Pimp my Mossberg 500 Persuader

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Picked up a new Mossberg 500 Persuader, found it at a local gun shop, probably only one NIB in a 500 mile radius. (should have bought a lotto ticket too) Anyhow, I want to pimp it out to make it look more pissed; maybe add a heat shield, side saddle, better sight, and a sling. Thoughts and recommendations?

Re: Pimp my Mossberg 500 Persuader

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May I recommend that you NOT get a bandoleer sling. I had a Mossburg 500 that I put a bandoleer sling on. I think in held 15 or more rounds on it. I had it loaded up with slugs and 00 buck. So I decided to take it to a 3 gun competition. Now this was 40 years ago. Three gun shoots were 3 separate events, you could register to shoot in all 3, or just 1 or 2.
So there I was, greener than goose squat, and feeling overly confident. The timer beeped and I took off. I raised the gun to my shoulder for the first target, only to discover that I could not aim. That damn heavy ass bandoleer sling was swinging back and forth. The front sight was moving about 2 inches back and forth. And I couldn't hold it steady to save me. I tried holding the sling but it was so wide and heavy that I kept dropping it. Needless to say, I finished in last last place. Any time I have done classes or competition I learn valuable lessons.
All religions united with government are more or less inimical to liberty. All, separated from government, are compatible with liberty.-Henry Clay
Both oligarch and tyrant mistrust the people, and therefore deprive them of their arms.—Aristotle

Re: Pimp my Mossberg 500 Persuader

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Thanks, being new to this, I am unsure about what aftermarket accessories are better than others and what materials are preferred, like a metal or "indestructible Plasticote Zytel Fiberglass" for example.
I know you get what you pay for, but there are always overprices crappy brands out there and good choice value brands too.
Any specific brands or model of components you recommend? (not trying to start a 1911/CZ type fight) :)

Re: Pimp my Mossberg 500 Persuader

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Think about what you want to do with it, before you spend any $. I had a Mossberg 500 in 12 and 20 gauge for many years, until my Daughter ran off with the 12. I won the 12 in a pistol match, and I found it so homely I left it in the box, in a closet for years. I finally decided to shoot the 12 in Skeet, and it was the first gun I ever shot a 25 with. Years later the 20 was given to me.

If you want to shoot action shotgun games, you probably need an extended magazine more than anything else. You may want a different barrel with different sights. If all you are going to shoot is slugs, you might want a rifled barrel. If you have a fixed choke, you may want a barrel that allows changing chokes with choke tubes.

Mossberg has even made a muzzleloading barrel for it.

Unless you are already used to pumps, remembering to work the pump will not come easily. Initially, I had to have an acquaintance stand behind me and yell, "Pump!", after my first shot. Eventually, I didn't even remember working the pump. The 12 gauge 500 I had, had only one vice: occasionally when I was shooting doubles in Skeet using Aluminum-headed Remington ammo, when I fired the first shot and ejected the fired case, the unfired cartridge would also somehow come flying out of the ejection port.

Regardless of how you use it, you will shoot it a lot better, and it will beat you up a lot less if it fits you. The common commercial shotgun sold in the US is set up for a male, right-handed & right eyed, about 5'-8" tall, and weighing about 180 pounds. If you deviate much from that, you will need a least a length adjustment.

Re: Pimp my Mossberg 500 Persuader

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My plan is for mostly home defense, so besides the sound of pump being an intimating tool, I want it to look scary too.
I did enjoy a 3 hour of private tactical shotgun lesson the other day, I learned a lot about the gun, ammo choices, and tactical techniques. There is still so much to learn and practice, but I have been pushed off in the right direction.

The addition of the un-scary limbsaver has made this so much more comfortable and fun to use, if I had only one upgrade option, it would be that.

P.S. 6' right handed mostly left eyed dude here.

Re: Pimp my Mossberg 500 Persuader

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The LimbSaver/"Sissypad" will probably lengthen the stock a bit, which will help you. I like using one that velcros onto the butt.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1006452941?pid=547301
I have also used pads that strap on me:
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1002530831?pid=680235

The typical US-made commercial shotgun has a "Pull" of 14-and-a-quarter inches, which is probably going to be way short for you. The Galco pad which I linked to above would add about 3/8", which may be about right for someone about 6 feet tall, but certain habits cause variation. One habit I picked up from rifle shooting which causes me to need much longer stocks is always running my face way forward on the stock. You can experiment with even more length, putting resilient spacers in-between the buttplate and the Sissypad. I'm 6'4", and I need a 16" pull.

My daughter is cross-dominant, like you, right-handed and left-eyed. I have encouraged her to shoot left-handed. If you shoot right handed, you will have to close your left eye, reducing situational awareness. I have weak right eye dominance, which will show up when I am really tired.

You would do well to shoot it enough such that reloading is not something you consciously think about. Long ago, the people that taught me to shoot Skeet told me they could shoot faster with a pump than an auto.

Better fit will reduce the sense of recoil. The sissypad will help also. Shooting lighter shot charges will also help. For a long time Aguila loaded these cute little mini-shells which typically have 5/8 oz. shot charges, or slugs in the same range. I can shoot 4 rounds of 12 gauge Skeet with such ammo before I get tired, but with ounce-and-an-eighth I get tired after 2 rounds. An additional benefit with them is that some shotguns will function reliably with the mini-shells, and your magazine can hold a lot more of them than 2-and-3/4 inch shells. They did not work reliably through the magazine of my 500. They shoot single loading in a 500 just dandy. I usually shoot them in a Double.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/2506255579
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/2506419359

Re: Pimp my Mossberg 500 Persuader

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NuJudge wrote: Mon Jul 13, 2020 8:17 pm <snip>
For a long time Aguila loaded these cute little mini-shells which typically have 5/8 oz. shot charges, or slugs in the same range. I can shoot 4 rounds of 12 gauge Skeet with such ammo before I get tired, but with ounce-and-an-eighth I get tired after 2 rounds. An additional benefit with them is that some shotguns will function reliably with the mini-shells, and your magazine can hold a lot more of them than 2-and-3/4 inch shells. They did not work reliably through the magazine of my 500. They shoot single loading in a 500 just dandy. I usually shoot them in a Double.
The OPSol Mini-clip fixes feeding issues with the mini-shells - it's a hard rubber spacer which fits into the underside of the receiver, and positions the mini-shell properly for loading from the magazine tube. The only drawback is that with it in place, you can't use 2 3/4" or longer shells, so you can't mix mini-shells and standard ones in the magazine.

https://www.opsolmini-clip.com/product/ ... -2-0-flex/

I've used an original ("version 1.0") for about 4 years now; it does the job perfectly. They only offer them for the Mossbergs now, but they used to make them for other brands of pump shotguns as well.
"...no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States." ― Article VI, United States Constitution

Pimp my Mossberg 500 Persuader

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Pursuant to the discussion above, I picked an OpSol 2.0 Flex device, and installed it in my home defense Mossberg 500. I had previously changed out the fore-end and replaced the stock with a Hogue youth stock to shorten the overall length of the shotgun. I put a rail on it, added a red dot, a little Crimson trace Railmaster, a sidesaddle, and a light. It feels a little mall-ninja-esque, but it’s short and light and shoulders quickly.

I finally got it to the range yesterday so I could make sure that the little Aguila mini-shells fed reliably. The magazine holds nine cute little shells but the last one is a little snug so I only loaded eight. I pumped 40 buckshot and 20 slugs through it. No problems whatsoever. The short length of pull is fine; everything went boom. Recoil is almost gentle.

I still a little reluctant to make the gun my primary home defense tool but I am getting more confident in it. Also, it’s a hoot to shoot.

Here’s some pictures.

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Here’s the rubber OpSol plug.

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Last edited by Bucolic on Sat Oct 24, 2020 11:33 am, edited 4 times in total.
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Re: Pimp my Mossberg 500 Persuader

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Aside from the limb saver if one needs it, I would put my cash on ammo and practice and leave the gun as is.

Also general advice on home or defense guns, don’t mod them. You don’t want a lawyer using a mod against you in a court of law.
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