Interesting range experience.

Echo23TC · October 22, 2001, 03:25 PM

Got a set of SGT sights mounted on my 870 a couple of weeks ago, just in time for hunting season, so I went out to the range to sight it in with slugs. I have a benchmaster rest, so I set it up in that, with a target at 25 yards. Got all set, and squeezed one off. I noticed as the gun was recoiling that the empty went flying off to the right ("hey, wait a minute, this is a PUMP shotgun, [color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color]?"). Loaded another single, squeezed it off - same thing, there goes an empty red hull off to the side. At this point, I noticed that slug holes are easy to see at 25 yards, and that I'm hitting just a little low. Moved the rear sight up one groove, it was on for azimuth. Fired one more single at 25 to verify (Yup, there goes the empty!) and then one at 100. I finally figured out that because I wasn't holding on to the forearm, it was free to cycle during recoil, thereby ejecting the empty hull. It sure had me going for a bit though. So anyway, I got set to fire my next shot at 100, and found that the front sight had departed the barrel during the 4th shot. Finally found it in the grass about 15 feet behind the line, and that was the end of the session. Took the whole thing back to the smith that did the installation, they claimed to have followed the instructions to the letter (and to their credit, it did look as though the epoxy had just not been able to grab the sight), and they went ahead and installed a screw through the sight into the top of the barrel. Has anyone else had problems with the SGT front sight not wanting to stay on?
Oh, that fourth round hit at 100, about 4 inches low. I might just get to liking this thing, if the sight will stay put.

Dave McC · October 22, 2001, 03:39 PM

Bob Brister reports the same thing in his classic book on shotgunning.Rest the forearm on a sandbag, fire off a heavy load, and watch it kick it out all by itself.

I've had a few sights depart in the past, a real PITA. Good smiths use a couple different ways to keep them on, usually two different ones per sight. Keep on your smith until you're satisfied, or you have a better smith.

Cavè Canem · October 22, 2001, 04:47 PM

I was thinking about putting rifle sights on my MB500A seeing as how it only has the little bead sight on it.

Is this possible?

I've never had my pump kick out an empty unless I pumped it. I have shot it one handed too and it never kicked the empty out until I ran the forearm.

Poodleshooter · October 22, 2001, 05:06 PM

There are companies that make screw on front and rear sights that attach to the vent rib of various shotguns. I think there are variants that strap around plain barrels as well. I had a pair on my Mossberg 500A a long time back. IIRC, I bought them at Cabelas.

Foxy · October 23, 2001, 12:54 AM

My roommate's M500 hasn't ejected any shells, but we haven't fired it without hanging on the forearm. However, when shooting heavy 3" slugs, the action does open up somewhat sometimes.

October 22, 2001, 03:25 PM	#1
Echo23TC Member Join Date: January 30, 2001 Location: Helena, Montana Posts: 54	Interesting range experience. Got a set of SGT sights mounted on my 870 a couple of weeks ago, just in time for hunting season, so I went out to the range to sight it in with slugs. I have a benchmaster rest, so I set it up in that, with a target at 25 yards. Got all set, and squeezed one off. I noticed as the gun was recoiling that the empty went flying off to the right ("hey, wait a minute, this is a PUMP shotgun, [color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color]?"). Loaded another single, squeezed it off - same thing, there goes an empty red hull off to the side. At this point, I noticed that slug holes are easy to see at 25 yards, and that I'm hitting just a little low. Moved the rear sight up one groove, it was on for azimuth. Fired one more single at 25 to verify (Yup, there goes the empty!) and then one at 100. I finally figured out that because I wasn't holding on to the forearm, it was free to cycle during recoil, thereby ejecting the empty hull. It sure had me going for a bit though. So anyway, I got set to fire my next shot at 100, and found that the front sight had departed the barrel during the 4th shot. Finally found it in the grass about 15 feet behind the line, and that was the end of the session. Took the whole thing back to the smith that did the installation, they claimed to have followed the instructions to the letter (and to their credit, it did look as though the epoxy had just not been able to grab the sight), and they went ahead and installed a screw through the sight into the top of the barrel. Has anyone else had problems with the SGT front sight not wanting to stay on? Oh, that fourth round hit at 100, about 4 inches low. I might just get to liking this thing, if the sight will stay put.

October 22, 2001, 03:39 PM	#2
Dave McC Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 13, 1999 Location: Columbia, Md, USA Posts: 8,811	Bob Brister reports the same thing in his classic book on shotgunning.Rest the forearm on a sandbag, fire off a heavy load, and watch it kick it out all by itself. I've had a few sights depart in the past, a real PITA. Good smiths use a couple different ways to keep them on, usually two different ones per sight. Keep on your smith until you're satisfied, or you have a better smith.

October 22, 2001, 04:47 PM	#3
Cavè Canem Senior Member Join Date: September 12, 2001 Location: NW VA Posts: 228	I was thinking about putting rifle sights on my MB500A seeing as how it only has the little bead sight on it. Is this possible? I've never had my pump kick out an empty unless I pumped it. I have shot it one handed too and it never kicked the empty out until I ran the forearm.

October 22, 2001, 05:06 PM	#4
Poodleshooter Senior Member Join Date: August 7, 2000 Location: Floating down the James River in VA Posts: 2,599	There are companies that make screw on front and rear sights that attach to the vent rib of various shotguns. I think there are variants that strap around plain barrels as well. I had a pair on my Mossberg 500A a long time back. IIRC, I bought them at Cabelas.

October 23, 2001, 12:54 AM	#5
Foxy Senior Member Join Date: September 14, 2001 Location: Maryland Posts: 846	My roommate's M500 hasn't ejected any shells, but we haven't fired it without hanging on the forearm. However, when shooting heavy 3" slugs, the action does open up somewhat sometimes.