Mossberg 500

The History of Mossberg

In 1919, Swedish immigrant Oscar Frederick Mossberg, aged 53, launched a journey into firearms manufacture. Alongside his sons Harold and Iver, the trio established what was originally named Mossberg & Sons, Inc., operating out of a rented loft on State Street in New Haven, Connecticut.

The company’s vision was relatively simple: to manufacture durable and reliable firearms for the working class. Their first creation was a modest 4-shot Brownie pistol in .22 caliber, paving the way for a legacy of accessible, dependable firearms.

Just a few years later, in 1922, the Mossbergs produced their first rifle, the Model K. This .22 hammerless pump repeater rifle was in fact initially designed by the famous Arthur Savage but was finalized and improved by the Mossberg team.

As the world descended into war during the 1940s, Mossberg & Sons pivoted its focus to support the war effort. Securing a government license, they began producing tolerance tooling gauges, various machine gun parts, and components of the British Lee-Enfield rifle. During this era, Mossberg also introduced the Model 42MB, a .22 training rifle for British troops. An impressive amount of 45,000 units of Mossberg Model 42MB were produced. This period not only propelled Mossberg onto the global stage but also sparked a period of significant growth for the company.

The post-war years saw Mossberg contributing to the sporadic popularity of bolt-action shotguns, as they produced an array of these firearms. However, today, the company is most renowned for its exceptional pump-action shotguns. Particularly famous is the legendary Mossberg Model 500 pump-action shotgun introduced in 1962. In 1979, the US government awarded Mossberg a contract to produce the Model 500 as a combat-duty-rated pump shotgun. This led to the Model 500 being adopted by every branch of the US Military. By 2010, 41 different variations of the Model 500 were available on the market.

The company’s influence extends beyond firearm manufacturing. Mossberg has introduced several components now commonplace in the industry. For instance, Alan Mossberg developed a safety cable lock in 1989 that now comes as standard with almost every firearm sold today.

Mossberg celebrated 100 years in 2019, and even today continues to be a family-owned and operated business.

Mossberg 500 Shotgun Review

The Mossberg 500, designed by Carl Benson in 1961, is a pump-action shotgun which served as a precursor to other variants like the 510, 535, and the military-specific 590. Variations among these models are largely determined by the design of the magazine tube.

Constructed with an anodized aluminum alloy receiver, the Mossberg 500's stocks come in either wood or polymer variants. The base model's magazine configuration allows for five 70 mm shells in the tube and an extra round in the chamber termed the six-round model. An alternative model offers a seven-round magazine. Mossberg 500 series includes 12-gauge, 20-gauge, and .410 versions, depending on the variant of the firearm.

The shotgun is offered with barrel lengths of 710 mm and 610 mm. Its trigger system, featuring an average pull weight of 2830 g (6.4 lbs), provides a predictable and consistent response.

A unique characteristic is its top tang safety, located on the receiver which allows for ambidextrous use. Notably, the receiver is drilled and tapped, prepared for the addition of accessories or mounts - not a typical feature in shotguns. The shotgun adopts a bottom-loading, side-ejecting design and includes a hard rubber recoil pad. Given the extended production period of the shotgun, numerous variants of the Mossberg 500 series are available.

Mossberg 500 shotgun, chambered for 12 ga

Figure 1: Mossberg 500 shotgun, chambered for 12 ga (Source: https://sportingshooter.co.uk/article/mossberg-500-field-pumpaction-test-review)

Mossberg 500 Gauges

The shotgun is chambered for the following gauges:

12 ga
20 ga
.410 ga

Mossberg 500 Variants

The shotgun is available in the following variants:

Mossberg 500 Hunting
Mossberg 500 Tactical
Mossberg 500 Home Defense
Mossberg 500 All-Purpose
Mossberg 500 Persuader
Mossberg 500 Cruiser
Mossberg 500 Road Blocker
Mossberg 500 Mariner
Mossberg 500 Thunder Ranch
Mossberg 500 Chainsaw
Mossberg 500 JIC (Just In Case)
Mossberg 500 Bantam
Mossberg 500 Lightway
Mossberg 500 Slugster
Mossberg 500 Combo
Mossberg 500 Turkey
Mossberg 500 Waterfowl
Mossberg 500 Retrograde
Mossberg 500® ATI® Tactical
Mossberg 500® Field
Mossberg 500® Field Combos
Mossberg 500® FLEX
Mossberg 500 Super Bantam Combo Field/Deer
Mossberg 500 Super Bantam – Waterfowl
Mossberg 500 Super Bantam – Turkey
Mossberg 500 Super Bantam – All-Purpose
Mossberg 500 Bantam
Mossberg 500 Bantam Field/Deer Combo
Mossberg 500 Retrograde
Mossberg 500 Turkey – Tactical Turkey
Mossberg 500 Combo Turkey/Deer
Mossberg 500 Combo Field/Security
Mossberg 500 Combo Field/Deer
Mossberg 500 Hunting All Purpose Field
Mossberg FLEX 500 All-Purpose
Mossberg FLEX 500 Bantam Combo Field/Deer
Mossberg FLEX 500 Bantam – All-Purpose

Mossberg 500 receiver comes with four holes on the top of the receiver which can be used for scope mounting purposes which is somewhat unusual for shotguns.

The receiver of Mossberg 500, chambered for 12 ga

Figure 2: The receiver of Mossberg 500, chambered for 12 ga (Source: https://gunblast.com/Mossberg-500TR.htm)

Mossberg 500

A: 12.7 mm

B: 54 mm

C: 12.7 mm

BHU: 0 mm

Ø: 8-40

R1: R19

R2: R19

Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Mossberg 500

Shotguns That Have One-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Mossberg 500

All the shotguns listed in the category below have one-piece mounts interchangeable with Mossberg 500. For one-piece mounts to fit on a rifle, mounting surfaces on these shotguns must match in every dimension. Shotguns that have one-piece scope mounts interchangeable with Mossberg 500 are:

Shotguns That Have Two-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Mossberg 500

All the shotguns listed in the category below have two-piece mounts interchangeable with Mossberg 500. To meet interchangeability conditions, two-piece mounts must match in all dimensions except the B distance. B distance can vary because two-piece mounts can be installed and adjusted closer or further apart. Shotguns that have two-piece scope mounts interchangeable with Mossberg 500 are:

Best Scope Mounts for Mossberg 500

Picatinny Rails for Mossberg 500

For Mossberg 500 owners interested in extending their optics mounting capabilities, the Picatinny rail might be a suitable choice due to its compatibility with a range of mounting systems. This EAW steel Picatinny rail, produced in Germany, matches the Mossberg 500 receiver's dimensions. It also carries a thirty-year warranty.

Help Us Build Our Riflescope Mounts Database

If you happen to own this or any other rifle, we would appreciate it if you could help us expand our database by sending us some photos of the rifle receiver (the bare mounting surface of the rifle without the mounts installed). For your help, our company offers a fair return in terms of practical rewards.

Please send us an email for more information. You can contact us here: [email protected]

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EGW HD Mossberg Shotgun Picatinny Rail

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DNZ 25.4 mm Complete Mount for Mossberg 835 Shotgun

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EGW Mossberg 500, Early/Late Shotgun Picatinny Rail

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Mossberg 500

The History of Mossberg