About 20 years ago, i was at a gun show. one dealer had a pile...literally a pile three or four guns deep...of beat up ex-security company riot guns.
There was a big crowd around that table.
I spotted the telltale Mossberg 500 ejection port at the bottom of the pile, and pulled out a beat up, scratched wood Mossberg 500 riot gun, complete with badly applied OD green paint on the barrel, which had been shortened from a C-Lect-Choke tube.
Only it was marked Revelation, Western Auto...a contract gun made by Mossberg. It seemed fully functional.
I bought it for $75.
it was my ugly duckling. It worked perfectly, and shot 00 buck and slugs great. I kind of liked how ugly it was.
Over the years, it went through changes...different stocks, a folder, a Speedfeed birdshead grip.
Finally stripped off the green paint on the barrel, and put on an OEM heat shield which was used and very cheap on eBay. No reason for the heat shield...I just always wanted a GI trench gun, and I don't see a Model 97 in my future. Plus, the barrel just has my cheep and easy cold blue on it...looks OK, but looks even better covered by a heat shield, LOL.
For a while, I ran it with a 20" barrel and long 8-shot mag tube. But I didn't like the increased length and weight. I did install a new mag tube, spring and action slide.
After years of shooting, I started to have failure to eject...I found the ejector screw had backed out. Tightened it down and locktited, it is back kicking out empties.
Finally, I installed the Hogue overmold short LOP Buttstock and forend.
This will likely be my last alteration to this "$75" shotgun, as it is right where I want it now. The short butt took some getting used to, but I shoot it well at ranges out to 25yds using buckshot, and makes the overall length very short.
I particularly like the solid grip of the Hogue forend.
There was a big crowd around that table.
I spotted the telltale Mossberg 500 ejection port at the bottom of the pile, and pulled out a beat up, scratched wood Mossberg 500 riot gun, complete with badly applied OD green paint on the barrel, which had been shortened from a C-Lect-Choke tube.
Only it was marked Revelation, Western Auto...a contract gun made by Mossberg. It seemed fully functional.
I bought it for $75.
it was my ugly duckling. It worked perfectly, and shot 00 buck and slugs great. I kind of liked how ugly it was.
Over the years, it went through changes...different stocks, a folder, a Speedfeed birdshead grip.
Finally stripped off the green paint on the barrel, and put on an OEM heat shield which was used and very cheap on eBay. No reason for the heat shield...I just always wanted a GI trench gun, and I don't see a Model 97 in my future. Plus, the barrel just has my cheep and easy cold blue on it...looks OK, but looks even better covered by a heat shield, LOL.
For a while, I ran it with a 20" barrel and long 8-shot mag tube. But I didn't like the increased length and weight. I did install a new mag tube, spring and action slide.
After years of shooting, I started to have failure to eject...I found the ejector screw had backed out. Tightened it down and locktited, it is back kicking out empties.
Finally, I installed the Hogue overmold short LOP Buttstock and forend.
This will likely be my last alteration to this "$75" shotgun, as it is right where I want it now. The short butt took some getting used to, but I shoot it well at ranges out to 25yds using buckshot, and makes the overall length very short.
I particularly like the solid grip of the Hogue forend.
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