Questions about buying a Mossberg 500

[SL8R 1]

First off, Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  I'm thinking I may finally add a shotgun to the collection.  Bullseye Tactical posted on their Facebook that they are doing some deals online for Black Friday starting at 10pm tonight and I'll be looking for a Mossberg 500.  If there happens to be one on sale I'll most likely pick it up, but before doing so I had a few questions.  

 

The Mossberg will mostly be used for HD, but eventually I may want to look into turkey hunting, and definitely down the line skeet/trap shooting (although I know very little about those, I shot clay pigeons once when I was a kid and had a great time).  I'm looking at the special purpose tri-rail 7+1 w/ 20" barrel, knowing I can swap the barrel later on for other purposes and figuring 20" will be solid for HD.  I like the idea of the 7+1 capacity, the tri-rail for mounting a flashlight, and the location of the safety on the 500 (my wife is a lefty).  Is there anything else I should be considering, knowing its primary use will be HD and some target practice?

 

 I'm also wondering where I can shoot targets with a shotgun (HD loads, I'm guessing buckshot mostly).  I live in Keyport, and am currently a member at Shore Shot.  I've seen/heard people shooting shotguns in there during member hours before, although I don't see anything about their shotgun policy on their webpage.  I've heard they allow it, but no birdshot, I'm not sure if this is still the case.  Also, I wasn't a big fan of having someone shooting a shotgun indoors while I was on the range, and I don't know if I want to be that guy.  I'm not going to join a new range until February at the earliest (that's when my Shore Shot membership expires), should I just suck it up and shoot indoors until then?  After Feb, any suggestions for a new range where I can shoot targets but also shoot clays?  I appreciate any and all help with these questions, thanks!

[vladtepes 1,060]

in my most humble opinion... the shotgun is a terrible modern home defense weapon...  a lightweight carbine in 223 is far more nimble, versatile, and less likely to over penetrate interior walls.. 

 

I had a 500 and it was a fine gun.. just not one I would ever consider for home defense.. 

[SL8R 1]

in my most humble opinion... the shotgun is a terrible modern home defense weapon...  a lightweight carbine in 223 is far more nimble, versatile, and less likely to over penetrate interior walls.. 

 

I had a 500 and it was a fine gun.. just not one I would ever consider for home defense.. 

 

I hear you, an AR is definitely on the list too, just not next on the list.  Based on what I already have, I'm thinking a 12 gauge would be better than a .357 or a 9mm, and way better than my 10/22.  Is this logic sound?

[vladtepes 1,060]

if I was forced to pick.. I would pick a 9mm with a quality weapon mounted light over a 12 gauge for a HD situation.. 

[ECsandstar 28]

if I was forced to pick.. I would pick a 9mm with a quality weapon mounted light over a 12 gauge for a HD situation.. 

+1. A quality 9mm would be a better first investment i believe. Dont get me wrong a nice 500 or 870 should be in almost everyone's closet or safe, but usually its not nearly as accessible and nimble as a handgun. My handguns are my first HD defense. Provided i can get to it, a shotgun is next. A few wise men have said to me "A handgun is great and can be an effective/ lethal deterrent if your a good shot, and will usually provide you the opportunity/time to access a shotgun if necessary."

[oldguysrule649 397]

In my case, earlier this year I opted to get a Mossberg 590 shotgun(#50668)  first.  Mainly because I could without having to first obtain a P2P.  It is an awesome firearm and very versatile as far as ammo choices are concerned.

I am now in my 8th week awaiting my Permit to Purchase a Handgun.  Once I receive it, I plan to purchase a Glock 9mm.  I already purchased a TLR-1 HL light for the Mossberg.  Will likely move it to the Glock once I get it.

 

I normally shoot at Brick Armory.  Shooting the shotgun there is no problem.  Buckshot and slugs are fine; just no birdshot.   No one seemed to have any issues with the noise.  Other firearms I hear people shooting are often just as loud, so I would not let that discourage you from shooting.   I have shot as many as 90 shells during a visit before fatigue set in and I (and my wallet) felt like I had had enough.

 

regards,  Art   (in Middletown)

[SL8R 1]

In my case, earlier this year I opted to get a Mossberg 590 shotgun(#50668)  first.  Mainly because I could without having to first obtain a P2P.  It is an awesome firearm and very versatile as far as ammo choices are concerned.

I am now in my 8th week awaiting my Permit to Purchase a Handgun.  Once I receive it, I plan to purchase a Glock 9mm.  I already purchased a TLR-1 HL light for the Mossberg.  Will likely move it to the Glock once I get it.

 

I normally shoot at Brick Armory.  Shooting the shotgun there is no problem.  Buckshot and slugs are fine; just no birdshot.   No one seemed to have any issues with the noise.  Other firearms I hear people shooting are often just as loud, so I would not let that discourage you from shooting.   I have shot as many as 90 shells during a visit before fatigue set in and I (and my wallet) felt like I had had enough.

 

regards,  Art   (in Middletown)

 

I have a Glock 19 with a TLR-2 already, and I do like that setup for HD.  I went and bought a 500 combo with the 28" and 18.5" barrels, and additional pistol grip.  I plan on swapping out the fore grip with one that has rails so I can put the TLR-2 on there if needed.   I figured the combo would be best given everything I was looking for.  I'm going to have to check out Brick Armory, I've never been over there.  Thanks for the advice, Art.  

 

I'm most likely going to be looking to move next year as I'm in line for a promotion.  My wife and I have been thinking about Middletown, how do you like it there?

[Old Glock guy 1,127]

Sounds like you made a good choice for your purposes. I was going to tell you that you can't swap barrels with the 20" Mossberg because of the longer mag tube.

[RecessedFilter 222]

You made a good decision. A Mossberg 500, specifically the combo, is a great gun. You get two barrels that can handle pretty much all situations - hunting, clays, home defense, and good ol' target practice.

 

I'm a huge advocate of a shotgun for home defense, primarily because shotguns are a great "multi-tasker" gun. There are many opinions on here about home defense and what gun to use, but for now, know that you made a great choice in terms of a shotgun.

 

Your forend can be replaced with the tri-rail. I installed it on one of my defensive shotguns (590) and I really like it.

[COLTGUY 0]

DICKS has a special for the 500 with scope and rifled barrel for only 349. I think, but not for HD. great deer gun for the money. good luck...  although I like the rem. 870 also on sale there w/o rifled barrel, same price, but for deer a HASTINGS Barrel is best. . happy thanks giving all.   ps: I just don't see hunting mixing with HD. JMO. thanks.

[SL8R 1]

Sounds like you made a good choice for your purposes. I was going to tell you that you can't swap barrels with the 20" Mossberg because of the longer mag tube.

 

Thanks, I did some digging and found that out right before I bought.  I liked the idea of having 7+1, but would rather be able to swap barrels easily, so I went with the combo.

 

 

You made a good decision. A Mossberg 500, specifically the combo, is a great gun. You get two barrels that can handle pretty much all situations - hunting, clays, home defense, and good ol' target practice.

 

I'm a huge advocate of a shotgun for home defense, primarily because shotguns are a great "multi-tasker" gun. There are many opinions on here about home defense and what gun to use, but for now, know that you made a great choice in terms of a shotgun.

 

Your forend can be replaced with the tri-rail. I installed it on one of my defensive shotguns (590) and I really like it.

 

Thanks, I felt the same way and I'm glad to have that confirmation.  I'm going to wait until it gets in before I order a tri-rail, any suggestions on which one to get?  I saw a Mako fore grip on Amazon with the tri rails, but the 500 combo has the shorter action slide tube and I think I'd need a Hogue extension to make it work as far as I can tell.

 

 

DICKS has a special for the 500 with scope and rifled barrel for only 349. I think, but not for HD. great deer gun for the money. good luck...  although I like the rem. 870 also on sale there w/o rifled barrel, same price, but for deer a HASTINGS Barrel is best. . happy thanks giving all.   ps: I just don't see hunting mixing with HD. JMO. thanks.

 

I ended up getting a price a few bucks better than that through Bullseye.  I wanted the HD barrel and if I do end up getting into hunting I don't really think I'd be going for deer, more like turkey or pheasant.  I do appreciate the heads up though.

[rightisright 3]

Different homes and family situations equate to different HD gun choices.

 

I live in a 4 bedroom home. w. just my girlfriend.   I don't need to worry about over-penetration (that's what she said).   If someone breaks into my home at night when I am upstairs in the locked (solid door w. slide-bolt lock) bedroom w. her, I will  take GF to a corner of the bedroom, loudly announce I am armed and not afraid to shoot then call the popo.  If the idiot(s) is dumb enough to take his time to try to kick down my bedroom door, I'd much rather have 8 rounds of 12 gauge 00 than 15 rounds of 9mm.  And yeah, I practice fast and tactical reloads.   I don't think anyone wants to debate the effectiveness of a center mass 00 shot v. 9mm.  

 

I'm not a door-kicker, ex-SEAL or Call of Duty player and have never played one on TV.  In the situation described above, there is no reason for me to "clear" the house.   I own nothing that is worth more than me or my GF. 

 

During the day, other plans are in effect. 

[vladtepes 1,060]

Different homes and family situations equate to different HD gun choices.

 

I live in a 4 bedroom home. w. just my girlfriend.   I don't need to worry about over-penetration (that's what she said).   If someone breaks into my home at night when I am upstairs in the locked (solid door w. slide-bolt lock) bedroom w. her, I will  take GF to a corner of the bedroom, loudly announce I am armed and not afraid to shoot then call the popo.  If the idiot(s) is dumb enough to take his time to try to kick down my bedroom door, I'd much rather have 8 rounds of 12 gauge 00 than 15 rounds of 9mm.  And yeah, I practice fast and tactical reloads.   I don't think anyone wants to debate the effectiveness of a center mass 00 shot v. 9mm.  

 

I'm not a door-kicker, ex-SEAL or Call of Duty player and have never played one on TV.  In the situation described above, there is no reason for me to "clear" the house.   I own nothing that is worth more than me or my GF. 

 

During the day, other plans are in effect. 

 

what if you are awaken to a different situation.. you hear noises.. and for whatever reason your girlfriend is NOT in the room with you.. and you have NO idea where she is... 

 

you have IMO created a very narrow situation in your mind.. the reason I stated 9mm over a shotgun is a 9mm is more versatile.. and it is faster to shoot and faster to reload... 

but even with all that said.. a small light carbine is a far better option than either of those.. 

[W2MC 1,699]

in my most humble opinion... the shotgun is a terrible modern home defense weapon...  a lightweight carbine in 223 is far more nimble, versatile, and less likely to over penetrate interior walls.. 

 

I had a 500 and it was a fine gun.. just not one I would ever consider for home defense.. 

 

I just finished an interesting investigation...I was going to take Vlad to task for his statement above.  I THOUGHT it was "intuitively obvious" that nine .32 roundballs at 1200-or-so fps would penetrate far less sheetrock than a little .223 bullet flying almost three times as fast.

 

Turns-out that isn't the case.  A discussion of bullet penetration thru modern house construction, including range testing thru simulated walls is here http://how-i-did-it.org/drywall/results.html and the conclusions here  http://how-i-did-it.org/drywall/conclusion.html   Long story short - soft-point .223 has a tough time making it thru a second wall, while buckshot is still sailing after penetrating 3.

[Old Glock guy 1,127]

Different homes and family situations equate to different HD gun choices.

 

I live in a 4 bedroom home. w. just my girlfriend.   I don't need to worry about over-penetration (that's what she said).   If someone breaks into my home at night when I am upstairs in the locked (solid door w. slide-bolt lock) bedroom w. her, I will  take GF to a corner of the bedroom, loudly announce I am armed and not afraid to shoot then call the popo.  If the idiot(s) is dumb enough to take his time to try to kick down my bedroom door, I'd much rather have 8 rounds of 12 gauge 00 than 15 rounds of 9mm.  And yeah, I practice fast and tactical reloads.   I don't think anyone wants to debate the effectiveness of a center mass 00 shot v. 9mm.  

 

I'm not a door-kicker, ex-SEAL or Call of Duty player and have never played one on TV.  In the situation described above, there is no reason for me to "clear" the house.   I own nothing that is worth more than me or my GF. 

 

During the day, other plans are in effect. 

 

Your situation sounds very similar to mine.  (Well, minus your girlfriend, of course.)  I can't possibly think of a scenario where I would have to clear the house, but I do have a Glock 34 nearby, in addition to my Mossberg 500.  Can't hurt to have both.

[rightisright 3]

what if you are awaken to a different situation.. you hear noises.. and for whatever reason your girlfriend is NOT in the room with you.. and you have NO idea where she is... 

 

you have IMO created a very narrow situation in your mind.. the reason I stated 9mm over a shotgun is a 9mm is more versatile.. and it is faster to shoot and faster to reload... 

but even with all that said.. a small light carbine is a far better option than either of those.. 

 

I also have a handgun w. light in my nightstand drawer if needed. 

[RiverRat70 0]

actualy a shotgun is the best home defense weapon, buckshot or even birdshot will not penetrate the walls and kill your family member in the next room, plus close quarters you are guaranteed that u wont miss the pattern will get them, 

the mossberg is a no frills gun, the 500 combo was my first shotgun ever, its durable and accurate, i used it for many years for everything from clays to hunting birds and deer with it,, 

[vladtepes 1,060]

actualy a shotgun is the best home defense weapon, buckshot or even birdshot will not penetrate the walls and kill your family member in the next room, plus close quarters you are guaranteed that u wont miss the pattern will get them, 

the mossberg is a no frills gun, the 500 combo was my first shotgun ever, its durable and accurate, i used it for many years for everything from clays to hunting birds and deer with it,, 

 

 

just about everything you posted is wrong...

 

first of all... unless you live in a giant warehouse shooting a 5in sawed off shotgun it is very unlikely there will be ANY spread....we were shooting some shot gun the other day at the range and the results at 20 yards with any decent self defense ammo was a very tiny amount of spread OR a solid hole punched through the target with NO spread...

 

additionally...the right rifle ammo as posted in the link above... and as illustrated in the diagram bellow is the LEAST likely to do damage on the other side of the wall..

 

 

 

 

 

 

a shotgun is an OK interior weapon... when nothing else is available... you can use a heavy pair of pliers to bang a nail in..and it will probably work... OR.. you can just use a hammer... I typically try to use the best tool for the job.. 

[mcbethr 42]

Boy I wish I had caught this thread earlier.  First off, the best gun for home defense is the gun that you have in your hand right now.  Followed by whatever you feel you can shoot best.  Shot placement is king.  Penetration is queen.   Everything else is angles dancing on the head of a pin.

 

Since you said you have a "collection" I assume that you already have a few guns.  It sounds like you already have a Ruger 10/22.  Is this the best gun for home defense?  Probably not.  Will it work?   Sure.   If I'm a bad guy I don't want to get shot with anything.  I would not feel under-gunned if all I had was a Ruger 10/22 based on where I live and my current assessments of possible threats.

 

I live right across from the Cherry Hill Mall in a tower complex.  My assessment of the threat is one or two kids who want to break into my apartment for drugs or an easy score.  I'm not too worried about hit-men or ninjas or biker gangs.  Do you know what's going to happen if a biker-gang tries to attack me in my apartment?  I'm going to die whether I have an AR-15, a shotgun, a 10/22 or a 9mm pistol.  And you are talking two a two-time combat vet and a shooter for 25 years.  You gotta know the threat and tailor the defense to the threat.

 

I'm also not that concerned about penetration or over-penetration.  If the round has a hard time going through drywall, it's going to have a hard time going through the bad guy.  Over-penetration is the boogieman of home-defense.  It's hard enough to hit what you are actually aiming at, much less hitting somebody in the adjoining apartment or house.  Is it possible?  Yes.  Rule #4.  Know your backstop and what is behind it.  Are you going to remember this in a gunfight?  Probably not because you are going to be scared out of your mind.  Remember why you are shooting somebody in the first place - it's because they are about to do something so horrible that you need to risk their death or serious bodily harm to stop them.  Are you going to be concerned about over-penetration or are you going to be concerned about stopping the threat?

 

Pistols have their place.  Rifles have their place.  Shotguns have their place.  One advantage of your pistol is that you can use it one-handed.  You can open a door, carry a child to safety, or keep direct pressure on your spouse's knife wound.  You can't do that with a shotgun or a rifle.  If you live alone and the layout of your house allows you to dominate without having to move to a different position, then a shotgun is probably fine.

 

All that being said, a $300 shotgun in your hand right now is better than a $1,100 AR-15 in February or a $500 Glock eight weeks from now when your permits come in.  So you did right with the the shotgun.

[JT Custom Guns 957]

Well written..................

[JT Custom Guns 957]

I prefer the best of both worlds - A Taurus Judge or a S&W Govenor

Handgun / Shotgun

JMO

[vladtepes 1,060]

Boy I wish I had caught this thread earlier.  First off, the best gun for home defense is the gun that you have in your hand right now.  Followed by whatever you feel you can shoot best.  Shot placement is king.  Penetration is queen.   Everything else is angles dancing on the head of a pin.

 

Since you said you have a "collection" I assume that you already have a few guns.  It sounds like you already have a Ruger 10/22.  Is this the best gun for home defense?  Probably not.  Will it work?   Sure.   If I'm a bad guy I don't want to get shot with anything.  I would not feel under-gunned if all I had was a Ruger 10/22 based on where I live and my current assessments of possible threats.

 

I live right across from the Cherry Hill Mall in a tower complex.  My assessment of the threat is one or two kids who want to break into my apartment for drugs or an easy score.  I'm not too worried about hit-men or ninjas or biker gangs.  Do you know what's going to happen if a biker-gang tries to attack me in my apartment?  I'm going to die whether I have an AR-15, a shotgun, a 10/22 or a 9mm pistol.  And you are talking two a two-time combat vet and a shooter for 25 years.  You gotta know the threat and tailor the defense to the threat.

 

I'm also not that concerned about penetration or over-penetration.  If the round has a hard time going through drywall, it's going to have a hard time going through the bad guy.  Over-penetration is the boogieman of home-defense.  It's hard enough to hit what you are actually aiming at, much less hitting somebody in the adjoining apartment or house.  Is it possible?  Yes.  Rule #4.  Know your backstop and what is behind it.  Are you going to remember this in a gunfight?  Probably not because you are going to be scared out of your mind.  Remember why you are shooting somebody in the first place - it's because they are about to do something so horrible that you need to risk their death or serious bodily harm to stop them.  Are you going to be concerned about over-penetration or are you going to be concerned about stopping the threat?

 

Pistols have their place.  Rifles have their place.  Shotguns have their place.  One advantage of your pistol is that you can use it one-handed.  You can open a door, carry a child to safety, or keep direct pressure on your spouse's knife wound.  You can't do that with a shotgun or a rifle.  If you live alone and the layout of your house allows you to dominate without having to move to a different position, then a shotgun is probably fine.

 

All that being said, a $300 shotgun in your hand right now is better than a $1,100 AR-15 in February or a $500 Glock eight weeks from now when your permits come in.  So you did right with the the shotgun.

 

 

if you make a good choice for a home defense weapon over penetration is not something you need to think about in a hd scenario because you have already made the best option readily available... I have an AR15 loaded with 30 sp round.. ideally I only shoot what I am aiming at.. and 30 rounds from an AR15 should stop anything that kicks in my door that is not wearing body armor.. but if I should miss.. that round is less likely to do damage on the other side of the wall..

 

I agree with your point that something is better than nothing.. and I was certainly not telling him to sit in a corner with a pointy stick.. 

I was simply pointing out that there are choices out there that will do the same job with less chance of shooting people in another room.. I will agree that it is lottery level unlikely to hit and kill someone in the other room with a missed round.. but why even play the chance when there are better options.. 

[SL8R 1]

Thanks everyone, I appreciate all of the advice.  While over-penetration is always a  concern, its low on my list.  I have a 9mm and a .357 in addition to the 10/22 and now the Mossberg, so I've got options.  I'm comfortable with both of the handguns, but I like the idea of having a shotgun available as well, and looking at the graph above it seems its pretty much a wash between 9mm and 00 buckshot anyway.  We live in a one bedroom garden apartment, there isn't a scenario where I'd have to worry so much about it as I wouldn't be shooting in the direction of the bedroom, only towards the front door or windows due to our layout.  What I'm more concerned with at the moment is where I'll be able to shoot targets with my new shotgun, and where I can go to learn how to shoot trap and skeet.

 

vladtepes, I hear you loud and clear and I promise once I can convince my wife an AR is a good investment that bad boy will get priority status for HD.  Unfortunately for me, that isn't happening anytime soon.  I'm happy I was able to sell her on the shotgun, and part of that deal was that she'd be able to shoot clays at some point.  I think I might be able to make a convincing argument once we finally buy a house, but I'm thinking that's going to have to come first.

 

 

mcbethr, I grew up close to where you live, right behind what used to be the Burger King on Haddonfield Rd (I think its a Chik fil a now).  Are you originally from that area?  You didn't go to West did you?

[vladtepes 1,060]

when you are ready for an AR.. piece it together yourself.. it makes the cost sting a lot less..

[gleninjersey 2,141]

Look under the "Event & Meet Ups" tab. There is a regular clay shoot in Clinton. Lots of fun and you get to meet some of the other forum members. See you when the weather warms up!

[SL8R 1]

Yeah man, I've seen those posts and I'm hoping to come to one soon.  I've got a 3 month old at home though and haven't been getting out much lately, so it may be a while before I get to one.  

 

Vlad, you'll also be happy to hear I just picked up a lower and I'll be putting the LPK this weekend.  I had a PSA giftcard and was able to convince the wife that I'll slowly put this thing together getting the best prices for parts I can.

[dajonga 397]

Effingers Bound Brook was having a special on the 500 field security combo last week. I forget the price (369 maybe), but give em a call.

[vladtepes 1,060]

Yeah man, I've seen those posts and I'm hoping to come to one soon.  I've got a 3 month old at home though and haven't been getting out much lately, so it may be a while before I get to one.  

 

Vlad, you'll also be happy to hear I just picked up a lower and I'll be putting the LPK this weekend.  I had a PSA giftcard and was able to convince the wife that I'll slowly put this thing together getting the best prices for parts I can.

 

 

very cool.. you are on your way.. good luck with it.. 

[SL8R 1]

very cool.. you are on your way.. good luck with it.. 

 

Thanks.  I put the LPK in last week, took about 45 min taking my time with it.  Now I have half a rifle sitting here, calling out to me to finish it.  I can see why you said to put it together yourself, lowers are pretty easy to do.

[mcbethr 42]

mcbethr, I grew up close to where you live, right behind what used to be the Burger King on Haddonfield Rd (I think its a Chik fil a now).  Are you originally from that area?  You didn't go to West did you?

 

I just noticed this thread again...

 

No, I grew up in Princeton.  I used to live on the East side of Cherry Hill.  Then I moved to the west side when I got divorced.  I'll tell you the difference between east and west Cherry Hill is like night and day.