Mossberg can lick my ***! slight rant

Major Sights

Major Sights

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So my father, brother, and I all split on a friends shotgun reloading gear, supplies, and shot gun. 100 bucks each. It was a good deal as it was a MEC reloader with all the parts needed and 1/8 keg of powder and 2 bags of 7.5 shot, and a good to really good Lakefield Mossberg 500.

My brother and I wanted reloading gear and my dad wanted a 12g. I offered to take the shotgun home and rip it apart and give it a good cleaning (as I am the only one in my family it seems who is willing to take guns apart and clean em down completely). What a royal pain in the @$$.

This was my first dis-assembly of a mossberg 500. I looked at the manual online, watched 2-3 videos on youtube and felt I was ready to go. I wasn't super impressed to see that I need tools (punch and hammer if needed) just to get the bolt assembly out. Then when trying to take the forend off, everything said just pull it off. Not a chance after d!cking around with it for 15 minutes, I come to the realization that the mag tube needs to come off as there is a spring and stopper system holding it on. Then its just a pain to put back together. I am SO glad I got 2 870's now!

Anyway, just venting and sharing a pic or 2 of said shotty. Functions MUCH nicer now that it is all clean. :D

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Sounds like you got a rotten deal, and worse yet, will have the shotgun around to remind you of the anguish.

I'll give you $300 for the lot.
 
Seriously, it's not that hard to take apart... the US Army adopted it so if grunts can take it apart, you should be able to.
 
Its not rocket science no. However, an 870 I find is a much simpler design and faster to take apart. Performance wise, I dunno, we will see tomorrow. The deal was great. I got exactly what I wanted (I did find that all I need is a 5 dollar piece to the load the shells I have, but that's ace's with me) and since I will only be taking this gun apart once ever few years as it isn't mine... perfect.

The lizard (Narcissa) seemed to be posing for multiple shots, each time the camera went off she changed position and then waited.
 
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"So my father, brother, and I all spit on a friends shotgun..."

friends don't let friends spit on shotguns. Unless that shotgun came from Woolerton. :rey2
 
I don't think I'd blame the weapon myself.

I might have seemed hard the first time, sometimes that just the way things go.

I own(ed) over 10 of them and they have put up with everything I have thrown at them.

They are a Milspec shotgun for a reason. (the 590's)

Over time I'll bet you'll find out they exceed Win and Rem's.

I not a brand type owner.

What ever takes the worst punishment and works finds a home here.

Mossy's are #1
 
Are the 870's not a military weapon?

IMHO, the 870 platform can be taken down for a quick cleaning much easier and quicker.
Simply take off the end cap, pull the barrel off, and depress the inner tabs and the forend, the bolt all slide out.

The 500.
Take off end cap, use punch to take pin out, remove trigger assembly, remove the 2 loose "bars" on the side, remove the slide, remove the lifter (as you can tell I am tired and not using proper names), remove mag tube, remove forend, remove bolt... Seems like a lot more complex to me. Its easy, now that I have done it, just complex.
 
Major Sights, I read Posts #1 and #11 and everything seems correct except for removal of the mag tube. The mag tube does not need to be removed in normal field strip. I'm very familiar with the 500 series, field stripping with the bolt out should be a 60 second task.

I'm not sure what you mean by the "spring and stopper" you mentioned in the OP. The only tool needed for take-down is something to push the Trigger Housing Pin through, and for this I have used many field expedient "tools".

I'm more than happy to help make this task easier.
 
Lodi said:
Major Sights, I read Posts #1 and #11 and everything seems correct except for removal of the mag tube. The mag tube does not need to be removed in normal field strip. I'm very familiar with the 500 series, field stripping with the bolt out should be a 60 second task.

I'm not sure what you mean by the "spring and stopper" you mentioned in the OP. The only tool needed for take-down is something to push the Trigger Housing Pin through, and for this I have used many field expedient "tools".

I'm more than happy to help make this task easier.
Click to expand...

On this one, maybe because its a Lakefield, the mag tube needs to be unscrewed and removed prior to the forarm. There is a flat piece of metal that is wrapped around the mag tube and acts like a spring and there is a rib (protruding kind, not cut into the barrel) that keeps this spring from coming off the end, this all prevents the forend from sliding off.

I'll take pictures of it later today, as I am just packing up to go skeet shooting with my bro and dad. What a great family day! :D
 
I believe he is correct about the spring on the Lakefield. Is yours a single action bar gun? Mossberg did make some changes later on.
 
Major Sights said:
Its not rocket science no. However, an 870 I find is a much simpler design and faster to take apart. Performance wise, I dunno, we will see tomorrow. The deal was great. I got exactly what I wanted (I did find that all I need is a 5 dollar piece to the load the shells I have, but that's ace's with me) and since I will only be taking this gun apart once ever few years as it isn't mine... perfect.

The lizard (Narcissa) seemed to be posing for multiple shots, each time the camera went off she changed position and then waited.
Click to expand...

Someday when you want a real challenge take a BPS pump totally apart for cleaning and you will be hugging that old mossberg.:cool:
 
I had the same gun. Was my 2nd or 3rd gun when I was starting out and it was simple then to take apart. I don't recall any issues with taking off the mag tube to get the barrel off. But it was awhile ago.
 
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