I just received my pre-owned 1990-vintage Mossberg 500A1 via Internet order today but some bad news!

[TLowell02]

Well that's three so far with action failures. Maybe the plugged chamber is a blessing. He can't injure himself with it shooting at gophers.

Make it four. Mine blew part of the receiver apart along the ejection port and broke some internal pieces. Sent it in to Mossberg for a repair but it's never worked properly since. I have been thinking I should throw it in the dumpster but now this thread has me considering selling it to some schmuck for $350

 

[nhenry]

Us gosh darned millennials... probably some punky geeky 27-45 year old like me that stuffed a choke tube up the ass end of that fine piece of gunsmithing on ya

Us damn millennials I swear.

 

[gouch]

Omg Coast-to-Coast! Forgot all about them. My first scatter was a hand me down Montgomery Wards “Western Field” but saved my coin to buy a Rem 870 Wingmaster in 1976 (at Sears!) for my Jr year duck hunting lol. It’s still in the safe, finally kicked to the curb by an Italian

Looks like we got a lot in common. That's the same gun my dad bought for me for my 12th birthday. That thing kilt a lot of pheasant, ducks and even two deer before the stock split in half. I even managed a double on pheasant with that thing. I was pretty proud of that.

 

[LuketheDog]

I've looked at current-production Mossbergs already and don't like them for cosmetics.

But the pics of a goofy old Mossberg and associated cosmetics didn't raise any red flags? Not to mention the list price of $350 and the description of the gun as "Used", "looks to be New!", and "may well be unfired"??????

Good grief dude...

 

[TomTeriffic]

But the pics of a goofy old Mossberg and associated cosmetics didn't raise any red flags? Not to mention the list price of $350 and the description of the gun as "Used", "looks to be New!", and "may well be unfired"??????

Good grief dude...

I'm negotiating a return on the gun right now. The seller is offering to give me a full refund for the gun but has not yet agreed to provide me a prepaid shipping label yet. Here is the seller's email to me:

Tom; I plead guilty on the choke tube. I never had a chance to test fire that gun,so it made an ASS out of me.. If you will look at my photos I had a picture of most of that side of the receiver ,and there is no scratch on it. BUT never- mind return the gun to Greenerfields and I will refund all your funds to you. I apologize for the tube Debacle.

I asked for return shipping to be covered too. I will see how he responds. Please stay tuned.

 

[MarvB]

Glad its working out for you TT...interesting signature line by the way

 

[ImBillT]

It was the 1990-quality trademark style and stamping, not produced by punky geeky millennials, along with deep blue finish and checkered wood stock that hooked me on this gun like a hungry King salmon to a Pink Lady lure. Even if I had bought this gun at a pawn shop, I probably would have missed the choke tube in the wrong place at inspection but i certainly would not have missed that scratch. My naked eyes have a much broader field of view than James Mitchell's camera. I've looked at current-production Mossbergs already and don't like them for cosmetics.

The checkering on the stock hooked you? The checkering is pressed and the stock isn’t even walnut. I thought you liked really fine craftsmanship, and just didn’t want to pay for it.

I'm negotiating a return on the gun right now. The seller is offering to give me a full refund for the gun but has not yet agreed to provide me a prepaid shipping label yet. Here is the seller's email to me:

Tom; I plead guilty on the choke tube. I never had a chance to test fire that gun,so it made an ASS out of me.. If you will look at my photos I had a picture of most of that side of the receiver ,and there is no scratch on it. BUT never- mind return the gun to Greenerfields and I will refund all your funds to you. I apologize for the tube Debacle.

I asked for return shipping to be covered too. I will see how he responds. Please stay tuned.

Interesting that the seller says he showed almost all of that side and there was no scratch, YET, I looked at the listing, and it has 20 photos, but only one of that side which only shows the serial number. The seller most likely intentionally hid the scratch.

It does appear as though it may never have been fired. I honestly wonder if the original owner didn’t know which end the choke tube went into, stuck it in there, and never was able to fire it.

No I don’t know for sure if I would have noticed the choke tube in the chamber in a hands on inspection. Maybe, maybe not. If I’m buying a beater shotgun, I’m probably looking at the price tag and checking for any obvious damage that would cause a serious problem. I can’t imagine buying a Mossberg as anything but a beater. Come to think of it, I can’t imagine buying a Mossberg at all. My beater is an 870 3.5” mag that I paid a little over $200 for.

I’m surprised you like firearms made in the ‘90s. You don’t seem to like people who were made in the 90s and both the firearms and the people were manufactured by the same folks.

 

[TomTeriffic]

The checkering on the stock hooked you? The checkering is pressed and the stock isn’t even walnut. I thought you liked really fine craftsmanship, and just didn’t want to pay for it.

Interesting that the seller says he showed almost all of that side and there was no scratch, YET, I looked at the listing, and it has 20 photos, but only one of that side which only shows the serial number. The seller most likely intentionally hid the scratch.

It does appear as though it may never have been fired. I honestly wonder if the original owner didn’t know which end the choke tube went into, stuck it in there, and never was able to fire it.

No I don’t know for sure if I would have noticed the choke tube in the chamber in a hands on inspection. Maybe, maybe not. If I’m buying a beater shotgun, I’m probably looking at the price tag and checking for any obvious damage that would cause a serious problem. I can’t imagine buying a Mossberg as anything but a beater. Come to think of it, I can’t imagine buying a Mossberg at all. My beater is an 870 3.5” mag that I paid a little over $200 for.

I’m surprised you like firearms made in the ‘90s. You don’t seem to like people who were made in the 90s and both the firearms and the people were manufactured by the same folks.

The guns made in the 1990's were most likely made by baby boomers and older generations.

The seller says that he doesn't have any prepaid shipping labels. I asked him if he will then reimburse me for the return shipping and I told him also that his grade from me at Gunbroker will depend upon it. The seller received a lot of A's but he has at least one C and at least one F from somebody else.

 

[gunstar]

I can't believe someone put the barrel on backwards!

Same here, why would someone do like that.

 

[gouch]

I can't believe someone put the barrel on backwards!

It happens all the time. It has been clearly documented in Elmer Fudd's wabbit hunting videos.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Make sure you have your refund before sending it back.

My guess is some previous owner's kid was playing with the gun, dropped a choke in it pretending to be a shell, and closed the action. There are ways to pull out stuck chokes. Put one of those choke retreiver tools on it and I suspect it'll shake loose. I don't think the barrel is a write off.

 

[ImBillT]

The guns made in the 1990's were most likely made by baby boomers and older generations.

The seller says that he doesn't have any prepaid shipping labels. I asked him if he will then reimburse me for the return shipping and I told him also that his grade from me at Gunbroker will depend upon it. The seller received a lot of A's but he has at least one C and at least one F from somebody else.

I hope you get your refund

I think that seller looks a little shady.

The guns made in the 90s were made by people of working age. My mother gave birth at the ages of 30 and 42. People who made guns in the 90s also made children in the 90s. Yes some of the people who made guns in the 90s were making guns and children in the 60s and 70s, and some were making guns and children post 2010.

 

[smalls]

It COULD be carried by an African swallow!

 

[ImBillT]

Make sure you have your refund before sending it back.

My guess is some previous owner's kid was playing with the gun, dropped a choke in it pretending to be a shell, and closed the action. There are ways to pull out stuck chokes. Put one of those choke retreiver tools on it and I suspect it'll shake loose. I don't think the barrel is a write off.

There is clearance in the extractor slot to weld to the choke. I’d have no problem taking a long half inch bolt, sliding some washers over it, tacking it to the choke, and going at it like that. It’s a shame there isn’t more clearance. You could potentially weld something a little better to the inside of the choke.

My 870 had a factory modified chock rusted in that a not even a stuck choke remover was able to get out. I don’t remember what I welded to the inside of the choke, but whatever it was I was able to get a grip on. The rusted choke galled the threads so bad unscrewing it that I couldn’t screw a new choke in until I cleaned up the threads.

 

[EKYHunter]

Glad you’re getting a refund. Lord knows you’ve already took enough of beating as it is.

 

[Lyfter1013]

I hope you get your refund

I think that seller looks a little shady.

The guns made in the 90s were made by people of working age. My mother gave birth at the ages of 30 and 42. People who made guns in the 90s also made children in the 90s. Yes some of the people who made guns in the 90s were making guns and children in the 60s and 70s, and some were making guns and children post 2010.

He’s gonna need a calculator for that math problem

 

[44hunter45]

Glad its working out for you TT...interesting signature line by the way

Don't look at me. I never met her....

 

[noharleyyet]

It COULD be carried by an African swallow!

How long have you been saving that retort? ; )

 

[KB_]

Man the hate towards mossbergs bums me out. I have 3 and all of them have been flawless. My 500 20g pump ive had since i was 12 when it was gifted to me from my dad. Its put down so many rabbits and birds. My 500 12g pump I got after highschool for bird hunting. Cheap and effective, but i perfer the 20g personally. My first rifle I ever purchased was a mossberg 30-06. It has killed by far the vast majority of my deer deader then dead.

Never had an issue with any of these guns.

 

[cwitherow]

Man the hate towards mossbergs bums me out. I have 3 and all of them have been flawless. My 500 20g pump ive had since i was 12 when it was gifted to me from my dad. Its put down so many rabbits and birds. My 500 12g pump I got after highschool for bird hunting. Cheap and effective, but i perfer the 20g personally. My first rifle I ever purchased was a mossberg 30-06. It has killed by far the vast majority of my deer deader then dead.

Never had an issue with any of these guns.

It's a mental thing for me. I know they're fine but I have a stereotype of cheap that I can't shake.