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Old January 4, 2013, 08:26 AM   #1
Vireye
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Join Date: August 21, 2012
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Mossberg 500 with Military Barcode

Hi all,

In July 2010, I purchased a Mossberg 500 from a LGS. It was my first firearm purchase (Bought it the week I graduated from AIT).

When I went to look at a few shottys for HD, this one caught my eye immediately. A Mossberg 500 12ga, pistol grip/adjustable stock, looks to be parkerized, and has a white "barcode" square on the left side of the receiver, identical to the ones on my M16 when I was in training.

The owner only new that it was some sort of military overrun shotgun, but didn't know much else about it. Bought it for $518 after tax, but unfortunately that same gun shop burned to the ground the week after my purchase.

Ever since I've been trying to find out more about it. Best I could find was a seemingly identical description for a run of Mossberg 500's slated for the Marine Corps, with an overrun of about 7500 released civilian side.

Anyone else happen to know anything about these? It's mainly just a matter of curiousity. Since it was my first firearm (my collection has grown substantially since then...pistols, rifles, etc) it holds considerable sentimental value...

EDIT: The "legend" surrounding this was that the Marine Corps meant to place an order for Mossberg 590's, and instead ordered 500's. As a result there was a run of Mossberg 500A1's, with metal trigger guard and safety, that had the barcode and was then re-sold to the public.

Allegedly this is one of those...but all of the above is based on hearsay, and I've heard no actual evidence of that part of the story. The only bit of "fact" I could find is that it was a Marine Corps shotgun.
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Old January 5, 2013, 02:03 AM   #2
Lee Lapin
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Does your serial number have a USA prefix?

Mossberg made an "over-run" of 5000 M500 MILS guns in 1983, and another limited run in about 1997, with the USA prefix. Genuine government contract guns have a US prefix, not USA, and the US serial numbered receivers cannot be released to the public.

So says Canfield's Complete Guide To US Military Combat Shotguns anyway...
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Old January 6, 2013, 01:59 AM   #3
Vireye
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Negative on the US SN.

It's also a 500A1, not a 500 MILS
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