Purchased a Mossberg 500A

KnightofCydonia · May 10, 2010, 06:10 PM

Hi guys,

So I sold my Remington 870 Express back in March because I wasn't a big fan of the finish. The gun worked well and fit me well and was reliable, but the rough gritty sand blasted finish tore up my gun rags and was annoying for me to clean/oil.

Today, I received my Mossberg 500A in the mail. It's the wooden field version, standard. I picked it up, and was impressed by how light and compact it felt compared to the 870. The stock LOP feels shorter and the girth of the stock is thinner I believe. Furthermore, being a southpaw, the ergos were convenient for me, especially the tang safety. I also like the blued finish, it's smooth and appears to be decently applied. The wood stock is nicer than the photos as it shows some grain, and the checkering is much more tactile than that of my previous Express 870.

I just learned how to disassemble and reassemble it, and this process is more detailed than an 870, but after the second time, I had it memorized and performed it flawlessly. My only complaint is that the magazine follower is not too visible, so I swapped it with a orange DuPont Delrin mag follower, which solved that.

The action out of the box is rough and clunky, but I'm not too worried because that will resolve itself with shooting and lube.

The twin beads on the barrel are a nice feature, and it helps with checking alignment.

The recoil pad is a lot stiffer in my opinion than what they put on the Express, but I doubt it'll make too much of a difference.

Nice benefits include 3 chokes, modified was already in the barrel, and a gun lock. Mine didn't come with any extra stickers except for the Mossberg one that's on the stock already. Is it supposed to?

Other than that, I really like how the shotgun is put together. I like the Remington 870, and plan to rebuy one, but next time it will be a used Wingmaster.

Having owned both, I recommend, get BOTH!

rdmallory · May 10, 2010, 08:38 PM

Thanks for the write up I am looking at the 590A1.

Doug

zippy13 · May 10, 2010, 08:57 PM

Congratulations!
The wood stock and two-bead barrel were a good choice. You really did your homework before selecting this one. Now, get out there and break-in that action.

Sorry, I don't have a clue about the stickers. You didn't buy it for the stickers, did you?

DHart · May 17, 2010, 03:43 AM

Knight... I really like Mossberg's blued finish. Both my 500A Persuader 18.5" and 590 have blued steel. Easy to clean and care for. Looks great. My well used 500A is beginning to show some nice wear on the bluing, which I love.

Even though it's durable and protects well, I'm not a fan of the coarse parkerized finish myself either. I love 'em blued!

May 10, 2010, 06:10 PM	#1
KnightofCydonia Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2009 Posts: 219	Purchased a Mossberg 500A Hi guys, So I sold my Remington 870 Express back in March because I wasn't a big fan of the finish. The gun worked well and fit me well and was reliable, but the rough gritty sand blasted finish tore up my gun rags and was annoying for me to clean/oil. Today, I received my Mossberg 500A in the mail. It's the wooden field version, standard. I picked it up, and was impressed by how light and compact it felt compared to the 870. The stock LOP feels shorter and the girth of the stock is thinner I believe. Furthermore, being a southpaw, the ergos were convenient for me, especially the tang safety. I also like the blued finish, it's smooth and appears to be decently applied. The wood stock is nicer than the photos as it shows some grain, and the checkering is much more tactile than that of my previous Express 870. I just learned how to disassemble and reassemble it, and this process is more detailed than an 870, but after the second time, I had it memorized and performed it flawlessly. My only complaint is that the magazine follower is not too visible, so I swapped it with a orange DuPont Delrin mag follower, which solved that. The action out of the box is rough and clunky, but I'm not too worried because that will resolve itself with shooting and lube. The twin beads on the barrel are a nice feature, and it helps with checking alignment. The recoil pad is a lot stiffer in my opinion than what they put on the Express, but I doubt it'll make too much of a difference. Nice benefits include 3 chokes, modified was already in the barrel, and a gun lock. Mine didn't come with any extra stickers except for the Mossberg one that's on the stock already. Is it supposed to? Other than that, I really like how the shotgun is put together. I like the Remington 870, and plan to rebuy one, but next time it will be a used Wingmaster. Having owned both, I recommend, get BOTH!

May 10, 2010, 08:38 PM	#2
rdmallory Senior Member Join Date: February 10, 2009 Location: Deltona FL Posts: 953	Thanks for the write up I am looking at the 590A1. Doug

May 10, 2010, 08:57 PM	#3
zippy13 Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 6,442	Congratulations! The wood stock and two-bead barrel were a good choice. You really did your homework before selecting this one. Now, get out there and break-in that action. Sorry, I don't have a clue about the stickers. You didn't buy it for the stickers, did you?

May 17, 2010, 03:43 AM	#4
DHart Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 591	Knight... I really like Mossberg's blued finish. Both my 500A Persuader 18.5" and 590 have blued steel. Easy to clean and care for. Looks great. My well used 500A is beginning to show some nice wear on the bluing, which I love. Even though it's durable and protects well, I'm not a fan of the coarse parkerized finish myself either. I love 'em blued!