or you are going to double feed one. Picking a double feed out of an 37 receiver is a royal pain in the ass. Not that 500s don't wear to the point of timing issues, but at least you have two ports to work on the jam through.
If I was in Alaska and I had to carry a shotgun for bear defense, it would be a 500 or 590 that I painted with Rustoleum or Krylon. It would have a synthetic stock, short vent rib barrel with a big fiber optic front sight and an extended magazine. The 500 and 590 are loose and reliable, the safety is in the right spot, it has dual extractors, which on a defense gun IMO is a big deal (especially if you shoot Hornady shells through it.).
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The forearms on novas are great for rattling big bucks in Yep. Italian Mossbergs. LOL !!! Bottom line for me is.............. Life's to short to hunt with a butt-ugly, clunky shotgun with the handling characteristics of a treated 4X4 deck post. My dedicated turkey gun is ugly. But noting rattles, shifts, moves or shakes. And it functions. Kinda ironic.......... I'm counting (in my head) at least 9 dedicated turkey guns to my name, yet I use the absolute cheapest one outta all of them. Go figger.
Wollen nicht krank dein feind. Planen es.
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Joined: Dec 2010
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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The forearms on novas are great for rattling big bucks in Yep. Italian Mossbergs. LOL !!! Bottom line for me is.............. Life's to short to hunt with a butt-ugly, clunky shotgun with the handling characteristics of a treated 4X4 deck post. My dedicated turkey gun is ugly. But noting rattles, shifts, moves or shakes. And it functions. Kinda ironic.......... I'm counting (in my head) at least 9 dedicated turkey guns to my name, yet I use the absolute cheapest one outta all of them. Go figger. Kinda like me with my deer rifles. I have a safe full of very accurate, scoped bolt action centerfire rifles. I kill most of my deer with either my Marlin 336 or one of my Winchester 94's. I just like em, I shoot em well and they fit my hunting style and conditions.
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Joined: Dec 2010
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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I'm not sure anyone can reasonably argue the 500 is anything but high quality. It's soundly designed, reliable, strong, made with appropriate materials. It's virtually unchanged for over 60 years. Maybe the barrels aren't highly polished, maybe the bolts aren't highly polished, maybe it uses a plastic trigger assembly. But the gun flat out works. And at the end of the day, that is really what matters.
As far as the 37 goes, I'd take a 500 or a 870 over a 37 for self defense any day. When a 37 gets out of timing, you're either going to shuck a shell out of the magazine onto the ground, or you are going to double feed one. Picking a double feed out of an 37 receiver is a royal pain in the ass. Not that 500s don't wear to the point of timing issues, but at least you have two ports to work on the jam through.
If I was in Alaska and I had to carry a shotgun for bear defense, it would be a 500 or 590 that I painted with Rustoleum or Krylon. It would have a synthetic stock, short vent rib barrel with a big fiber optic front sight and an extended magazine. The 500 and 590 are loose and reliable, the safety is in the right spot, it has dual extractors, which on a defense gun IMO is a big deal (especially if you shoot Hornady shells through it.). Agreed on all counts. My bedside gun is a 500 with an 18.5" smoothbore slug barrel and a light. If I didn't trust it completely, it wouldn't be there.
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Joined: Aug 2005
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Campfire Outfitter
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OP
Campfire Outfitter
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The forearms on novas are great for rattling big bucks in Yep. Italian Mossbergs. LOL !!! Bottom line for me is.............. Life's to short to hunt with a butt-ugly, clunky shotgun with the handling characteristics of a treated 4X4 deck post. My dedicated turkey gun is ugly. But noting rattles, shifts, moves or shakes. And it functions. Kinda ironic.......... I'm counting (in my head) at least 9 dedicated turkey guns to my name, yet I use the absolute cheapest one outta all of them. Go figger. Remind me what your favrite turkey pump gun is? On another note.. I was getting my deer rifle out of the safe for Saturday's opener and set out the franchi affinity 20ga that I have set up for turkey (other than its black and more prone to rust...)... That thing is a feather compared to my deer rifles. Why do I keep looking at shotguns???
Other than that, How was the show Mrs. Lincoln?
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Joined: Mar 2010
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Remind me what your favorite turkey pump gun is? Well.............. My favorite turkey gun isn't a pump. But, I've got a BPS, a Win 1300 and a Rem 870 set up as dedicated turkey guns at the moment. I also began my turkey hunting career with a Win 1200 for several years. Were I forced to pick one of my pumps to be my only turkey gun forever and ever......... I'd pick the 870.
Wollen nicht krank dein feind. Planen es.
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Joined: Aug 2005
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Campfire Outfitter
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OP
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Aug 2005
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Remind me what your favorite turkey pump gun is? Well.............. My favorite turkey gun isn't a pump. But, I've got a BPS, a Win 1300 and a Rem 870 set up as dedicated turkey guns at the moment. I also began my turkey hunting career with a Win 1200 for several years. Were I forced to pick one of my pumps to be my only turkey gun forever and ever......... I'd pick the 870. Interesting. Thats my tempation to get a 870 fieldmaster compact set up for turkey and return my franchi to old age grouse hunting duty when I need it. But then I have my 20 gau bps upland sitting in the corner remining me that was my grouse gun I bought my senior year in high school...
Last edited by humdinger; 11/02/23.
Other than that, How was the show Mrs. Lincoln?
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The 870 I have is an older (early 1990's) Express Special Purpose Turkey with the 21" barrel with twin beads. Short, handy, reliable and quite effective. I have a Comp-N-Choke .655" tube in it. Shot the old Winchester Supreme XV #5 lead shells very well. I killed a good many birds with it. But it was primarily my wife's gun.
The BPS Upland, to me, would also make one heckuva nice gun to use. I'd recommend a .562-5 choke tube from William at SumToy Cusoms and your favorite flavor of TSS 8's or 9's
Wollen nicht krank dein feind. Planen es.
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Joined: Aug 2005
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Campfire Outfitter
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OP
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Posts: 9,948 |
The 870 I have is an older (early 1990's) Express Special Purpose Turkey with the 21" barrel with twin beads. Short, handy, reliable and quite effective. I have a Comp-N-Choke .655" tube in it. Shot the old Winchester Supreme XV #5 lead shells very well. I killed a good many birds with it. But it was primarily my wife's gun.
The BPS Upland, to me, would also make one heckuva nice gun to use. I'd recommend a .562-5 choke tube from William at SumToy Cusoms and your favorite flavor of TSS 8's or 9's Thanks for the advice. My little bps has very nice wood that I can tape up. I'll do pattern tests with it and the franchi to see what happens. I have a meadowcreek mount for a red dot to try and will decide if I like it out in front of the reciever or not. The franchi isn't pretty, but its light, decent trigget, and set up with a sumtoy red dot mount already. plus sling studs... TSS loads.. I have several boxes of federal, but I'm not super impressed with them. Any other makes I should try? I see belended browning loads at a decent price but not great reviews on them
Other than that, How was the show Mrs. Lincoln?
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Joined: Nov 2013
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Apex Ninja.
I’ve only compared the .410 loads with Federal, but they are definitely better. Based on those I bought some 20s, and they pattern great from my Gold Hunter. My oh my they do come dearly now; a box of 10 .410s is like $75, $30 more than I paid for mine. I have enough for my duration, given the turkey situation hereabouts. 12s get fed lead; I’m not Elon Musk…..
What fresh Hell is this?
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