mikeprekopa

so i went to the range with my girlfriend recently and tried out a shotgun for the first time and i now have a new respect for them. so now im thinking of getting one.

for the most part it would be home defense and occasionally shooting some clay at the range. i have heard a lot about the mossberg 500, and am going to go to the gunshop as soon as im over my cold to take a look/feel.

the website is a tad confusing to me, what size slugs can i runthrough the 500 ? it gives the holding cap. for 2.75" rounds, is that the only size it can take ? i would like one that can shoot just about everything, just in case. can you switch the barrels in the 500 ? the one on their site says it come with a 28" barrel, but can i swap that out for a shorter one ?

another thing is the legality, I'm 19 years old, and know i cant buy a pistol. I'm assuming a shot gun would have similar rules and regs. as a rifle, but haven't seen any specific laws on them. can i buy 1 ? i know i have a clear history, other than a speeding ticket and a driving without a license ticket (40 in a 25, thought it was a 35. stupid idea driving without a license, but thats in the past) would either of those stop me from getting a shotgun (doubt it but i thought I'd ask, since I'm here and all)

i was also wondering about barrels. i was reading something about smooth vs. rifled barrels. like i said before, i would like to be able to shoot as much as possible, so which would be better ?

anything else i should look for ? im doing a lot of reading and taking notse, so any advise is greatly appreciated.

thanks a lot
Mike

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raevan

The mossberg 500JIC and special purpose have a chamberof 3 inches this means you can use a cartrige up to 3 inches, if the chamber size says 2.75 then that is th max size shell you can use. As to your traffic violations you will have to check with your laws. There should be a web sight for your state that has all the regulations.

automatic slim

I think you would be far better off with a Remington 870. The number of accessories, including barrels, is almost limitless. The Express model will fire 3" shells. You can fire any weight slug made for the gauge of your gun and I would strongly recommend a 12 gauge. Barrel swaps on the 870 are easy, you can use a 18" barrel for home defense and a longer barrel for clay. You can go from a 5 shot magazine to a 7 or 8 shot quite easily, whereas on the Mossberg you are limited to the factory configuration. Lastly the 870 has an all steel receiver where the Mossbergs is aluminum.
The only advantage I see in the Mossberg is the cheaper price.
Regarding rifled barrels, these are used for firing slugs. You can fire slugs through a smooth barrel if the slug itself is rifled. I wouldn't get a rifled barrel unless you plan on shooting a lot of non rifled slugs.
However, if you're really determined on getting a Mossberg, you might consider a 590. It is a police version of the 500, comes with a high capacity magazine and even takes a bayonet.
As far as your age and traffic history, under federal law you only need to be 18 to buy long guns (rifles and shotguns). The form you fill out doesn't even ask about traffic violations, so I wouldn't worry about it.

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buckeyeLCPL

Ok, every 500 I have ever seen will take up to 3 inch shells, which unless you plan on going like turkey hunting you should be fine with, then you need something which takes 3 1/2's (but they are more expensive and not needed for a self defense shotty in my opinion). But 2.75" 00buck should do just fine for you anyways.

Barrels are interchangeable, if you want the option of shooting the most shells possible, and since it will be a hd gun, go for the smoothbore, should be a fixed choke, and should shoot shot or slugs just fine. You can also buy longer lengths.

I bought a shotgun in Ohio the day I turned 18, don't think it should be an issue for you in PA, but someone from there would know better.

For HD, go with a normal buttstock, i'd stay away from pistol grips, get the shortest barrel and highest capacity tube you can, for urban fighting weapon length matters. Just a simple shotgun, no more than 20" tube, and if you can get over 5 shells, that is good.

I own both a 500 and 870 in HD configurations, the 870 is a little smoother, but both fill the role very well, and the 500 costs less. Both are durable, I prefer the control locations on a 500 though. But check both of em out.

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cvhoss

If you have any plans to load or use buckshot loads, DO NOT buy a shotgun with a rifled barrel. A smoothbore will shoot Brenneke type rifled slugs and buckshot interchangeably. Just stay away from the Sabot type slugs. A rifled barrel is for slugs only. They will shoot buckshot but the pattern is all over the countryside.

If you're set on the Mossberg, you may want to look at the 590 Persuader model. 20" barrel, ghost ring sights and 9 shot capacity. The 500 Persuader with a 20" barrel and bead sight holds 8 rounds. If you can live with 6 rounds, the 500 Persuader can be had with a 18.5" barrel.

As near as I can tell, all of the Mossberg Persuader shotguns have a 3" chamber. For HD, a 2 3/4" is more than sufficient.

Hoss

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jahwarrior72

this is the mossberg i own; it's the tactical "breacher" model:



it's got an 18" barrel, and has a 5+1 capacity, using 2 3/4" shells. my advice is, if you get one of these, switch out the pistol grip for a shoulder stock, or an AR type adjustable stock. you can't aim well with a pistol grip, and even at close range, you need to aim to hit your target.

since the shottie you want is for HD, i don't think it matters much what kind of load you use, except for slugs, which i'd advise against, because of over penetration. anything from game/target loads, to #00 buckshot would be better for HD and clay shooting; slugs are for taking down big game.

rifled bores aren't necessary for a HD shottie. a smooth bore will shoot anything except for specific slugs, like the sabot-type mentioned earlier. and i called mossberg and asked about using tungsten or steel shot in my gun; they said either would be safe to use.

good luck, and be aware that shotgunning can be highly addictive.

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mikeprekopa

i wasnt so much set on a Mossberg, just had hear a lot about them in reference to beginners, that why i was looking their way... if anyone has other recommendations, i would happily accept them :)

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jmsstnr

You should separate the two. Clay shooting and HD SG's is something that should remain separate. Let me explain. For too long years I have been using my 870 for bird and deer and HD (in off season), there is too much going on there. Two barrels, lack of extension tube, tactycool stuff, plug in, plug out, blah blah blah. One of these days I'll get that Super X3, and convert 870 to HD only.

If you don't hunt, then buy a HD shotgun. Where's SIXTO?

18 for shotgun, state background only, DL and proof of residence.

Smooth barrel means buck shot and slugs (look at rifled slugs, though e.g. federal tru-ball), like buckeye said.

Remington or Mossberg will get you in the proverbial door to HD, but look at all makers and see where your price point stops. Bennelli, maybe?

automatic slim

I think your best bet would be to go to a well stocked gun shop and compare several different models side by side. Have a well versed salesperson explain all the features. You might even see a semi-auto like the Remington 1100 or 1187
that you like better than a pump.

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Rusty Bouquett

I second the notion of keeping the HD gun strictly for HD and the clays gun strictly for clays. Make the HD gun an 18 incher and load it with something like #1 shot a la Masaad Ayoob. Your pattern at ten feet will be about 4 inches wide so forget that stuff about not having to aim a shotgun. Mine sports a combo tac lite/pulsating laser and its STRICTLY for serious social situations. The 12 gage shotgun is at the top end of the tissue destruction scale so you gotta make ABSOLUTELY sure of your target. On the other hand, when TSHTF you'll have nothing better to defend yourself and your loved ones.