Mossberg 190. Pics and questions.

[Herluf]

Here's another of the firearms that I inherited from my grandfather.

Mossberg 190, 16 gauge Bolt action Shotgun

Now the bad news.

It's got a rusted mag. Not a huge deal, but what's the best way to take care of this?

The safety is non-functional. When the safety is on, you can pull the trigger and watch the safety lever move. Is this likely somethign I can fix myself or does it require a gunsmith?

Also, it has the mount, but no choke.

So I'm trying to figure out what to do with this one. In great condition it's only a $150 gun, and I can't see investing much $ in having the safety repaired just to end up with a $100 gun. I've already got 12 gauge Auto and pump, and I don't hunt, so what to use it for?

The only plus side is that my stepdad says he has a whole bunch of ammo for the gun (he doesn't have any 16's) that I can have. So I could keep it for the someday that I get far enough out of the city to just take a day and shoot a whole messload of shot shells.

Advice appreciated. Sell, or have fixed, or fix myself, or trade, or sell with ammo?

 

[Virginian]

Although some people like them, the handling characteristics of those old bolt guns are an abomination in my book. I cant see whether you have the choke fingers or not. If it has the fingers you need to find an outer adjustment sleeve otherwise shooting it will likely break off the fingers. Steel wool and WD-40 will remove most of the rust. If you are handy mechanically you can likely fix the safety. A trip to the gunsmith is likely going to be more than you or I would want to invest.
I would sell it for whatever I could get and never look back, but it wasn't my grandfathers.

 

[Herluf]

Thanks for that. I guess I'll open it at some point and see what I can do about the safety. I'm not sure about choke fingers, I'll take a picture of the muzzle and post it later.

That it came from Grandpa isn't a major issue. I've got a Beretta 84, Llama Especial and Springfield 84 from him that are much better firearms, so having enough keepsakes isn't an issue.

 

[g.willikers]

It's a wall hanger.
Put it over the mantle place.
Everyone needs at least one.
Just to scare away the wimpy and needy relatives, if for nothing else.
Or for satisfying the burglars.

 

[jaguarxk120]

At the safety there were red and green buttons/posts marked "F" & "S".

Great farmers behind the door gun, many times kept in the barn for rats or the stray fox in the chicken coop.

 

[Creek Henry]

My grandfather had one and I put a few rounds through it. I guess as a slug gun it would be okay but that is about it. It handled like a plank which is too bad.

I concur, wallhanger.

 

[PetahW]

.

Naaaah ! I'd wait for one of those police department gun buyback programs, and turn it into bucks, as-is.


.

 

[Herluf]

Actually the police buy-back isn't a bad idea. Doesn't look like Chicago is having one this year, but maybe next year.

Anyhow, here's the pictures of the muzzle and choke mount. Are the notches around the muzzle the "choke fingers" mentioned above, or have they all been shot off?

I visited my Stepdad this weekend and he couldn't find the ammo, so there's no reason to keep it just for the sake of burning through some shells.

 

[Herluf]

One more try, can anyone tell me what the condition of the choke fingers is based on the pictures above?

Quick update on this one.

Took it all apart and cleaned a few decades of grime out of it. Was actually my first time completely disassembling a working gun, not counting the missing-a-piece-or-two Lebel that sits in the back of the cabinet. In all honesty with the bolt it'self I only opened it to take a look at the firing pin, I didn't completely disassemble it. Great experience overall though and the internals cleaned up nicely.

Good news is that the screw holding the safety had come loose inside the gun so I was able to replace it and now the safety works. I also added little dabs of red and green paint inside the holes that formerly held plugs marking the safety position.

 

[jaguarxk120]

The muzzle looks as if someone took a hacksaw to the choke fingers and cut them off.

Maybe the adjusting sleeve was lost and that was the only fix.

 

[Herluf]

Thanks, that makes sense.

That was the final straw, so after taking some 0000 steel wool to the rust on the magazine I took it to the FLGS yesterday and put it on consignment along with a J Stevens Hiawatha 22 auto that I had sitting around.

Don't really have a use for it, have limited storage space and don't live in a place where it's a good idea to have guns hanging on the walls, so hopefully it'll find a home with someone who appreciates it.