Modding a Mossberg

Drizzt · November 21, 2014, 08:33 PM

I still have the 20ga shotgun that was my first real gun. Since I was about 7 or 8 when it was given to me, the stock had to be cut down a little in order for me to be able to hold it properly. Fast forward about 40 years, and I want to make it into something practical again. I would have to get a new stock no matter what, since it is now too short for me, so I am thinking about transforming it from a hunting shotgun to one more suited for defense, and since it is a 20ga my wife will have less apprehension about having to fire it. My question is, what can I or should I do in order to effect this transformation? It is a New Haven model 600CT, which I am told is pretty much the same as a Mossberg 500, so I would hope that after-market add-ons would be fairly easy to come by.

burrhead · November 21, 2014, 09:20 PM

I'd just cut the barrel down and call it a day. It does'nt need anything else. Bead sight is perfect and anything you add is just more weight. KISS

Dreaming100Straight · November 22, 2014, 01:42 AM

Often people want a shorter LOP for a defense gun. This is especially so if they actually want a tactical gun for use with body armor. But that is not a home defense gun.

If you only need to lengthen what you have by a inch or less, you should be able to do so by adding a spacer and perhaps a thicker recoil pad.

SARuger · November 22, 2014, 07:37 AM

I'm with burrhead :-), I chuckle saying that ;-/

But if you want to keep the original barrel there are plenty of options out there and barrels for the 500 are cheap compared to the 870. I paid $175 for my rifled/cantilevered Remington slug barrel and I felt like I got a deal

Dreaming100Straight · November 22, 2014, 01:26 PM

Yep. You can pickup a genuine Mossberg 500 18.5" barrel all day long for @ $90. Here is one for $80 that may not be a genuine Mossberg part.

jaguarxk120 · November 22, 2014, 02:18 PM

All those $80 barrels were 12 gauge, kind of hard to fit on a 20 gauge gun.

The 20 gauge 24 inch barrel is about $153.00, for that kind of money a used Mossberg 500 can be bought.

T. O'Heir · November 22, 2014, 02:37 PM

Yep, a New Haven Model 600CT is a 500. Downside is that there is not a lot of the daft aftermarket stuff for M500's. Stocks and barrels aren't daft stuff. Surf to Mossberg's site and look at the Muddy Girl.

November 21, 2014, 08:33 PM	#1
Drizzt Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2000 Location: Moscow on the Colorado, TX Posts: 2,560	Modding a Mossberg I still have the 20ga shotgun that was my first real gun. Since I was about 7 or 8 when it was given to me, the stock had to be cut down a little in order for me to be able to hold it properly. Fast forward about 40 years, and I want to make it into something practical again. I would have to get a new stock no matter what, since it is now too short for me, so I am thinking about transforming it from a hunting shotgun to one more suited for defense, and since it is a 20ga my wife will have less apprehension about having to fire it. My question is, what can I or should I do in order to effect this transformation? It is a New Haven model 600CT, which I am told is pretty much the same as a Mossberg 500, so I would hope that after-market add-ons would be fairly easy to come by. __________________ "That a free citizen should have to go before a committee, hat in hand, and pray for permission to bear arms - fantastic! Arm your daughter, sir, and pay no attention to petty bureaucrats." Robert Heinlein - Red Planet

November 21, 2014, 09:20 PM	#2
burrhead Senior Member Join Date: July 6, 1999 Location: Chihuahuan desert, Texas Posts: 1,148	I'd just cut the barrel down and call it a day. It does'nt need anything else. Bead sight is perfect and anything you add is just more weight. KISS __________________ Join the GOA, SAF and the TSRA I'm offended by people that are easily offended.

November 22, 2014, 02:37 PM	#7
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	Yep, a New Haven Model 600CT is a 500. Downside is that there is not a lot of the daft aftermarket stuff for M500's. Stocks and barrels aren't daft stuff. Surf to Mossberg's site and look at the Muddy Girl. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

November 22, 2014, 01:42 AM	#3
Dreaming100Straight Senior Member Join Date: February 3, 2013 Posts: 1,235	Often people want a shorter LOP for a defense gun. This is especially so if they actually want a tactical gun for use with body armor. But that is not a home defense gun. If you only need to lengthen what you have by a inch or less, you should be able to do so by adding a spacer and perhaps a thicker recoil pad.

November 22, 2014, 07:37 AM	#4
SARuger Senior Member Join Date: October 11, 2014 Location: Blue Ridge Mountains of VA Posts: 954	I'm with burrhead :-), I chuckle saying that ;-/ But if you want to keep the original barrel there are plenty of options out there and barrels for the 500 are cheap compared to the 870. I paid $175 for my rifled/cantilevered Remington slug barrel and I felt like I got a deal

November 22, 2014, 01:26 PM	#5
Dreaming100Straight Senior Member Join Date: February 3, 2013 Posts: 1,235	Yep. You can pickup a genuine Mossberg 500 18.5" barrel all day long for @ $90. Here is one for $80 that may not be a genuine Mossberg part.

November 22, 2014, 02:18 PM	#6
jaguarxk120 Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 2008 Location: Michigan Posts: 2,620	All those $80 barrels were 12 gauge, kind of hard to fit on a 20 gauge gun. The 20 gauge 24 inch barrel is about $153.00, for that kind of money a used Mossberg 500 can be bought.