The truth about TOSSBERG shotguns

colostomyclown · February 22, 2009, 06:52 PM

I'm just letting the truth be known about these awful guns. I bought a 590 security model two weeks ago. swabbed and oiled the barrel clean, lightly oiled the action and internals, worked the action. The first time i loaded the magazine to capacity and ejected shells to work the action, the mag spring BROKE. needless to say i was angry but i took the gun back to the store and they were good enough to offer a replacement, even though i was unsure at that point if i even wanted a replacement. i figured id chalk it up to bad luck...

i did the same thing with this new one yesterday, swabbed and oiled the barrel spotless, lightly oiled the working parts and cleaned all surface oil off. took the gun out. loaded to capacity. shot ONE round. went to eject, foreend hung up in bottom position. i worked it loose. shot second round, heard a POP. round ejected and heard the remainder of my shells sliding back and forth in tube. another broken gun. at that point i decided i was done with the Tossberg nonsense.

to add to this, my friend bought a 500a persuader, brought it home, prepped it like i did, and went to swap out the stock for a knoxx spec ops. when he removed the stock, he noticed that not only had the screws been stripped but the actual buttstock had chunks missing out of the interior. i refuse to buy another product from this company or any company that makes, ships and markets "home defense" products in this condition.

KChen986 · February 22, 2009, 07:00 PM

Very odd. My 500 tactical has been 100%.

Weird that you're consistently getting bad Mossbergs. =\

hogdogs · February 22, 2009, 07:07 PM

One post on TFL? How many of these "tossberg" guns you owned? No one is allowed to have a bad batch of springs supplied by a contractor?
I invite you to come break the spring in either my 20 year old 20 gauge 500 or 3 year old Maverick 88 12 gauge... I also have accidently tried to put an extra round in the tube fully compressing the spring. I will give you and your buddy a hundred bucks for each gun sight unseen...
Brent

nate45 · February 22, 2009, 07:11 PM

You should have gone with the authentic Mossberg brand, instead of the knock off Tossberg. Same thing happened to a guy I knew he bought a Molex, instead of a Rolex and it never did tell time right.

NYPD13 · February 22, 2009, 07:43 PM

Tossberg? Is that a typo, no name brand, or an attempt to be sarcastic? If refering to Mossberg I would find it to be the exception to have these problems. Would have contacted Mossberg before writing them off.

Sith_Lord_Hritz · February 22, 2009, 07:49 PM

Hey I just had the same problem with my first Mossberg 590 that I recently bought. Cleaned it loaded it and the spring bent and would not work. After doing some research here I found that this is a common problem with the 590 because the spring they use in the mag tube is to narrow and tapered at the ends. I found a member here who makes replacement springs and I got one from him for a great price. I have gone to the range 2 times now with the new spring and have had no problems at all. Other people have said that replacing the spring soled the problem with their Mossberg as well. The guys name that I got the spring from is Max100 here is the link and you should try contacting him about a replacement. Very good guy and fast shipping. Hope that helps.
http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...d.php?t=325766

Scattergun Bob · February 22, 2009, 07:53 PM

Nate and Brent,

You know that reminds me that a couple of folks came to the shop the other day with a Hemington 871 that was being cranky, and it shot its magazine nut across the shop and injured our poor poodle guard dog! Sometimes you get what you pay for

colostomyclown, In all of my time in this industry and dealing with lots of this flavor of scattergun I have never considers readability a issue with 500 or 590 pump guns. All machine devices have defective parts (look at all the recalls on cars), perhaps if you call Mossberg they might shed some light on the issue. Overall the gun is a good one, mine has digested several hundred HEAVY loads and is JUST FINE.

Good Luck and Be Safe

22lr · February 22, 2009, 08:04 PM

My Mossberg 500 has been 100%. I personally wont be buying another brand shotgun unless I get it for 1/3 MSRP or lower. Im a dedicated Mossberg fan after I had a Remington 870 and got my finger stuck in the loading gate for the last time. Ive also had Remington 870s jam by feeding a round before you pump (which at least for me jammed it up and required a complete break down, which is a bad thing in the middle of a duck hunt). All that to say I wont be using anything other than Mossberg brand shotguns until I get enough money for a Ruger SxS.

Rembrandt · February 22, 2009, 08:26 PM

Don't know how many times I've seen posts where people are so proud of the money they saved buying these budget end shotguns....then chide the folks who bought better quality for wasting their money.

Wildalaska · February 22, 2009, 08:30 PM

Mossbergs are far less durable than equivalent Remingtons

WildnowillgetflamedAlaska TM

Scattergun Bob · February 22, 2009, 08:42 PM

Code:

Mossbergs are far less durable than equivalent Remingtons

I think that is a questionable statement. Mossberg has not been around long enough in comparison to Remington to really analyze the durability issue. There are departments out there that have had 870 pump guns for 35 to 40 years, let us wait until 500 and 590's have completed service lifes in LE and the Military then we can truly compare large numbers of data.

Presently BOTH Remington and Mossberg are struggling to provide reliable weapons, neither is doing a superior job of it.

Good Luck & Be Safe

jmr40 · February 22, 2009, 08:54 PM

Mossberg has been making the 500 since 1962. How much longer do we need.

SPUSCG · February 22, 2009, 08:57 PM

my friend has a maverick 88, cycled and fired just fine for all the rounds me and him were firing. Hes been using it a year and a half, no hiccups. Never cleaned it either.

Did feel cheap compared to my 870 though. Mossberg will do the job but just save the money and buy a remington

colostomyclown · February 22, 2009, 08:59 PM

maybe the mossberg supporters got good guns i don't know. but i know 3 bad guns in 2 weeks isn't an anomaly. period.

i'm going to go with an 870 tactical and i'm also going to set-up a wingmaster with a choate extension tube or a remington if i can order one. i shouldn't HAVE to replace any parts on a 350 dollar gun for it to work properly out of the box and that's why i am done with mossberg.

MrNiceGuy · February 22, 2009, 09:08 PM

my 1970's mossberg 500 has taken enormous beatings.. and it's never had a problem.

it sits at home right now with all of it's dents, dings, scratches, rust pits, and residue from the last ~500 rounds since it's been that long since i've cleaned it

i wouldnt hesitate for a second to grap it in a life and death situation
i have, will, and do trust my life to that gun

Wildalaska · February 22, 2009, 09:12 PM

Quote:

I think that is a questionable statement.

I'm in the gunsmith biz.

Mossbergs break in ways that remington's wont, Mossbergs break under circumstances that wont faze a remington. I've seen it and stand by my statement.

I have no beef with Mossberg, they are decent shotguns, its just that Remingtons are better.

WildihopewedonthavethegunwoobiecomingouthereAlaska TM

cookhj · February 22, 2009, 09:15 PM

i've never had a problem with my mossberg 500.

Whiteboy67 · February 22, 2009, 09:22 PM

I like my 590

No spring problems or other problems and I've put ~500 down the barrel so far.

MrNiceGuy · February 22, 2009, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Mossbergs break in ways that remington's wont

purely out of curiosity, how do they break?
is the mag spring the weak link? or are there other areas that are prone to breaking?

i've actually never seen a broken pump shot gun personally so i'm kind of interested

levrluvr · February 22, 2009, 09:25 PM

To each his own. I've got both.
Neither has ever had a failure of any sort. I prefer the loading/unloading on the Mossberg.

Wildalaska · February 22, 2009, 09:42 PM

Quote:

purely out of curiosity, how do they break?

safety buttons (we see 2-3 a month). Shell stops.

Put the gun woobie aside, they break more than remingtons. I wouldnt feel unarmed with one (unlike certain other firearms) but remingtons are better

And I keep a sawed off Mossberg as my shop defense gun

WildthatsthefactjackAlaska TM

Scattergun Bob · February 22, 2009, 09:55 PM

I was in the police armorer biz, both for Remington Guns and Mossberg guns. Mossberg Safeties are like Express plastic mag cap retainers a bad design, but fixable. Steel safety buttons for mossberg and ball detentes for 870 express.

I stand on my statements also. Mossberg is not as bullet proof as Remington but "far less durable" is a stretch on your part.

Good Luck & Be Safe

**Shane Tuttle** · February 22, 2009, 09:56 PM

So, Wild, if Bersa would make a shotgun, would you be so inclined to sell one?

COME ON! I'M JOKING! There's sooo many issues that are wrong with this thread I just HAD to give myself some comic relief at everybody else's expense.

Carry on....

Tuttleidontevenownaremmyormossybecausemyoldstevenssingleshotrulesmyroost8

rantingredneck · February 22, 2009, 10:01 PM

I have both Mossbergs and Remingtons. I expect that my kids will still be shooting the Mossbergs and their kids will still be shooting the Remingtons.

Either way they'll both likely last as long as I do with only minimal parts replacement, if any.

Wildalaska · February 22, 2009, 10:04 PM

Quote:

I was in the police armorer biz, both for Remington Guns and Mossberg guns. Mossberg Safeties are like Express plastic mag cap retainers a bad design, but fixable. Steel safety buttons for mossberg and ball detentes for 870 express.

Funny I have'nt seen a problem with an 870 mag retainer (except for loss) in probably...I dont rmember when.

But hey you have your agenda I'm sure. Own a Mossy do you?

WildorareyouarguingjusttoarguesinceyouagreethatMossysarentasbulletproofAlaska TM

February 22, 2009, 06:52 PM	#1
colostomyclown Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2009 Posts: 613	The truth about TOSSBERG shotguns I'm just letting the truth be known about these awful guns. I bought a 590 security model two weeks ago. swabbed and oiled the barrel clean, lightly oiled the action and internals, worked the action. The first time i loaded the magazine to capacity and ejected shells to work the action, the mag spring BROKE. needless to say i was angry but i took the gun back to the store and they were good enough to offer a replacement, even though i was unsure at that point if i even wanted a replacement. i figured id chalk it up to bad luck... i did the same thing with this new one yesterday, swabbed and oiled the barrel spotless, lightly oiled the working parts and cleaned all surface oil off. took the gun out. loaded to capacity. shot ONE round. went to eject, foreend hung up in bottom position. i worked it loose. shot second round, heard a POP. round ejected and heard the remainder of my shells sliding back and forth in tube. another broken gun. at that point i decided i was done with the Tossberg nonsense. to add to this, my friend bought a 500a persuader, brought it home, prepped it like i did, and went to swap out the stock for a knoxx spec ops. when he removed the stock, he noticed that not only had the screws been stripped but the actual buttstock had chunks missing out of the interior. i refuse to buy another product from this company or any company that makes, ships and markets "home defense" products in this condition.

February 22, 2009, 07:11 PM	#4
nate45 Senior Member Join Date: July 15, 2007 Location: Illinois Posts: 3,746	You should have gone with the authentic Mossberg brand, instead of the knock off Tossberg. Same thing happened to a guy I knew he bought a Molex, instead of a Rolex and it never did tell time right. __________________ "No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms."- Thomas Jefferson ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ (>_<)

February 22, 2009, 07:43 PM	#5
NYPD13 Senior Member Join Date: September 10, 2008 Posts: 370	Tossberg? Is that a typo, no name brand, or an attempt to be sarcastic? If refering to Mossberg I would find it to be the exception to have these problems. Would have contacted Mossberg before writing them off. __________________ "THE CONSTITUTION ONLY GIVES PEOPLE THE RIGHT TO PURSUE HAPPINESS, YOU HAVE TO CATCH IT YOURSELF." ~BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.

February 22, 2009, 07:53 PM	#7
Scattergun Bob Senior Member Join Date: February 29, 2008 Location: Nine Mile Falls, Washington Posts: 1,186	Bad Scatterguns? Nate and Brent, You know that reminds me that a couple of folks came to the shop the other day with a Hemington 871 that was being cranky, and it shot its magazine nut across the shop and injured our poor poodle guard dog! Sometimes you get what you pay for colostomyclown, In all of my time in this industry and dealing with lots of this flavor of scattergun I have never considers readability a issue with 500 or 590 pump guns. All machine devices have defective parts (look at all the recalls on cars), perhaps if you call Mossberg they might shed some light on the issue. Overall the gun is a good one, mine has digested several hundred HEAVY loads and is JUST FINE. Good Luck and Be Safe __________________ First, with the most, WINS! Regards, Scattergun Bob

February 22, 2009, 08:04 PM	#8
22lr Member Join Date: December 28, 2008 Location: Indiana Posts: 30	My Mossberg 500 has been 100%. I personally wont be buying another brand shotgun unless I get it for 1/3 MSRP or lower. Im a dedicated Mossberg fan after I had a Remington 870 and got my finger stuck in the loading gate for the last time. Ive also had Remington 870s jam by feeding a round before you pump (which at least for me jammed it up and required a complete break down, which is a bad thing in the middle of a duck hunt). All that to say I wont be using anything other than Mossberg brand shotguns until I get enough money for a Ruger SxS. __________________ A pistol isn't a weapon, its a tool designed to get you back to the weapon you should have been carrying in the first place.

February 22, 2009, 07:00 PM	#2
KChen986 Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2007 Location: Ninja Mall Posts: 818	Very odd. My 500 tactical has been 100%. Weird that you're consistently getting bad Mossbergs. =\

February 22, 2009, 07:07 PM	#3
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	One post on TFL? How many of these "tossberg" guns you owned? No one is allowed to have a bad batch of springs supplied by a contractor? I invite you to come break the spring in either my 20 year old 20 gauge 500 or 3 year old Maverick 88 12 gauge... I also have accidently tried to put an extra round in the tube fully compressing the spring. I will give you and your buddy a hundred bucks for each gun sight unseen... Brent

February 22, 2009, 07:49 PM	#6
Sith_Lord_Hritz Junior Member Join Date: February 10, 2009 Location: Indiana Posts: 7	Hey I just had the same problem with my first Mossberg 590 that I recently bought. Cleaned it loaded it and the spring bent and would not work. After doing some research here I found that this is a common problem with the 590 because the spring they use in the mag tube is to narrow and tapered at the ends. I found a member here who makes replacement springs and I got one from him for a great price. I have gone to the range 2 times now with the new spring and have had no problems at all. Other people have said that replacing the spring soled the problem with their Mossberg as well. The guys name that I got the spring from is Max100 here is the link and you should try contacting him about a replacement. Very good guy and fast shipping. Hope that helps. http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/...d.php?t=325766

February 22, 2009, 08:26 PM	#9
Rembrandt Senior Member Join Date: August 10, 2002 Posts: 2,108	Don't know how many times I've seen posts where people are so proud of the money they saved buying these budget end shotguns....then chide the folks who bought better quality for wasting their money.

February 22, 2009, 08:30 PM	#10
Wildalaska Junior member Join Date: November 25, 2002 Location: In my own little weird world in Anchorage, Alaska Posts: 14,172	Mossbergs are far less durable than equivalent Remingtons WildnowillgetflamedAlaska TM

February 22, 2009, 08:42 PM	#11
Scattergun Bob Senior Member Join Date: February 29, 2008 Location: Nine Mile Falls, Washington Posts: 1,186	Wildalaska Code: Mossbergs are far less durable than equivalent Remingtons I think that is a questionable statement. Mossberg has not been around long enough in comparison to Remington to really analyze the durability issue. There are departments out there that have had 870 pump guns for 35 to 40 years, let us wait until 500 and 590's have completed service lifes in LE and the Military then we can truly compare large numbers of data. Presently BOTH Remington and Mossberg are struggling to provide reliable weapons, neither is doing a superior job of it. Good Luck & Be Safe __________________ First, with the most, WINS! Regards, Scattergun Bob

February 22, 2009, 08:54 PM	#12
jmr40 Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2008 Location: Georgia Posts: 10,805	Mossberg has been making the 500 since 1962. How much longer do we need.

February 22, 2009, 08:57 PM	#13
SPUSCG Senior Member Join Date: January 25, 2008 Posts: 3,004	my friend has a maverick 88, cycled and fired just fine for all the rounds me and him were firing. Hes been using it a year and a half, no hiccups. Never cleaned it either. Did feel cheap compared to my 870 though. Mossberg will do the job but just save the money and buy a remington __________________ Check us out: www.imfdb.org. Fun site for people who love gun movies.

February 22, 2009, 08:59 PM	#14
colostomyclown Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2009 Posts: 613	maybe the mossberg supporters got good guns i don't know. but i know 3 bad guns in 2 weeks isn't an anomaly. period. i'm going to go with an 870 tactical and i'm also going to set-up a wingmaster with a choate extension tube or a remington if i can order one. i shouldn't HAVE to replace any parts on a 350 dollar gun for it to work properly out of the box and that's why i am done with mossberg. Last edited by colostomyclown; February 22, 2009 at 09:04 PM.

February 22, 2009, 09:08 PM	#15
MrNiceGuy Junior member Join Date: August 16, 2008 Posts: 919	my 1970's mossberg 500 has taken enormous beatings.. and it's never had a problem. it sits at home right now with all of it's dents, dings, scratches, rust pits, and residue from the last ~500 rounds since it's been that long since i've cleaned it i wouldnt hesitate for a second to grap it in a life and death situation i have, will, and do trust my life to that gun

February 22, 2009, 09:15 PM	#17
cookhj Senior Member Join Date: October 30, 2001 Posts: 330	i've never had a problem with my mossberg 500. __________________ You may be whatever you resolve to be. - Gen. TJ "Stonewall" Jackson

February 22, 2009, 09:22 PM	#18
Whiteboy67 Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2008 Location: California Posts: 324	I like my 590 No spring problems or other problems and I've put ~500 down the barrel so far.

February 22, 2009, 09:25 PM	#20
levrluvr Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2009 Location: no. IL Posts: 276	To each his own. I've got both. Neither has ever had a failure of any sort. I prefer the loading/unloading on the Mossberg.

February 22, 2009, 09:55 PM	#22
Scattergun Bob Senior Member Join Date: February 29, 2008 Location: Nine Mile Falls, Washington Posts: 1,186	Ken I was in the police armorer biz, both for Remington Guns and Mossberg guns. Mossberg Safeties are like Express plastic mag cap retainers a bad design, but fixable. Steel safety buttons for mossberg and ball detentes for 870 express. I stand on my statements also. Mossberg is not as bullet proof as Remington but "far less durable" is a stretch on your part. Good Luck & Be Safe __________________ First, with the most, WINS! Regards, Scattergun Bob

February 22, 2009, 09:56 PM	#23
Shane Tuttle Staff Join Date: November 28, 2005 Location: Montana Posts: 9,443	So, Wild, if Bersa would make a shotgun, would you be so inclined to sell one? COME ON! I'M JOKING! There's sooo many issues that are wrong with this thread I just HAD to give myself some comic relief at everybody else's expense. Carry on.... Tuttleidontevenownaremmyormossybecausemyoldstevenssingleshotrulesmyroost8 __________________ If it were up to me, the word "got" would be deleted from the English language. Posting and YOU: http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/posting

February 22, 2009, 10:01 PM	#24
rantingredneck Senior Member Join Date: January 12, 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 4,728	I have both Mossbergs and Remingtons. I expect that my kids will still be shooting the Mossbergs and their kids will still be shooting the Remingtons. Either way they'll both likely last as long as I do with only minimal parts replacement, if any. __________________ NRA Member NC Hunter's Education Instructor PCCA Member (What's PCCA you ask? <- Check the link)