# Restoring a neglected for 30 years Mossberg 500 12 guage pump shotgun



## Shrek (May 1, 2002)

Posted 3/13/21 10:19 PM CST

After my father passed away 17 years ago my mother gave me his firearms which I had been cleaning for him after his stroke and he occasionally talked about his Mossberg but there wasn't one in his case.

Last week while cleaning her closet, my mother noticed a blue velour gun case in the back corner by the water heater access in her mobile home with the Mossberg pump shotgun in it.

The velour soft case was dusty white like something in an Indiana Jones movie and when I opened it up, although dust free, the barrel was surface rust speckled and the magazine had a round in it. and she said she vaguely remembered my father buying it in the early 1990s a few years before his stroke and he had her put it in the closet and it was only shot once or twice to kill a snake before she put it in the case in the closet and forgot about it.

For safety's sake, I took it out to the picnic table to pump the round in the chamber and the one in the magazine out before bringing it home to inspect and clean with my neighbor.

Although the brass of the round in the magazine had signs og green tarnish, the round that was chambered was clean and despite the rust pitting on the exterior of the barrel, the bore was minimally fouled.

My neighbor and I cleaned it. He the action while I cleaned the barrel bore.

He then reassembled it and patterned it during test firing.

Since then, I have been light oil and fine grade chore boy steel wool removing the surface rust spots and cold blue creme treating the barrel.

As the action worked well, the only issue now is some tarnish on the brass trigger..

We both know while Brasso would clean the tarnish, it could also damage the finish on the receiver.

What would you folks suggest as a low impact cleaning solvent to clean the tarnish from the trigger?

My neighbor said in the rough condition the shotgun was worth about $700 and with the barrel oil cleaned of the surface rust about $900 to $1100.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

500s are not worth that much bought the last combo for 250 used they are up so maybe 400 today with this crazy market
not that I think your lo 
I wouldn't worry about the tarnish it is likely brass plated not fully brass.


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## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

They are comparable to the Remington 870. I bought mine in the early 90s for $225. The Mossbergs are great working man guns.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

I like how the bolt locks to the barrel in the 500 , the 870 the bolt locks to the receiver.

this is why the 870 needs a much heavier steel receiver and the 500 works with a lighter aluminum receiver


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## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

I agree. My 870 was my first gun. I got it with the deer barrel included. It has been a good shooter for 30 years and the old style has much better workmanship and qc. I prefer the thumb safety on the 500 but I'm sentimental.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

I like the 500 for it's ease of ambidextrios , new shooter right or left the controls work easily for both.

I shoot both and have no issue going back and forth


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## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

X2. I'm a lefty and never got used to shells extracting past my beak.


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## 67drake (May 6, 2020)

Same here, I’m a lefty. I had my Wingmasters safety converted to left handed, but those shells in front of the face.....


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## Shrek (May 1, 2002)

Posted 3/15/21 5:25 PM CDST

My neighbor corrected his price estimate down a bit because he was thinking it a different manufacture when he told me , but he said it was still about $400- $500 with the various firearm shortages.

Yesterday he heated the barrel I cleaned of surface rust by laying it in a metal toolbox he had and heating it to 180 degrees according to a meat thermometer stuck through a hole in the box with his work site kerosene jet heater before he used his welding gloves as oven mitts to pull it out and give it a cold blueing creme wipe down.

While he blued the warmed barrel to soak the cold blue in better , he had me polish the trigger with fizzed out vinegar and baking soda mix and it polished up nice.

After a post restore wipe down, he reassembled it and ran a few rounds through it, then we broke it down and cleaned and oiled it for storage in my safe and he said if I decide to sell it, come to him first.


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## weaselfire (Feb 7, 2018)

Lemon juice and baking soda to remove tarnish. Though I haven't seen a brass trigger on a Mossberg 500.

Currently, in good condition, they're selling for about $400-500. More to the desperate folks.

Jeff


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

they had gold/brass triggers on some models , they may have been for certain stores or for certain years I have one with the gold trigger


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## GunMonkeyIntl (May 13, 2013)

GREENCOUNTYPETE said:


> I like how the bolt locks to the barrel in the 500 , the 870 the bolt locks to the receiver.
> 
> this is why the 870 needs a much heavier steel receiver and the 500 works with a lighter aluminum receiver


Not true. The 870’s bolt locks to the barrel tang, exactly like a 500.

The early 870s had a screw-on extension (like the 500s), but that was later changed to forging them long, and cutting the tang right into the barrel.

The 870 has a steel receiver because it was designed in ‘48-49, and was based on the receiver and tooling for the 11-48 autoloader that was designed in ‘46-47. There wasn’t a whole lot of aluminum being used in shotguns back then, so they went with what they knew and what was cheap. The 500 came along 15 years later, as a wholly new design, and was kind of revolutionary being made from aluminum.

ETA: I can’t think of a repeating shotgun that had a receiver lock-up since the Winchester 12. Is there one I’m missing?

ETAA: those AK derivative Saigas do.


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## Nimrod (Jun 8, 2010)

I bought my first shotgun, an 870 Wingmaster. in 1971. It has killed a lot of birds and shot a lot of trap since then and still works just fine. Perhaps I'm biased but the Mossberg always seemed a bit clunky and not as well finished. I picked up a mint 1100 about 5 years ago for $350. It fits and shoots the same as the 870. Glad to hear that my investment has finally gone up. 

Also had a Browning Superposed. It wasn't as good for hunting because I would forget to turn off the tang safety. With the 870 I reflexively turn off the crossbolt safety as I am shouldering the gun. Loved the engraving and wood on the Superposed.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

GunMonkeyIntl said:


> Not true. The 870’s bolt locks to the barrel tang, exactly like a 500.
> 
> The early 870s had a screw-on extension (like the 500s), but that was later changed to forging them long, and cutting the tang right into the barrel.
> 
> ...


I stand corrected , I was changing barrels the other day and without releasing the bolt I unscrewed the mag tube nut and the barrel slid right off so I made me think it didn't lock to the barrel , it does now that I looked closer , the barrel still slides off when the nut is removed .

the barrel will slide off the Mossberg also without releasing the bolt.


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## Wellbuilt (Dec 25, 2020)

Nice I payed 100 bucks for mine .
I cut the barrel off @ 18 1/2“ and the gun sits above my Laundry room door , with a full mag
incase I need to clear the hall way .


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## Cornhusker (Mar 20, 2003)

I've got 2 500s, 2 870s and an 1100 among a passel of other shotguns
I'd say my Wingmaster is my favorite, but I've been taking the 1100 (20 gauge) pheasant hunting the last few years.
My 500 Flex hasn't been hunting since I bought it 3 or 4 years ago, and my shorty 500 has been one of my "walking around" guns.
All good guns, all will do the job and will be there for generations. (I hope)


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## Rodeo's Bud (Apr 10, 2020)

I have a beautiful Remington Model 10. Shoots wonderfully.

Unfortunately, I set it in a soft case on the ground, tripped and stepped right at the stock to receiver connection, barely, but just enough.

Cracked the stock. A little epoxy will fix it right up, but what a dumb move.

I like to think it was already cracked and I didn't know it. Makes me feel better.


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## Cornhusker (Mar 20, 2003)

Shrek said:


> Posted 3/13/21 10:19 PM CST
> 
> After my father passed away 17 years ago my mother gave me his firearms which I had been cleaning for him after his stroke and he occasionally talked about his Mossberg but there wasn't one in his case.
> 
> ...


We like to see pictures of these projects.....just sayin'


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