New mossberg 500, questions.

[Mossy00]

I just picked up my 500 today, and I have one concern. If I hold the gun with the barrel pointed towards the ceiling, then tilt the gun so the barell is pointed towards the ground there is a moving part that you can hear fall down the tube. I stripped it a little to find it's a wooden or plastic rod of some sort, is this normal? I was also expecting the finish to be a little better on the gun, but most of the scratches are under the pump which is understandable. Also on the underside of the gun where the shells are loaded there is no metal flap that keeps dirt from getting into the action, which is one thing I kinda liked on the 870 I shot-other than that it's great.

[RevolverLover]

. I stripped it a little to find it's a wooden or plastic rod of some sort, is this normal?

Yeah, thats normal. That wooden or plasic rod is the plug you have to use if your hunting waterfowl.

[Mossy00]

Is it suppose to be lose in the gun, moving around when I tilt it from up to down? What purpose does it serve as far as the function of the gun? I'm assuming it's to limit the magazine capacity based on what you said? So I could remove it then? Thanks for the info

[banditt007]

yeah you can remove that, its called a magazine plug among other names. its ment so you can only load two in the magazine, plus 1 in the chamber obviously. so it complies with Federal migratory species waterfoul laws.

[Mossy00]

Thanks fellas.

[Jseime]

enjoy that mossberg i got one a while ago too and took the magazine plug out until hunting season rolls around. Thats a nice feature to have it so readily removeable.