I have an old Mossberg 500-B, 16-gauge, pump-action, 28" full-choke barrel, chambered for 2 3/4" shells. I know this shotgun is at least 30-40 years old and possibly older than that. I'm trying to locate the serial number and am not having any luck at all. Is it possible it never came with a serial number? If it has to have a serial number, where would I find it?

 

 

Upon further research, it appears that Mossberg didn't start adding serial numbers until after the Gun Control Act of 1968. From what I'm able to tell, this gun I have was manufactured sometime between 1963 and 1969 according to this old Mossberg Vintage Catalog site. The 500-B only starts to appear in the 1963 catalog and is last mentioned in the 1969 catalog.

 

http://home.epix.net/~damguy/mossberg_shotgun_vintage_catalog.htm

 

 

Assuming this is all on the up and up and this gun was in fact made without a serial number what, if anything, must I do to legally possess and use this shotgun in NJ?

Assuming this is all on the up and up and this gun was in fact made without a serial number what, if anything, must I do to legally possess and use this shotgun in NJ?

 

Nothing. In any documentation (ie COE form) you just put "No Serial Number".

Nothing. In any documentation (ie COE form) you just put "No Serial Number".

 

 

Thanks, but I'm confused. First you say that I need to do "nothing", then you mention some documentation and/or COE form. So, do I do nothing or do I have to fill out a form or some other documentation?

The nothing part is if you obtained the gun legally than it's yours and you need to do NOTHING.

 

Now if it's something you picked up recently, then who ever you got the gun from you both should have COE's so you have something showing how you got the gun.

The nothing part is if you obtained the gun legally than it's yours and you need to do NOTHING.

 

Now if it's something you picked up recently, then who ever you got the gun from should have COE's so you have something showing how you got the gun.

 

 

The gun was given to me (without a form or documentation) at least 30-years ago. It's been sitting away until the other day, when I remembered I had it.

I am not sure when the COE was introduced, hopefully someone will know, and I don't know if there was something used prior to that either.

 

Guess we will wait for someone who knows to respond, but a gun you have had for 30 years, I wouldn't worry that much about but if something was required I would try and satisfy that requirement when I could.

The gun was given to me (without a form or documentation) at least 30-years ago. It's been sitting away until the other day, when I remembered I had it.

 

 

 

I cant wait to re-discover a gun I forgot about thats been laying for 30 yrs! I wonder what its gonna be

I cant wait to re-discover a gun I forgot about thats been laying for 30 yrs! I wonder what its gonna be

 

 

Keep in mind, I've only recently (within the last 2 or 3 years) "gotten into" firearms and even that is to a very small extent, so having something tucked away and forgotten about due to no interest in the item is not that very unbelievable.

I have a very good friend of the family, a retired Marine Lt Col (pilot) down in the Pensacola area that is a gun collector who had slowly been selling off some of his guns but I think he still have well over a 100 left. Going to have ask if he has an inventory list so I can let him know what I might be interested in and let me know before he sells them. Thanks, forgot all about his collection.

Keep in mind, I've only recently (within the last 2 or 3 years) "gotten into" firearms and even that is to a very small extent, so having something tucked away and forgotten about due to no interest in the item is not that very unbelievable.

 

Haha- just having some fun cause it actually happened to me! Remembered an old Mberg 22 that my dad gave me 35+ yrs ago that was rotting away at my moms house last year. Needed total resto, was in BAD shape, bore was packed with bugs/dirt, nasty rust everywhwere, borderline junk but I tore it down %110 and fixed it up. I posted it in the gunsmithing section last year sometime. Now its a nice 1954 Mossberg 146B bought back to life.

Would anyone venture to put a value on this gun?  It needs a good cleaning, but is in pretty good condition.