Western field 550 vs mossberg 500

H

Hunter562yards

New member
I'm looking at building my first shotgun from scratch, and have found 2 receivers in my state. A winchester 1300 with the mag tube, and a western field without the mag tube. I know that the western field is made by mossberg, but I want to know if there is any quality difference between the two. I already have a a western field and a 1300 defender. Personally I like the western field more, but if I build my own I want it to be good quality. Any thoughts?
 
I don't know about the quality but the Mossberg parts will fit on the western field. I don't know about the mag tube though.
 
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jaguarxk120: I already have a remington 870 as my main shotgun, this is just something for fun. I'm looking at going to college for gunsmithing and I figured this would help me. Corrections Cop: I read somewhere that a western mag tube won't accept a mossy pump, but a mossy tube will accept a western pump, but the action would be sloppy. But both tubes will fit in either receiver. Something like that I'll have to go back and look.
 
The one thing to watch for is some of the old Mossberg and Western Field pump guns only have one action bar.The one on my Western field is the only major shotgun part I,ve ever had break.
 
I know it's not the same, but it gives me a bit more knowledge on how to completely build a gun, I want to eventually have my own business manufacturing guns. Wild willy: what happened to make it break? I don't think I've even put 100 rounds through my western field, but I got it used.
 
Using it caused it to break.Two bars are stronger I wouldn't spend my money for a build on a single action bar Mossberg.Theres a reason Mossberg went to twin bars.
 
Dual action bars
The reason gun companies went to double action bars was because of the slop in all
the new mass produced pump guns. With one bar they would bind. All the old classic
pumps with milled parts had one action bar. Breakage was not a major problem with
them, with reasonable use and care.
A lot of the guys advertising as gunsmiths because they "build" ARs, SKS, are probably
qualified to work on Mossy pumps. The title should actually be Armorer, if they went
through the training.
 
The single action bars on a lot of the older guns were heavier than the single bar on the Mossbergs.Years ago when the single action bar Mossberg and western fields were used more the bars breaking wasn't all that uncommon Its not a hard repair you just cut one of the bars off a new replacement one to fix.
 
The single action bars of the older guns may have been heavier gauge, but lighter than the two action bars of todays guns.

Please note in many of todays "modern" guns the two action bars are really needed just to keep all the action parts inside. Without the two bars parts will fall out on to the ground at the wrong time.
 
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