Mossberg 500 action break in

Arcosdad

Arcosdad

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Comox Valley,Vancouver Island.
Hello all,

I seldom buy new guns, in fact most of my core firearms are 30+ years old. Just received my new 500 Bantam 20 ga.... love this little thing but the action is a little harsh/ rough/ gritty. It's well oiled. Is there anything you recommend for smoothing her out like polishing rails or action arms? Or do I just sit on the couch working the action? Or, being that these aren't premium grade firearms, this how they are? This is my first Mossberg pump.

Thanks for the assistance!

A/D
 
Even if you do eventually want to break it down and polish up some parts I would suggest sitting down and working the action a few hundred times. See how it feels after that and if you want better it will be clear where the parts are rubbing making it easier to see where needs attention.
 
I have a 535 I bought used which I found stiff. I put more wear on the tube with the first 25 shots than was on it. So I doubt 25 rounds where fired before me owning it. It was stiff but worked, using it smoothed it out. I bought it for shooting slugs. At about 150 200 rounds I noticed it seemed smother to operate. For the ones that don’t know the 535 is the 3.5 inch chamber. Still basically a mossberg 500.
 
That is part of there make up there are no smooth pump guns on the market today . Exception bps , wingmaster, they are quite smooth.
The worst are benelli Nova and super Nova
 
struff55 said:
That is part of there make up there are no smooth pump guns on the market today . Exception bps , wingmaster, they are quite smooth.
The worst are benelli Nova and super Nova
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Hmmm odd I find my super nova tactical to be quite smooth, but it's almost 10 years old and have put a few shells through it.
 
struff55 said:
That is part of there make up there are no smooth pump guns on the market today . Exception bps , wingmaster, they are quite smooth.
The worst are benelli Nova and super Nova
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Ithaca 37..... mossberg 200...these two have to be some of the smooths pump shotguns around, with out spending $1500-2000.
Hell I just have to point the barrel of my old Ithaca 37 , up to the sky and push the button for the action and down it comes .
 
BIG SHOOTZ said:
Hmmm odd I find my super nova tactical to be quite smooth, but it's almost 10 years old and have put a few shells through it.
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Compared to what. Want to know what smooth is try a remington model 31 or a vintage wingmaster some day
Smooth since out of the box not 10 years after
Modern ones hard to beat a BPS

Cheers
 
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I always debur and give a quick polish of the action bar/track and bolt if is it’s gritty, I do a full tear down clean and lube when I first get one and do it at the same time. I find it quicker than sitting there racking the thing over and over.
 
Man if a new pump has to be polished that I bought I would not be buying it
Save your pennies and buy something of quality and yes they still make those BPS, ithaca37 , wingmaster ( still some on shelves)
Cheers
 
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3macs1 said:
Man if a new pump has to be polished that I bought I would not be buying it
Save your pennies and buy something of quality and yes they still make those BPS, ithaca37 , wingmaster ( still some on shelves)
Cheers
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Haha, that’s one way of looking at it and I agree to an extent. Sometimes you want something specific and that’s it, I don’t see polishing and deburing action bars as a deal breaker to be honest. I’m more than capable of doing it and if the price was right who cares.

I’ve bought pump guns that were smooth as butter straight out of the box and I’ve bought a couple that needed 30 mins of tlc that are now just as smooth. You don’t need any tools to do it, some wet dry sandpaper and oil is it.
 
Butcherbill said:
Haha, that’s one way of looking at it and I agree to an extent. Sometimes you want something specific and that’s it, I don’t see polishing and deburing action bars as a deal breaker to be honest. I’m more than capable of doing it and if the price was right who cares.

I’ve bought pump guns that were smooth as butter straight out of the box and I’ve bought a couple that needed 30 mins of tlc that are now just as smooth. You don’t need any tools to do it, some wet dry sandpaper and oil is it.
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I am spoiled. Been a pump lover since 1965 and must have 50 of most makes and models . I have always collected them in sets
Like a set of ithaca 37's 28,20,16 and 12 a few sets of wingmasters set of BPS , model 12 , 31's , flight kings, etc
One mossy 500 because it was 16ga and a few turkey made ones because they were 28ga and none of those are smooth
If I was buying today I would stick to those three I mentioned if I wanted it for life and smooth
To me if it has to be polished what it the rest of the gun like . Where is the quality control sure not hand made and fitted like many I have
Like anything you get what you pay for. Yes I crapped my pants when I paid over 1100 for the ithaca 37 28ga but was some pleased when I opened the box
Just as nice as ones made 50 years ago even came with the guys name who built it
That is how I like my pumps give them a stink eye and they cycle LOL
Cheers
 
3macs1 said:
I am spoiled. Been a pump lover since 1965 and must have 50 of most makes and models . I have always collected them in sets
Like a set of ithaca 37's 28,20,16 and 12 a few sets of wingmasters set of BPS , model 12 , 31's , flight kings, etc
One mossy 500 because it was 16ga and a few turkey made ones because they were 28ga and none of those are smooth
If I was buying today I would stick to those three I mentioned if I wanted it for life and smooth
To me if it has to be polished what it the rest of the gun like . Where is the quality control sure not hand made and fitted like many I have
Like anything you get what you pay for. Yes I crapped my pants when I paid over 1100 for the ithaca 37 28ga but was some pleased when I opened the box
Just as nice as ones made 50 years ago even came with the guys name who built it
That is how I like my pumps give them a stink eye and they cycle LOL
Cheers
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The older the smoother for the most part that’s for sure, the problem I think and I was talking with a friend about this is people don’t want to pay the price for the qc nowadays. We were talking about a specific bolt gun and the low end model is well rough, the model that’s over twice the price is smooth and not part of the general consumer lineup. Even I didn’t want to buy the base model after handling it, the other I knew right away I’d be happy to own it as is.

Like I said I don’t have a problem doing some minor polishing of a pump gun, the last 870 Express I bought new didn’t need it. It didn’t need a chamber polish either but when I had it apart I did both and it was even slicker for the 30-45 minutes it took to do, the rest of the gun is the same really good fit and finish with none of the problems people complain about. It’s been 100% reliable since day one and I bought it in 2017 iirc. Sometimes that’s the fun of a gun, making it even better than it is out of the box. At least that’s how I am but I do my research on guns I’m thinking of buying and tend to know what I’m getting into, so no surprises if it need something as simple as polishing the action bars.
 
Arcosdad said:
Thanks for the input guys, very valuable. I'll start by working the action then do some shooting as weather permits. See how she feels.
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Dry fire and dry cycle. If you have dummy cartridges available, cycling those through will really help as well. (easy to make using fired hulls and dowel)

AND I suggest you don't lube at this point - In fact, strip all lube before starting. Parts will wear in faster if they are completely dry.

I'll sometimes (carefully) use lapping compound on select areas for this kind of thing to accelerate wear-in.
 
Butcherbill said:
The older the smoother for the most part that’s for sure, the problem I think and I was talking with a friend about this is people don’t want to pay the price for the qc nowadays. We were talking about a specific bolt gun and the low end model is well rough, the model that’s over twice the price is smooth and not part of the general consumer lineup. Even I didn’t want to buy the base model after handling it, the other I knew right away I’d be happy to own it as is.

Like I said I don’t have a problem doing some minor polishing of a pump gun, the last 870 Express I bought new didn’t need it. It didn’t need a chamber polish either but when I had it apart I did both and it was even slicker for the 30-45 minutes it took to do, the rest of the gun is the same really good fit and finish with none of the problems people complain about. It’s been 100% reliable since day one and I bought it in 2017 iirc. Sometimes that’s the fun of a gun, making it even better than it is out of the box. At least that’s how I am but I do my research on guns I’m thinking of buying and tend to know what I’m getting into, so no surprises if it need something as simple as polishing the action bars.
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You are 100% right we live in a disposable world now
I have always bought the best I could afford so I am buying it once for a lifetime just the way I was raised I guess and vintage pumps will give you a life time if you take care of it
That is why I still have my very first new wingmaster bought in 1965 and she is like the day I bought it and will be handed down
My snowblower today is a great example I am out with the 85 honda blowing snow and the guy next door who said I was crazy paying 1800 bucks for it in 85 when a craftsman was like 499 says is that the same old machine . I said yep and still going strong how many have you bought since 85 I said about 6 or 7 he says LOL
Also big difference a wingmaster would set me back 200 bucks not 1000 like today so hard for the average Joe to buy quality in 2022
Take care
 
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alpining said:
Dry fire and dry cycle. If you have dummy cartridges available, cycling those through will really help as well. (easy to make using fired hulls and dowel)

AND I suggest you don't lube at this point - In fact, strip all lube before starting. Parts will wear in faster if they are completely dry.

I'll sometimes (carefully) use lapping compound on select areas for this kind of thing to accelerate wear-in.
Click to expand...

My dad was a smith and did that with some
Cheers
 
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