Just bought my first shotgun! Mossberg 500 Combo!

S

sTimoral

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I just joined this forum so i can learn more about customizing my Mossberg 500. I just bought one last night, and it is completely stock. I want to add stuff to it to make it bad


Also, is there any tips, hints, tricks you guys can give me?

I bought this gun for home defense, as well as having fun with it at the Skeet range and maybe going hunting.


I have never owned, or shot a shotgun in my life but am excited to learn what it is all about.

Thanks a lot!

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Congrats, nice buy.

As for customization, there are too many ways to do it and I would suggest going for practicality and comfort over "Badassness".

Not a bad choice for a first shotgun but be careful. Always pull the stock into your shoulder hard and when racking the slide make sure you bring it all the way back.

Be sure to clean it out good. And have fun!
 
sTimoral said:
I have never owned, or shot a shotgun in my life but am excited to learn what it is all about.
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Congratulations on your new shotgun.

Really... instead of spending money to "to add stuff to it to make it bad ass," spend that money on ammunition, on some training to learn how to shoot it well, and then on some more ammo. That's "what it is all about" -- folks who know will be way more impressed with how well you can use the shotgun than with how "bad ass" it looks, and you'll enjoy shooting it a lot more after some instruction. Once you've put in the practice time, and know what you're doing with a shotgun, then you'll be in a position to know what, if anything, you want to "accessorize" it with.

If you do a search on this topic, you'll find that just about all the experienced shotgunners on this board keep their guns very "plain Jane"...

:)
 
Congratulations, and welcome aboard sTimoral.

You commented, "I want to add stuff to it to make it bad ass."
That stuff is called ammunition and practice leading to proficiency. Your new gun is already bad ass, adding on tacti-cool-looking trinkets is just talking-the-talking without walking-the-walk. Do you want to look bad ass or dumb ass?
 
Best Mods...........learn to shoot it as tho your life depends on it........

& Congratulations on your new shotgun



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Let me add my basso profundo to the chorus.....

Buy ammo, use up, repeat. After the pile of empties reaches your shins, you WILL BE Bad, not just look bad....
 
I am beginning to get the gist of what most of you are saying. Thanks for all the responses. I will buy ammo, and learn the ins and outs of the gun as much as I can. I have a skeet range 1 minute away from my house, so I could practice a lot.

As for ammunition, can anyone recommend a specific brand or type? I know that for skeet shooting I buy different ammunition as opposed to home defense bullets, am I right?

Also, Is there a specific detailed thread on how to clean my shotgun after I am done using it? thanks a lot guys.
 
Get PROFESSIONAL training! Several years ago when I had more money, I spent a lot of money on guns and none on training. Now, I wish I had only bought three guns ( which guns would they be?) and spent all of the other money on training and ammo. Check your trainer out. Many get "Certified" but really can't help you. Read their credentials.
 
As for ammunition, can anyone recommend a specific brand or type? I know that for skeet shooting I buy different ammunition as opposed to home defense bullets, am I right?
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Correct - for basic clay target shooting the Federal wally world 4 packs will do just fine. HD typically requires the use of something more potent, like 00 buck or similar
 
Get el cheapo ammo, unless you are actually competing, then get the value packs...:)

mossbergs are very reliable and mine doesn't care what ammo i put through it.
 
Sounds good.

I was looking at some videos on youtube on field stripping a Mossberg 500. Would I need to do this to clean my weapon? Or do I not need to take it that far..?

This is starting to become addicting. I feel like im missing out on a lot.
 
Congrats on the new gun, I really like the muzzle brake on the short barrel.

I'm going to just repeat what everyone else here has said, shoot it often and get comfortable with it. As ammunition goes there are several routes you can go; for skeet WW and other large sporting goods stores will have 100round value packs of #7 or #8 for 15-20$. For your home defense there are many different opinions, but most people will recommend #4 or 00 buckshot. You can find these at the same sporting goods stores for about 4.50-5 dollars / 5 shot box. There are some more specialized self defense rounds, such as low recoil buckshot, which can be found online at at the LGS.


I don't know where you will be keeping it but I have been using a gun grabber in my closet and I highly recommend it.

As far as accessories there is not a whole lot I can recommend to you, I have a similar shotgun and only have a removable cuff for ammo. The most practical thing is probably some sort of forend light, but these can run 200-300$.

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You can field strip your gun after every session if you want, but I don't know if a full field strip is necessary; others might disagree, but I generally just clean the barrel and the chamber, and then field strip every now and then. I use a cleaning kit, some synthetic safe gun scrubber and some rem oil to clean it. Look at the boresnake cleaners as an easy way to clean the, well, bore.
 
Like i said, mossbergs are very reliable. You could not clean it. I know of people that have had that same mossberg shotgun for 20-30 years and have never cleaned them and they still function perfectly.

I clean mine every 100 rounds or so ( or just at the end of the day if i shoot more than that). Its a good idea to keep it clean. I personally enjoy cleaning my rifles/shotgun. It will last longer, but even if you don't clean it you will definitely get your moneys worth out of it. At the minimum i would say put a drop or two of oil in every 300-500 rounds, but i recommend that you strip it and clean it.

The gun itself is not going to malfunction just because you don't clean it, its just going to work smoother and better if its cleaned and properly lubricated.
 
Cool, thanks for the responses guys.

I was just checking out some videos online, and I noticed that there is a small kick when you fire this shotgun. Some people even mention getting sore. Now, I'm not a puny guy, however I do have a bad shoulder. Will this affect me too much when I take it to the range? Are there any tips on standing positions or anything like that?

Are there options available for extra padding on the butt of the shotty? I may need this for the women I decide to take to the shooting range with me as well ;)
 
I shoot 400 or so shells each time out.
Remove barrel for cleaning each time.
Wipe out receiver , wipe bolt as best i can , without disassembling.

Every forth time out (1200 shells or so) total disassemby & cleaning. Except trigger group ( just use cleaning solvent & tooth brush ).
 
Looks like you have a recoil pad on there already. There are some that can slip over and some that can drape over your shoulder. It shouldn't be too big of a problem; its a push, you're not really manipulating the shoulder joint too much.
 
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