Spring Set in a Mossberg 500

boing · December 30, 1998, 10:36 PM

I've had a Mossberg 500 (seven shot magazine) for home defense for about 3 years. Being my only defense gun, the magazine has been fully loaded almost 100% of the time, and I wonder if I should worry about the spring losing strength.

I target shoot about twice a month, loading a few rounds at a time, and I've never had any feeding problems, even with the last round out of the magazine.

So, not being a gunsmith, but being fairly mechanically inclined, can I remove the magazine tube from the receiver to rotate springs? If so, how? The magazine tube seems to be threaded into the receiver, but I've been reluctant to force it.

-boing

boing · December 30, 1998, 10:38 PM

P.S.- Buying a model 590 is NOT an option($$$).

-boing

fal308 · December 31, 1998, 11:46 AM

Yes, the magazine tube is fairly easy to remove on the 500 series. First check for unloaded weapon. Remove barrel and set aside. There is an action slide tube nut on the business end of the forestock that needs to be removed. There is a special spanner made but if you are very careful you can use some common handtools to remove this nut. After that removal the forestock will slide off. At this point just unscrew the magazine tube. Be aware that the spring is under compression and don't lose the shell follower. Assembly is the reverse of disassembly. When screwing the tube back in be careful not to overtighten it as it will easily strip the threads of the magazine tube.HTH.

boing · December 31, 1998, 06:36 PM

fal308-

Thanks!! It helps a lot!

-boing

Art Eatman · December 31, 1998, 11:16 PM

This thing about springs taking a set is sorta like velocity and barrel length, or a rifle bullet's shape and its "brush bucking".

From another thread on pistol magazine springs: Spring steel, if it is indeed spring steel, doesn't take a set in normal deformation from its free length. Any good quality spring will deform to some design condition and happily return to its free length, no matter how long it has been compressed. It can, of course, be fatigued by millions of repetitions.

Shift to cars: Assume a collector car, used rarely. When the engine is off, some of the springs will be at full compression, and may be so for years. But they fire up and seem to run fine...

In all my years in car racing, I never had degradation of valve springs. 15 races in a season, with 120 minutes per weekend, averaging, say, 2,000 cycles per minute of a valve-spring. What's that, 3.6 million?

FWIW, Art

December 30, 1998, 10:36 PM	#1
boing Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 1998 Location: WNC Posts: 1,072	I've had a Mossberg 500 (seven shot magazine) for home defense for about 3 years. Being my only defense gun, the magazine has been fully loaded almost 100% of the time, and I wonder if I should worry about the spring losing strength. I target shoot about twice a month, loading a few rounds at a time, and I've never had any feeding problems, even with the last round out of the magazine. So, not being a gunsmith, but being fairly mechanically inclined, can I remove the magazine tube from the receiver to rotate springs? If so, how? The magazine tube seems to be threaded into the receiver, but I've been reluctant to force it. -boing

December 30, 1998, 10:38 PM	#2
boing Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 1998 Location: WNC Posts: 1,072	P.S.- Buying a model 590 is NOT an option($$$). -boing

December 31, 1998, 11:46 AM	#3
fal308 Staff Alumnus Join Date: October 12, 1998 Location: Missouri Posts: 1,992	Yes, the magazine tube is fairly easy to remove on the 500 series. First check for unloaded weapon. Remove barrel and set aside. There is an action slide tube nut on the business end of the forestock that needs to be removed. There is a special spanner made but if you are very careful you can use some common handtools to remove this nut. After that removal the forestock will slide off. At this point just unscrew the magazine tube. Be aware that the spring is under compression and don't lose the shell follower. Assembly is the reverse of disassembly. When screwing the tube back in be careful not to overtighten it as it will easily strip the threads of the magazine tube.HTH.

December 31, 1998, 06:36 PM	#4
boing Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 1998 Location: WNC Posts: 1,072	fal308- Thanks!! It helps a lot! -boing

December 31, 1998, 11:16 PM	#5
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	This thing about springs taking a set is sorta like velocity and barrel length, or a rifle bullet's shape and its "brush bucking". From another thread on pistol magazine springs: Spring steel, if it is indeed spring steel, doesn't take a set in normal deformation from its free length. Any good quality spring will deform to some design condition and happily return to its free length, no matter how long it has been compressed. It can, of course, be fatigued by millions of repetitions. Shift to cars: Assume a collector car, used rarely. When the engine is off, some of the springs will be at full compression, and may be so for years. But they fire up and seem to run fine... In all my years in car racing, I never had degradation of valve springs. 15 races in a season, with 120 minutes per weekend, averaging, say, 2,000 cycles per minute of a valve-spring. What's that, 3.6 million? FWIW, Art