The Mossberg company appeared at the beginning of the 20th century. Its success was promoted by the then interest of the American authorities and ordinary people to smooth-bore weapons, in the production of which Oscar Frederick Mossberg decided to specialize with his sons. The company has gained worldwide fame due to its Mossberg 500 pump-action shotgun, which is in high demand not only among the power structures of many countries, but also among ordinary people.
Why are these weapons in high demand? The fact is that with the help of this 12-caliber shotgun you can solve not only combat missions, but also very peaceful ones: regular self-defense and hunting for various animals. After the end of the Second World War, the company had a simple task: to develop and put into the world a practical, reliable instrument of good power to protect itself and its loved ones. Taking all the advantages from competitors, the engineers of the company presented to the world the Mossberg 500, which is still very popular.
General information about Mossberg 500
The development of this weapon began in 1960. A year later, the specialists of the American company showed the first working sample, which later became the base and went into mass production. It is on the basis of the first version that a whole family of shotguns was created, which allows the consumer to choose exactly what he needs.
The gun chamber in length was 76 millimeters. It was developed specifically for the use of powerful cartridges Magnum 12/76 and 12/70. Over the next few years, the company offered the weapon community options for its 20-caliber and .410 charges.
As a matter of fact, they did not change traditions in the future. All modifications of this shotgun have a chamber of 76 millimeters. The name of the weapon depended on the ammunition used for shooting. 500A used cartridges 12th caliber, 500C - 20th caliber, 500E - .410 caliber.
From developers required to create a gun that will be able to endure the most difficult conditions. A difficult condition, for example, was considered the hunt for aquatic birds. With such a hunt, as a rule, the mechanisms of any gun are exposed to high humidity and numerous contaminants. Also referred to such conditions as fighting, when intensive shooting is conducted, and there is no possibility to clean the weapon in time.
Design shotgun Mossberg 500
The design of the gun made a large backlash of the forearm with steel rods, so that the reloading mechanism worked more stably and served longer in conditions of high pollution. So that every military man in the "hot" point could quickly clean his rifle, engineers simplified the process of disassembling it.
The basic model Mossberg 500 was made according to the classical scheme of pump-action weapons. Such tools are equipped with a non-removable tubular barrel magazine and a movable forearm. USM is made on the type of the trigger, and all parts are placed in a plastic case, which is easily removed in case of disassembly tools.
Since the tool is non-automatic, to reload you need to move the forearm mechanism back and forth. On both sides of the grenade shop there are two rods that interconnect the bolt and handguard.
When shooting mechanism works as standard. While moving the forearm back, the cartridge case is ejected and the trigger is cocked. When moving the forearm forward in the chamber, a cartridge will be sent, which will be used for the next shot. The barrel is locked wedge.
Fuse engineers placed in such a way that it was convenient to use both left-handers and right-handers. It is located on the rear of the receiver. The fuse button moves up and down along the receiver. A similar decision was presented on the domestic pump guns IL-27 or IL-43.
The very first Mossberg 500 model contained a maximum of 5 charges at a time. Moreover, cartridges of caliber 12/76 were placed only in the amount of 4 pieces, but 12/70 were already placed 5. In subsequent modifications of the "500" family, the length of the under-barrel magazine increased, as a result of which its capacity increased. The maximum capacity is 8 rounds.
The development of this shotgun was carried out by order of the state arms company, which supplied weapons and equipment to the US Army. Since these weapons were planned to be used in conditions of high humidity, all components (especially those that were in contact with the environment) were coated with a special solution with enhanced corrosion protection. This coating is matte, has anti-glare effect, which simplifies aiming during sunny weather.
Mossberg 500 shotgun barrel design
The design of the barrel in such an instrument is one of the most important parts. It depends on the efficiency, strength and power of fire. The device of this American shotgun allows each owner to independently change the barrels. But keep in mind that the caliber of the barrel must match the caliber of the gun. It is removed simply - simply unscrew the locking washer.
Modern versions of the "500" weapons allow each owner to independently change the choke. It is worth noting that the most popular nozzles choke sold complete with the gun itself. Each owner, having at his disposal a cylindrical barrel with nozzles of various types, can solve problems of various kinds with the help of this shotgun.
A few years ago, American company engineers added a brake-compensator to the trunk. It consists of several rows of small holes next to the muzzle cut on top of the barrel. This system suppresses the tossing of the barrel during a shot due to the release of powder gas through these openings. Such a system simplifies aiming with fast shooting. Shotgun quickly returns to a given line of sight.
Replaceable trunks are a wide range. According to the standard, the drilling is cylindrical, but there are variants with constant choke points. The principal differences have trunks for combat missions and trunks for civil self-defense and simple hunting. The length of the trunks in the civilian market is of three types:
- 710 millimeters;
- 660 millimeters;
- 610 millimeters.
Mossberg shotguns for solving combat missions also have three types of barrels in length:
- 510 millimeters;
- 470 millimeters;
- 350 millimeters.
When choosing this pump weapon, you need to be prepared that the designation of the length of the barrel will be in inches. In this case, you will need to quickly navigate and convert inches to millimeters to determine the specific type of shotgun of the "500" family.
Despite the fact that initially for the civilian market only supplies with a long barrel were planned, it is now easy to replace barrels of one caliber with the same smaller length. For example, a long barrel under 12 gauge can be changed to a short rifled for firing bullets. Shooting bullets 12 gauge when using a short rifled barrel, you can achieve high accuracy.
Features of a handle of the gun Mossberg 500
For the convenience of shooters, many modifications of the basic version of the 500th family were brought to the market. One of the differences in each modification was the device handle. Somewhere a pistol grip went instead of a stock, somewhere a pistol grip combined with a folding butt, etc.
The use of a pistol grip makes this gun more compact, it becomes easier to carry, but it reduces the overall effectiveness of the shooting. The use of such a handle will be useful if the shotgun is used as a second weapon: it becomes easier and more convenient, the convenience and accuracy of shooting at a short distance without aiming increases.
It is worth noting that the use of the sighting mechanism on such short rifles is completely excluded. It does not make sense, since there will be no time for aiming. In addition, the likelihood of a shotgun rebound in the face after a shot through recoil is high.
The use of a pistol handle justifies itself both in combat and in civilian environments. Such shotguns are used for shooting in rooms where there will obviously be no large distance to the enemy, and there will be no time for aiming.
What can be concluded?
The Mossberg 500 is a truly legendary weapon, which since 1979 has been in permanent service with many US power structures, in particular, army units operating in hot spots.
High-quality assembly, reliable materials in the production make this shotgun as durable as possible and provide a high stock of working resource. If you want to feel completely safe, you need to buy exactly this gun. In addition, it shows high efficiency in hunting for a variety of animals.
