Mossberg 500 Tactical conversions

[JoeR]

I have a Mossberg 500 with composite stock and with the way things are I thought about making it into a home defense gun since it's not used for anything else, got it in a trade deal. I see several kits online some more $ than others. I suspect that you get what you pay for. Anyone out there do the conversion and have good or bad results doing this ?
Thanks

[Junk Yard Dog]

slap a 18 1/2" barrel on it or a 20" and you are good to go. Unless you plan on using it to take down crack houses and the homes of drug kingpins that's all you need for an effective home defence weapon. There is nothing wrong with the long barrel, but shorter ones are better for maneuvering indoors. I keep a Mossberg 500 cruiser and a military 590 around , the cruiser has only a pistol grip, good for very close range, or if you spend a great deal of time learning to point shoot with it then you can use it at ranges up to 10 yards with a reasonable expectation of hitting what you want. The 590 uses the basic Mossberg receiver with a 20" barrel and extended magazine tube, because it's military it has a bayonet lug, but that's fairly useless. There is no need to spend money on "tactical" crap for a shotgun if it spends it's life under your bed, or in the closet in case things go bump in the night. It's a pretty good weapon right out of the box. Shell holders, night lights, various plastic stocks all look cool in Hollywood movies, and may have some use for Law enforcement officers, but you don't need them.

[Rongo]

I have a cut down barrel on my 500 & it sits by my bed with Buckshot. Barrel was cut to 19" before I got it at a LGS for $35???

IMHO that's all you need.

[bunkysdad]

I'd like a Mossberg 500 and thought I would find myself one, but a Winchester 1300 defender synthetic 12 ga prectically fell into my lap, so I jumped on it. For defense, a 12 ga pump is fiercely menacing.

[MN Fan]

I want to build one sometime soon. Nothing too extreme, but I will be using the Mossberg 500 platform. I had a couple of them over the years and never had any trouble at all.

[pacanis]

I've never built a shotgun, unless you count my Saiga .410, but that's more of a conversion. OK, maybe that's a build Anyway, I would just like to say that you should build it to suit your individual needs. Since my needs might be identifying my target at night, I find a light mounted on the gun to be potentially useful. It's not like it gets in the way or adds a lot of weight. And like Junkyard mentioned, if you are just going with a pistol grip, you are going to severely limit your range. You are pretty much limited to point shooting, but those shotties do take up less room to stash. Plus it's fun to send slugs downrange into a 6"circle. You aren't going to do that with a pistol grip.
There was a lengthy thread on another forum about documented cases where more than a couple shots were needed in a home defense situation, and last I knew there weren't any. That's why side by sides are still popular. That said... my shotgun is my goto gun, whether it's something inside or outside, like a pack of angry, rabid raccoons raiding the henhouse. It's not big deal to add a tube extension and slap a side saddle on the receiver to give yourself a few more shots if needed. That does add a lot of weight to the gun, adding all that lead, so it's going to slow you down some. It's a trade-off. And add a sling to the weapon, if for nothing else so you aren't setting your shotgun down somewhere because you have to use your hands for something.
But yeah, most shotgun guys are going to tell you to pick up a nice used shotgun, slap an 18-1/2"barrel on it and you are good to go. But that's no fun

[Rongo]

I want to build one sometime soon. Nothing too extreme, but I will be using the Mossberg 500 platform. I had a couple of them over the years and never had any trouble at all.

Consider the "Maverick Model 88"... Cheap version of the Mossberg. Walmart sells them for under $200 & parts interchange with the Mossberg 500. Only difference is the safety is by the trigger much like a Remington 870.

Maverick 88

[Junk Yard Dog]

Another consideration to keep in mine is what happens after you use the gun. Every state and local government has it's own rules governing the use of lethal force in your home, some states have castle laws, and such. You still have to keep in mind that you may end up in court facing a jury in a civil case because the guy you shot wasn't killed, or a criminal one because he was. That gun you used will be exhibit A, sitting right out on the table for the jury to see, held up for them by the greedy lawyer or enthusiastic DA. A jury sees something black, covered in rails, lights, shell holders, and so on what they see is "gun nut" and that will not bode well for you. They see an ordinary looking wood stock shotgun and they equate it with Dads skeet gun, or Grandpa's bird gun, you are just a citizen. New York has no castle laws. here you shoot someone 90% of the time you will end up before a grand jury, and possibly a trial. Even in states that have protection like the castle laws circumstances can still lead to problems, and you can still be sued in civil court. Every one of my self defence weapons is as it came from the factory, no alterations, I use out of the factory box ammunition, nothing some anti gun DA can latch onto and use to make me look like some crazed gun nut out for a thrill kill. Even the Mossberg cruiser came that way from Mossberg.

[pacanis]

That is a very excellent point, Junkyard.
You should try to keep whatever you are using within the realm of what the police would use. For instance: Federal tactical loads, yes, those Zombie jungle loads or whatever they're called, no
It's always going to look better for you if you were using birdshot out of grandpa's shotgun, but I figure when they find walls and closets full of milsurp weapons and ammo cans, I'm pretty much screwed anyway

[Junk Yard Dog]

No, that will work in your favor, you had closets and safes full of lethal battle rifles, "assault weapons" and such but you defended yourself with an old shotgun. That's something your lawyer would be quick to point out to the jury if the other side is stupid enough to bring it up. My personal defence weapon is a M14, but that is something that will only be in my hands loaded off the range if the worst case scenario comes to be, the end of days when I am fighting for my life without concern for courts and lawyers because there are none left. To investigate a noise outside I will take the shotgun, or maybe my handgun, a trusty revolver. Jury's understand shotguns and revolvers because everybody's dad and grandpa kept one or the other around just in case. Show them an autoloader with hi cap mag and all that and right away your Mel Gibson in lethal weapon 1-4 ( was there a 5?) a gun happy nut spraying bullets around. Sticking with what the police in your area use if you go with the auto is an excellent idea, if the other side brings it up and tries to make you out a crazed killer because the pistol holds more than six rounds they will be essentially saying the same thing about the entire local police force, something your lawyer would quickly point out.
This is a subject that you should look into with great care, learn the law for were you live, if you are going to use a weapon in self defence best to know how to do so without ending up broke, or in prison.

[pacanis]

Back in the eighties, when I was heavy into guns (yes, heavier than now, just not military ) I took a couple combat handgun courses... back when you didn't have to be PC and call them self-defense courses , and was told back then by John Farnam that even in the right it's going to cost you 15 grand to prove it. I imagine with inflation that's more like 45 nowadays, let alone the civil suit that will follow if the perp has any family.

[MN Fan]

Consider the "Maverick Model 88"... Cheap version of the Mossberg.

Thanks Rongo...I'll look into it. I think I even saw a used one at Cabela's recently.


Currently, there is legislation here in Nebraska that is being questioned. If someone comes into your house (with intent to harm) and you can't prove that you gave them fair and due warning before you pull the trigger, you are guilty. The common saying is "if there's a hole in his head, there better be two in your ceiling". It doesn't matter if he has 3 guns, two knives, a can of mace and a stolen wallet on him. If he's dead and you can't provide tangible evidence you gave warning, you're going to prison.

[pacanis]

Wow, that's the stupidist thing I ever heard. What if you are the only one home? Are you just supposed to scare him off so he can pick a different house the next night? I sure hope that gets shot down.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Welcome to New York, if you are carrying a handgun legally registered in your home state and forgot to leave it there we will take it from you, toss you in jail, and fine you heavily, and oh yea, we keep the handgun.

[pacanis]

Welcome to New York, if you are carrying a handgun legally registered in your home state and forgot to leave it there we will take it from you, toss you in jail, and fine you heavily, and oh yea, we keep the handgun.

That is constantly on my mind, as I'm only five minutes from NY. Sometimes I'll go for a bike ride and not know if I'm in PA or NY, but not if I'm carrying. I ALWAYS know where I am, or turn around and go back the other way. No reciprocation with anyone either. They should give you a radius from your home when you live close to state lines.

[MN Fan]

My plan, if it ever happens here, is just seconds after my door gets kicked in, I'm going to yell "Time Out!". Then I'll run and grab my video camera and tripod, set it up, turn it on, get it focused, etc. Then I'll run back, grab the 12 ga. and give it a pump and head right back. Then I'll yell "Time in! STOP, or I'll shoot!"

Crazy, huh?

The NRA is on it. They recently got the CCW disqualifiers cut back to something more reasonable. I'm pretty sure they will get this changed as well.

[Rongo]

What a dumb law... Maybe they could add your brilliant "Time out" rule.

[Fred_G]

Thank God I live in a Castle Doctrine state. What Junk Yard Dog said about court is good info. I took the magazine extension off my Rem 870, and decked it out in nice wood furniture. I do have a side saddle on it, but that is for sporting purposes.

Oh, and another + for the Mav 88. Nice gun for the cash. I got mine with a turkey barrel and a 28" barrel for like $150 on some online sight.

[polymerase2]

I've been doing a lot of reading about home defense shotguns, and there have been some advice that keeps coming up:
Put a light on it so you are sure of what you are shooting.
The more attachments the more chance of it hanging up.
If you have any possibility of shooting a family member through a wall use #4 shot.
Basic front and rear sights are useful. At 10 to 20 feet there is not a lot of spread.
Short (18 to 20) barrels are easier to handle and have less of a chance of hanging up.
Pistol grips look badass but a stock is more accurate.
Handle what you are thinking of buying. I am tall, the 870's don't have enough of a drop in the stock for me. The Mossbergs do.
I personally like the safety on top of the receiver. I am used to forward means fire.
We have a castle doctrine here in Texas and I haven't heard of anyone getting sued for shooting an intruder. There have been lots of justified cases in the last year. You still can't chase someone outside and shoot them in the back and not expect trouble.

[Junk Yard Dog]

The shot needs room to spread, if you unload with even number 8 from a foot or two away that shot will hit like a solid slug, real messy.