Moss. 500: 20" VR barrel vs 18.5

wild cat mccane · November 8, 2016, 08:07 AM

Hello,

I just purchased a Mossberg 500 wood combo with a 28" VR and 18.5 barrel. I purchased with the mindset of possibly selling the 18.5 barrel to help pay for the expensive 20" barrel that comes with a vent rib and chokes. This barrel is double the price of the 18.5" barrel.

Does anyone have the 20" barrel? Any thoughts or pictures? Might a 20" also, though poorly, replace the 18.5" and 28" for an all purpose set up?

I don't care much about the chokes on the 20" as I just use Federal Flightcontrol wad loads for buckshot. I really like the vent rib look compared to the boring 18.5.

T. O'Heir · November 8, 2016, 12:47 PM

The 20" barrel that comes with a vent rib and chokes is more expensive because more machining has been done to it.
It will not replace a 28" barrel in a duck blind. Nor will it replace a proper slug barrel. It's more of an upland bird barrel. What it looks like makes no difference at all.
Wads don't replace chokes either.

Blindstitch · November 8, 2016, 01:05 PM

Purely cosmetic with nothing to gain.

If you sell that $89 barrel to get a $159 barrel you're just going to lose money and gain frustration. Especially when someone only offers to pay $50 so you can gain 1.5 inches.

amd6547 · November 8, 2016, 03:35 PM

I have a 20" VR barrel for my Mossberg 500, picked it up for $75 a few years ago.
That extra 2" dosnt sound like much, but for my purposes, I want my shotgun as short as possibe, and the 2" made a (negative) difference, so I almost always have the 18" on it.
In fact, I installed a 12" LOP buttstock on my shotgun to make it shorter.
And to the poster who said "wads don't take the place of chokes"...flitecontrol wads don't want any choke at all to produce the tightest buckshot patterns.

Doyle · November 8, 2016, 04:33 PM

I just wish Mossberg (or somebody) would come out with an 18.5" (or shorter) barrel with a smooth bore, adjustable iron sights, AND choke tube threads. I'm probably going to wind up just buying a used smooth-bore slug barrel and sending it out to get threaded.

And, in case anyone is wondering why I would want such an odd barrel. It would have one purpose - turkey hunting.

Blindstitch · November 8, 2016, 07:13 PM

My wife has a Mossberg 500 Super Bantam 20 gauge Filed/Deer combo and the Deer slug barrel is a short smooth barrel with Iron Sights.

If I wanted your combo I wouldn't hesitate to send it out to someone to have the barrel threaded for chokes.

There has to be a 12 gauge counterpart.

Doyle · November 8, 2016, 11:17 PM

Blindstitch, there is indeed a 12 ga version of the smooth-bore slug barrel with sights. It just doesn't have the threads. I'm pretty sure there is plenty of barrel thickness for a gunsmith to work with.

bamaranger · November 9, 2016, 12:11 AM

Doyle,

I created a "turkey carbine" much like you describe, quite a few years back .........using a factory Rem 870 rifle sighted slug barrel (20") factory threaded for choke tubes. With an extended turkey tube, the barrel is 21" long. It has been grim death to many an old gobbler.

I find it much more portable than bamaboys 24" gun. To me, the cost of cutting and threading and remounting the front sight to go from 20" to 18" would not be worth it. You'd add an inch for a choke tube, and end up with a 19" gun. And I have seen thread jobs go south and the tube get cocked, playing hob with the pattern center, so much so that the sights will not get the pattern to point of aim.

But....it would be a handy thing......I dunno about velocity loss, something to consider.

wild cat mccane · November 9, 2016, 08:00 AM

OP here:

Yep, purely cosmetic for the vent ribbing. The choke is completely not worth it with Federal Flightcontrol.

Dang it. Double the price of the 18.5" barrel. I have it listed locally thinking it would sell quick, but no dice so far.

FITASC · November 9, 2016, 01:14 PM

Vent rib is more than cosmetics - it gives you a flat sighting plane and helps with heat dissipation.

dreaming · November 10, 2016, 08:52 PM

Ribs are also great runways for gnats and butterflies.

wild cat mccane · December 3, 2016, 07:45 AM

OP follow up:

I haven't had luck selling my new 28" vr barrel locally for 1/3 off the price. $20 more and the price becomes that of the Buds' price of a non vr cb 18.5."

So...unless someone picks it up soon, I think this 28" barrel is getting whacked down by me to whatever length above 18.5 that fits with the ribs.

FITASC · December 3, 2016, 05:45 PM

What's wrong with using the 28" barrel for turkey hunting?

Blindstitch · December 3, 2016, 06:21 PM

How much do you want for the VR barrel?

wild cat mccane · December 4, 2016, 03:21 PM

have it at 95. Seems reasonable given Bud's has it at 155?

I don't know though...50 more and you could pick up a Maverick 88 with that barrel?

Blindstitch · December 5, 2016, 02:54 AM

Yeah I probably read that wrong.

1/3 off the price vs 1/3 of the price.

For $150 I could probably find a used 500.

November 8, 2016, 08:07 AM	#1
wild cat mccane Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2011 Posts: 3,625	Moss. 500: 20" VR barrel vs 18.5 Hello, I just purchased a Mossberg 500 wood combo with a 28" VR and 18.5 barrel. I purchased with the mindset of possibly selling the 18.5 barrel to help pay for the expensive 20" barrel that comes with a vent rib and chokes. This barrel is double the price of the 18.5" barrel. Does anyone have the 20" barrel? Any thoughts or pictures? Might a 20" also, though poorly, replace the 18.5" and 28" for an all purpose set up? I don't care much about the chokes on the 20" as I just use Federal Flightcontrol wad loads for buckshot. I really like the vent rib look compared to the boring 18.5.

November 8, 2016, 12:47 PM	#2
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 12,453	The 20" barrel that comes with a vent rib and chokes is more expensive because more machining has been done to it. It will not replace a 28" barrel in a duck blind. Nor will it replace a proper slug barrel. It's more of an upland bird barrel. What it looks like makes no difference at all. Wads don't replace chokes either. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

November 8, 2016, 03:35 PM	#4
amd6547 Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2006 Posts: 2,313	I have a 20" VR barrel for my Mossberg 500, picked it up for $75 a few years ago. That extra 2" dosnt sound like much, but for my purposes, I want my shotgun as short as possibe, and the 2" made a (negative) difference, so I almost always have the 18" on it. In fact, I installed a 12" LOP buttstock on my shotgun to make it shorter. And to the poster who said "wads don't take the place of chokes"...flitecontrol wads don't want any choke at all to produce the tightest buckshot patterns. __________________ The past is gone...the future may never happen. Be Here Now.

November 9, 2016, 12:11 AM	#8
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,303	turkey carbine Doyle, I created a "turkey carbine" much like you describe, quite a few years back .........using a factory Rem 870 rifle sighted slug barrel (20") factory threaded for choke tubes. With an extended turkey tube, the barrel is 21" long. It has been grim death to many an old gobbler. I find it much more portable than bamaboys 24" gun. To me, the cost of cutting and threading and remounting the front sight to go from 20" to 18" would not be worth it. You'd add an inch for a choke tube, and end up with a 19" gun. And I have seen thread jobs go south and the tube get cocked, playing hob with the pattern center, so much so that the sights will not get the pattern to point of aim. But....it would be a handy thing......I dunno about velocity loss, something to consider.

November 9, 2016, 01:14 PM	#10
FITASC Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 2014 Posts: 6,441	Vent rib is more than cosmetics - it gives you a flat sighting plane and helps with heat dissipation. __________________ "I believe that people have a right to decide their own destinies; people own themselves. I also believe that, in a democracy, government exists because (and only so long as) individual citizens give it a 'temporary license to exist'—in exchange for a promise that it will behave itself. In a democracy, you own the government—it doesn't own you."- Frank Zappa

November 8, 2016, 01:05 PM	#3
Blindstitch Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2013 Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 2,692	Purely cosmetic with nothing to gain. If you sell that $89 barrel to get a $159 barrel you're just going to lose money and gain frustration. Especially when someone only offers to pay $50 so you can gain 1.5 inches.

November 8, 2016, 04:33 PM	#5
Doyle Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2007 Location: Rainbow City, Alabama Posts: 7,167	I just wish Mossberg (or somebody) would come out with an 18.5" (or shorter) barrel with a smooth bore, adjustable iron sights, AND choke tube threads. I'm probably going to wind up just buying a used smooth-bore slug barrel and sending it out to get threaded. And, in case anyone is wondering why I would want such an odd barrel. It would have one purpose - turkey hunting.

November 8, 2016, 07:13 PM	#6
Blindstitch Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2013 Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 2,692	My wife has a Mossberg 500 Super Bantam 20 gauge Filed/Deer combo and the Deer slug barrel is a short smooth barrel with Iron Sights. If I wanted your combo I wouldn't hesitate to send it out to someone to have the barrel threaded for chokes. There has to be a 12 gauge counterpart.

November 8, 2016, 11:17 PM	#7
Doyle Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2007 Location: Rainbow City, Alabama Posts: 7,167	Blindstitch, there is indeed a 12 ga version of the smooth-bore slug barrel with sights. It just doesn't have the threads. I'm pretty sure there is plenty of barrel thickness for a gunsmith to work with.

November 9, 2016, 08:00 AM	#9
wild cat mccane Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2011 Posts: 3,625	OP here: Yep, purely cosmetic for the vent ribbing. The choke is completely not worth it with Federal Flightcontrol. Dang it. Double the price of the 18.5" barrel. I have it listed locally thinking it would sell quick, but no dice so far.

November 10, 2016, 08:52 PM	#11
dreaming Senior Member Join Date: October 19, 2016 Posts: 186	Ribs are also great runways for gnats and butterflies.

December 3, 2016, 07:45 AM	#12
wild cat mccane Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2011 Posts: 3,625	OP follow up: I haven't had luck selling my new 28" vr barrel locally for 1/3 off the price. $20 more and the price becomes that of the Buds' price of a non vr cb 18.5." So...unless someone picks it up soon, I think this 28" barrel is getting whacked down by me to whatever length above 18.5 that fits with the ribs.

December 3, 2016, 05:45 PM	#13
FITASC Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 2014 Posts: 6,441	What's wrong with using the 28" barrel for turkey hunting? __________________ "I believe that people have a right to decide their own destinies; people own themselves. I also believe that, in a democracy, government exists because (and only so long as) individual citizens give it a 'temporary license to exist'—in exchange for a promise that it will behave itself. In a democracy, you own the government—it doesn't own you."- Frank Zappa

December 3, 2016, 06:21 PM	#14
Blindstitch Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2013 Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 2,692	How much do you want for the VR barrel?

December 4, 2016, 03:21 PM	#15
wild cat mccane Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2011 Posts: 3,625	have it at 95. Seems reasonable given Bud's has it at 155? I don't know though...50 more and you could pick up a Maverick 88 with that barrel?

December 5, 2016, 02:54 AM	#16
Blindstitch Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2013 Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin Posts: 2,692	Yeah I probably read that wrong. 1/3 off the price vs 1/3 of the price. For $150 I could probably find a used 500.