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View Poll Results: 500A for HD.Do you keep one in the chamber?
Yes 17 34.69%
No 32 65.31%
Voters: 49. You may not vote on this poll

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Old August 12, 2012, 06:07 PM   #1
spearman
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Mossberg 500A for HD

If you use the 500A for HD do you keep one in the chamber?If no,why?
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Old August 12, 2012, 06:37 PM   #2
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In the location it is kept, I really don't risk a problem with discharge...

The firing pin issue isn't a real risk in the home... You would punch thru drywall before setting off a round...

The higher risk is with any gun that is a "trigger block" safety rather than a sear or firing pin block...

BTW... a 500A is not an "old style" 500... it is a 12 gauge 500. B is 16 and a C is 20 gauge D is either the 28 gauge or .410... I forget that one...

My old style 500 is a C model 20...


Brent
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Old August 12, 2012, 06:45 PM   #3
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The firing pin issue isn't a real risk in the home... You would punch thru drywall before setting off a round...
I wouldn't want to drop one down the stairs and have it land on the concrete slab that my house sits on only to discover that the risk is real.

I prefer an empty chamber.
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Old August 12, 2012, 07:17 PM   #4
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skad, I am on a single level floor... Maximum fall height with muzzle pointed down is inches not feet...

For the firing pin issue to come into play the gun must land nearly vertical as we will only have one surface in motion (muzzle) opposed to 2 surfaces in motion (hull and muzzle) in the Navy incident on the rigid inflatable boat...

That event had doubled the speed of impact opposed to dropping the gun on a stationary floor...

The firing pin striking the primer on a gun without a firing pin return spring is one risk...


Many brands including Mossberg and Remington could go off during a fall event due to sear releasing the hammer which is not blocked when "safed"...

So use in an HD situation, to be safe from a remote risk requires you be unsafe from a more likely risk... Unlike many, when I feel I am grabbing the gun for defensive measures, I prefer the remote risk of dropping the gun over the higher risk of suddenly engaging a bad guy with a loaded but useless gun...

Storing it is a totally different act to many if not most of us...

Brent
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Old August 12, 2012, 08:32 PM   #5
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I have used a 500 12 ga w/20 inch barrel and extended mag for HD with a round in the chamber for the past 5 years with no problem. I store mine hung on the mattress box spring with a rack made for that purpose.
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Old August 12, 2012, 11:34 PM   #6
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mine sits rite beside my bed when not in use,loaded to the hilt and yes in the chamber i know as most people what the sound of a pump shotgun racking a shell into the chamber is and so do the BG. I don't want to give the BG a point in which to aim. drywall does not slow down bullets much
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Old August 12, 2012, 11:44 PM   #7
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mine sits rite beside my bed when not in use,loaded to the hilt and yes in the chamber i know as most people what the sound of a pump shotgun racking a shell into the chamber is and so do the BG. I don't want to give the BG a point in which to aim. drywall does not slow down bullets much
Point well taken, but consider the risk of injury from the inadvertent discharge of a shell stored in the chamber to the risk of injury due to an encounter with a bad guy.

BTW, I saw somewhere where the Navy and Marines had a problem with unintended discharges from both Mossbergs and 870s with short barrels. It seems that the weapons were carried muzzle down and if they fell the shortened barrels increased the lengh of the fall which incresed the force upon impact.
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Old August 13, 2012, 02:59 AM   #8
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I don't keep one in the chamber. The psychological effect of racking a round can't be ignored!
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Old August 13, 2012, 03:10 AM   #9
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The psychological effect of racking a round can't be ignored!
Neither can the fact that you gave away your EXACT position...

The sound of a pump gun (or any gun action for that matter) cycling a round has no psychological impact upon me other than getting me to keep my head down and shoot at the sound...

Silence is GOLDEN and GOLD is valuable...

Brent
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Old August 14, 2012, 10:28 AM   #10
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Neither can the fact that you gave away your EXACT position...
I strongly disagree with that premise. Hearing the racking of the gun in a dark and quiet house is not going to give away your position other than maybe what general direction.

Most people burglarizing homes aren't looking for a fight. They're looking to grab a couple of valuables and GTFO. Not many people are looking for confrontation. So yes, I think the sound will definitely send the upper 90% of home invaders right back out the way they came.

I'm not looking forward to having to shoot someone... In fact, I'd much rather avoid it if at all possible. If you hear that sounds and you're still coming, then you obviously are looking for trouble.
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Old August 14, 2012, 10:47 AM   #11
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I reckon I am a cold heartless person... For me, the taking of life from a criminal is no more traumatic than cracking an egg to fry for breakfast... their life means absolutely nothing to me...

I worry more about having to listen to mrs.hogdogs complaining about the mess on the wall and floor...

Brent
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Old August 14, 2012, 11:02 AM   #12
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I always keep one in the chamber...with the safety on.

Most home invasions happen very very fast, and violently. Especialy if there are more than one intruder.

Your life and the life of your love ones, may be determined within seconds.
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Old August 14, 2012, 06:17 PM   #13
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seems hotdog and i agree
what has not been taken in to effect is you rack the gun the BG knows you know he is there and unlike us law biding gun lovers they don't care what the law on automatic weapons are and if the have a tec9,mac10 or an oozy they start spraying bullets in my direction...no thank you!!!
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Old August 15, 2012, 07:06 PM   #14
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I also agree with hotdog and Scott, would mean nothing to me but lost time during the investigation. It also means, if the intruder is killed, a tax savings to the taxpayers.
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Old August 16, 2012, 02:28 PM   #15
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To be honest, you guys scare the crap out of me. You're telling me that you're going just start pumping out rounds into anything that goes bump in the night without trying to make any kind of positive identification?

You don't want to rack a round because you think the noise will 'give away your position'... I assume this also means you won't so much as make a peep such as "Who's there?"... or... "Identify yourself.".... or.... ANYTHING?

How do you know it wasn't your child/sibling/cousin/friend that just got into a car acccident.. or got assaulted... and your house was the closest one... and they were just trying to get some place safe... Maybe a long shot, sure... but there are plenty of scenarios that could occur where you just murdered an innocent person. The mentality that "welp, he shouldn't been on muh prawperty, so now he's dead." is ridiculous to me.
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Old August 16, 2012, 02:39 PM   #16
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If there is a bump in the night and my wife is next to me, it is an uninvited guest because my kids "always" call before coming over. Also, my wife and I are the only ones with keys to the house and any visitor would have to knock. I know for a fact my kids would not break into my house knowing that I have an indoor and outdoor security system and several handguns and a shotgun at arms reach when my wife and I have turned in for the night?

Just returned from Marana, Az.

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Old August 16, 2012, 02:47 PM   #17
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Until they don't.
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Old August 16, 2012, 05:12 PM   #18
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Uncle, You assume too much!!! I will determine when and where I announce my presence... IF AT ALL... I will investigate and if possible, identify the person without so much as a peep... I know all four of the people in my home intimately since I and one other created the other 2... If I cannot positively ID the person I have a simple rehearsed "statement" it is simple... "I.F.F. friend or foe" if the voice on the other end is not someone permitted here they won't know my name... If they are an invited guest of either of my adult children... they will know I am "BRENT" or "Senior"... They will be able to say... "Senior, I am so and so, a friend of Junior's...

But I doubt that is a big threat since neither is allowed to bring folks in here with out first letting me know... And they know the risk of "strangers" in my home....

BTW, I have a house full of dogs who don't go ape crap when the kids have friends over... Also, no one is to be snoopin' around in utter darkness... Not even their friends... It is their responsibility to supervise their guests as NO ONE is truly trusted here until we are fully acquainted and after MUCH visits...

This place is no "Crash Pad" or "Party Palace"... Come to think about it... I can count on one hand (with a few fingers left out of the count) the number of folks both of my kids might have over COMBINED!!!

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Old August 16, 2012, 05:25 PM   #19
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A bit more... I only have my father in this area as kin folk... He rarely arrives unannounced... When he does, he takes his time and whistles his way to my door to get my dogs alerted first so I will look out side...

He can be on the cell phone and say "I am turning onto your place right now..." and he still knocks and waits for me to holler to "Come on in, Dad..." or for me to open the door...

I reciprocate this respect at his place... We ain't paranoid by any means but we both know the other is armed and that neither household allows "no knock" entry...

NO ONE... NO MATTER THEIR INJURY OR OTHER SITUATION HAS MY PERMISSION TO ENTER WITH OUT PERMISSION TO ENTER!!!

To think otherwise is a risky proposition...

And the "racking" sound of a cycling action would only work if I grab the 500... I am just as likely to grab the loaded Stevens 20 gauge side by side... that thing handles like a dream...
Brent
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Old August 16, 2012, 06:07 PM   #20
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Racking is well overstated, in my inexperienced opinion. I can see the pros of keeping a loaded chamber but I still think the potential for a negligent discharge outweighs the pros, especially taking into account their respective likelihoods.

Even were I to keep a round in the chamber, cocked and locked, given the evenutality of a middle of the night intruder I may still rack one depending on the circumstances. If it is a lone kid and there is no indication of them be armed or having any intention but to grab something to pawn, I may still rack one to get there undivided attention. If they appear armed and I or my household is in imminent danger, the hell with warnings.
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Old August 16, 2012, 06:13 PM   #21
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Klaw, I respect your view but the barrel to the back of the head and an order to hit the deck face down would have a kid's undivided attention too... If they are inside my home, I do not know if they want pawn items or more... Nothing I own except this lap top and my guns are pawn-able... Like an old sign I had on my door for years stated...

"THERE IS NOTHING IN THIS HOME WORTH RISKING YOUR LIFE FOR..."

Brent
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Old August 17, 2012, 12:59 AM   #22
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I hear you, Brent, and if any error is to be made I would do so on the side of my and my family's safety and see no fault in your plan for the protection of your own. Generally, I do not believe in warnings but that warning shots are for Hollywood.
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Old August 18, 2012, 04:37 PM   #23
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The sound of a pump gun (or any gun action for that matter) cycling a round has no psychological impact upon me other than getting me to keep my head down and shoot at the sound...
when is the last time you broke into a house and heard a round being chambered?
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Old August 18, 2012, 09:27 PM   #24
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That might be why I do not fret the sound... accustomed under normal circumstances? All burglars are different than me? I doubt it...

Not every criminal is an amped up ferret... Many may be but not all...

Brent
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Old August 19, 2012, 12:50 AM   #25
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Whew... some of the folks here speak heap big smoke. How many times have any here dropped a hammer on someone and dealt with the investigation, the prosecutor and possible lawsuits? Poppin someone even in your house with bad intent will generate a hell-storm in your life and that of your family, even with "Make my day" and "Castle doctrine". A BAD shoot- i.e. some friend, friend of your kids, someone drunk and entering the wrong house by mistake, or a drunk friend not thinking THAT has happened to me more than once, glad I didnt blow either of them away. My friends know what to expect and holler as they come to the door- if the dog doesnt out-shout them... A bad shoot will grab your life and turn it upside down. Apples and oranges perhaps.. look at what Mr Zimmerman is facing because of a good shoot that was turned bad by the media.
I have a dog and a Glock handy. The shotgun is between me and the door and has an empty chamber unless I am actively expecting trouble. Better that than the death of someone that didnt really need killing- that split-second of time to gauge the situation. YMMV!
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