HD shotgun ready standby question...

Creature · September 16, 2007, 03:21 PM

I have seen a bazillion threads about what to load a hd/sd shotgun with...this is not a ammo selection question but something a bit different.

I usually stow my Mossberg 590 in condition 3 (bolt forward, chamber empty, safety on and ammunition in magazine tube).

However, I would like to stow my shotgun with the bolt TO THE REAR, safety on, and magazine full.

I would like to stow my Mossberg in this fashion so that I can "tactical load" the first round with a Slug shot...or if the slug is not needed, I could just work the action again for the 00B that fills the magazine tube.

Is this hard on the any of the gun's springs? Thoughts...comments...suggestions?

Bill DeShivs · September 16, 2007, 06:33 PM

No.

timothy75 · September 16, 2007, 10:19 PM

No, but I'm curious why you might need a slug for the first shot. Do you have a ranch or something?

Creature · September 17, 2007, 03:09 PM

Quote:

No, but I'm curious why you might need a slug for the first shot. Do you have a ranch or something?

I just prefer to keep my options open. I am not at all worried about foreign objects getting lodged in the open breach either.

Apparently many police officers carry their shotgun in this mode...aka "cruiser safe". I think it is a good method of stowage...makes it easy to see that the chamber is empty as well.

newerguy · September 18, 2007, 02:50 PM

I thought crusier safe was chamber empty with the action cocked, bolt closed, and the magazine full?

Creature · September 18, 2007, 03:35 PM

duplicate post...see below.

Creature · September 18, 2007, 03:36 PM

I did some more poking around and personally asked some LEO friends of mine to explain this whole thing to me. One of my LEO friends, a former Navy Gunnersmate, stressed that cruiser safe is not the same as a condition three weapon.

Cruiser safe is....chamber open, mag full.

With a Mossberg shotgun, a round is extracted from the magazine when the bolt is moved to the rear. Instead of closing bolt (thereby actually chambering the round), the round is removed, bolt stays open and the gun is carried in the car in this fashion.

This way, a round of your choice (slug shot, bean bag or otherwise) can be "tactical load" inserted into the chamber manually and the bolt closed, making the gun ready to fire.

Slopemeno · September 18, 2007, 07:37 PM

Then how does it fit in the shotgun rack in the cruiser?

FWIW I was a dept. armorer for four years, and "cruiser safe" always meant full magazine, bolt closed on an empty chamber, hammer down. I can't say I've heard it used any other way.

newerguy · September 19, 2007, 08:45 AM

I thought you left the hammer back to keep the bolt closed until you hit the action release, but either way, I guess the OP is asking if it's ok to leave the action open on a loaded shotgun.

If you load the magazine of a shotgun with the action open, the first time you close the slide you still have an empty chamber. So, you either have to load a round in manually through the ejection port, or close the action, hit the action bar release, and cycle the action again. That's why you load pump shotguns either by loading a round in the ejection port, and then closing the action, OR with the action closed, cycle the action, and top of the magazine.

So, I think leaving the action open is making things more difficult than they need to be, for the odd chance that you'd want a slug first up.

September 16, 2007, 03:21 PM	#1
Creature Junior member Join Date: April 8, 2007 Location: Virginia Posts: 3,769	HD shotgun ready standby question... I have seen a bazillion threads about what to load a hd/sd shotgun with...this is not a ammo selection question but something a bit different. I usually stow my Mossberg 590 in condition 3 (bolt forward, chamber empty, safety on and ammunition in magazine tube). However, I would like to stow my shotgun with the bolt TO THE REAR, safety on, and magazine full. I would like to stow my Mossberg in this fashion so that I can "tactical load" the first round with a Slug shot...or if the slug is not needed, I could just work the action again for the 00B that fills the magazine tube. Is this hard on the any of the gun's springs? Thoughts...comments...suggestions?

September 16, 2007, 06:33 PM	#2
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,981	No. __________________ Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler www.billdeshivs.com

September 18, 2007, 02:50 PM	#5
newerguy Senior Member Join Date: June 5, 2005 Posts: 218	I thought crusier safe was chamber empty with the action cocked, bolt closed, and the magazine full? Last edited by newerguy; September 18, 2007 at 02:53 PM. Reason: clarity

September 16, 2007, 10:19 PM	#3
timothy75 Senior Member Join Date: April 19, 2005 Location: Nevada Posts: 1,146	No, but I'm curious why you might need a slug for the first shot. Do you have a ranch or something?

September 18, 2007, 03:35 PM	#6
Creature Junior member Join Date: April 8, 2007 Location: Virginia Posts: 3,769	duplicate post...see below.

September 18, 2007, 03:36 PM	#7
Creature Junior member Join Date: April 8, 2007 Location: Virginia Posts: 3,769	I did some more poking around and personally asked some LEO friends of mine to explain this whole thing to me. One of my LEO friends, a former Navy Gunnersmate, stressed that cruiser safe is not the same as a condition three weapon. Cruiser safe is....chamber open, mag full. With a Mossberg shotgun, a round is extracted from the magazine when the bolt is moved to the rear. Instead of closing bolt (thereby actually chambering the round), the round is removed, bolt stays open and the gun is carried in the car in this fashion. This way, a round of your choice (slug shot, bean bag or otherwise) can be "tactical load" inserted into the chamber manually and the bolt closed, making the gun ready to fire.

September 18, 2007, 07:37 PM	#8
Slopemeno Senior Member Join Date: January 19, 2007 Posts: 2,663	Then how does it fit in the shotgun rack in the cruiser? FWIW I was a dept. armorer for four years, and "cruiser safe" always meant full magazine, bolt closed on an empty chamber, hammer down. I can't say I've heard it used any other way.

September 19, 2007, 08:45 AM	#9
newerguy Senior Member Join Date: June 5, 2005 Posts: 218	I thought you left the hammer back to keep the bolt closed until you hit the action release, but either way, I guess the OP is asking if it's ok to leave the action open on a loaded shotgun. If you load the magazine of a shotgun with the action open, the first time you close the slide you still have an empty chamber. So, you either have to load a round in manually through the ejection port, or close the action, hit the action bar release, and cycle the action again. That's why you load pump shotguns either by loading a round in the ejection port, and then closing the action, OR with the action closed, cycle the action, and top of the magazine. So, I think leaving the action open is making things more difficult than they need to be, for the odd chance that you'd want a slug first up.