Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns mossberg 500A opininion (home defense / turkey / bird)

I'm itching for a 12 gauge pump security shotgun, but struggle with One-trick-ponies with fixed cylinder bore chokes that restrict the use.


I found a used 12 gauge Mossberg 500A with a 20 inch accuchoke barrel and spare 28 inch accuchoke barrel. Blued and wood furniture and good shape with little wear. $329 plus tax.
Not a super buy, but the 20 inch barrel gives me choke options for turkey (NOT optoc ready - red dot with a meadowcreek mount on this one). The 28 inch barrel makes it a trap shooting or hunting back up.
The recoil pad is hard as can be and would need upgrade and a trigger spring kit too. The trigger is very creepy.... Figure toward $60 of upgrades to make it turkey duty.

So this shotgun checks off several boxes, but I've had bad luck with 2 used mossbergs before and I'm gunshy enough to consider buying a new maverick 88 (with a better butt pad already) for $230 instead.

Anything to watch for on a 500A?
Avoid?
buy?
What to do if its a lemon?

They go bang every time, not very pretty. When I had my gun shop I used to trade them for snowplowing, roofing , welding, etc,.never got one back or anyone that felt they got cheated.

Interesting. I befrinded a pawn shop owner and he would offer me 3 pump shotguns for $100 because he got soo many.

I mus have bad luck on my prior Mossy buys. I'm thinking I'm getting it... too much user function not to get it... Even if a Mossberg 590A1 with ghost ring sights, 9 shots, and heat sheild feels way cooler.

Mossberg gets a lot right: the safety is in the right place (but not on the Maverick 88), dual extractors (good for [bleep] Hornady shells), and sloppy enough to feed just about anything (again, good for out-of-round Hornady shells). I think that's the perfect recipe for a defense (home or bear) shotgun. They're also made-in-the-USA, and relatively inexpensive. They shoot well, pretty much to point of aim. The ones I've shot shoot good patterns. In smooth-bore, they handle rifle slugs well since they have a standard 12 gauge bore diameter. There's lots of aftermarket choke options. I do think the steel on them tends to rust easily. And they tend to rattle a lot. But you get a lot of good gun for the cost. A Mossberrg 500 with a short cylinder choke barrel, a rifle slug barrel, and a 26" vent-rib barrel has 100% of what you are looking for covered. Go for it.

Probably not going to improve that trigger.

That is a good deal, but if there are issues you’ll be in for some drama. I’d still chance it myself as that 20” with threaded for chokes is a good thing.

I had a 590s but find those ones with the long magazines a bit heavy for quick handling by an old man. I’m using an old Deerslayer now, but might try one of the 20ga 500s at some point. The 24” youth model is very handy, and I can add a Limbsaver slip-on to make it longer.

I like my Mav 88

The Mav 88 Security model is next to the bed. Best bang for the $$ IMHO