Mossberg 500

Overview

The Mossberg 500 is a series of pump-action shotguns manufactured in the United States by O.F. Mossberg & Sons since 1961. All members of the series share the same basic aluminum-alloy receiver and hammerless twin-action-bar mechanism, but differ in bore size, barrel length, choke options, magazine capacity, and stock and fore-end materials. Chambered to handle up to 3-inch shells and offered in 12 gauge, 20 gauge, and .410 bore, the 500 is defined by its ambidextrous, top-mounted tang safety, its lightweight anodized-aluminum receiver with a steel-to-steel bolt lockup, and its low cost and ease of maintenance. With well over 11 million produced, the Mossberg 500 series is one of the most prolific shotgun designs in history and a direct competitor to the Remington 870.

History & Background

The Model 500 was designed in 1961 by Carl Benson and was created primarily for hunters, but its reliability and low price quickly made it popular with law enforcement as well. In the 1970s the design was submitted for U.S. military evaluation; the standard commercial gun did not initially meet the demanding MIL-SPEC 3443 protocol (firing 3,000 rounds with no more than two malfunctions), but Mossberg refined versions to better match the standard, and the military began purchasing 500s in limited numbers — an early order of roughly 5,900 shotguns went to the Navy and Coast Guard.

To keep the 500 affordable for civilian and police buyers, in 1987 Mossberg developed the Model 590 specifically for military use, with a magazine tube designed for easier cleaning, plus features such as a thicker barrel, extended magazine, and bayonet lug. The resulting 590A1 — with a heavy barrel and metal trigger guard and safety — became a standard U.S. military shotgun. The 500 family has been used by U.S. and allied forces in conflicts from the 1991 Gulf War onward, frequently for door breaching, and remains a benchmark pump shotgun. By 2021 about 11 million had been built, and the manufacturer now cites more than 12 million sold, making it among the most-produced shotguns of all time. A 16-gauge version was offered in 1963 but has long since been discontinued.

Design & Features

The Model 500 is a manually operated, hammerless slide-action shotgun. Key design points:

• Action: Smooth pump action with dual (twin) action bars for reliable, non-binding cycling, and dual extractors.
• Receiver: Lightweight anodized aluminum-alloy receiver with a steel barrel that locks up steel-to-steel into a barrel extension; this keeps the gun light while keeping the locking surfaces strong.
• Safety: Ambidextrous safety mounted on the top tang, behind the receiver — easy to reach for both right- and left-handed shooters.
• Barrels: Easily interchangeable. Because the barrel attaches at the end of a closed-end magazine tube, a single 500 can be fitted by the owner with multiple barrels (e.g., a field barrel, a slug barrel, or a short defensive barrel).
• Feeding/capacity: Tubular magazine. The standard six-shot configuration holds five 2¾-in or five 3-in shells in the magazine plus one in the chamber; extended-magazine models hold up to eight shots. A "duck plug" dowel is shipped in the magazine to limit capacity to two rounds for migratory-bird hunting.
• Finishes/stocks: Blued, matte-blued, or parkerized-look anodized finishes, plus camouflage; wood or synthetic stocks. The corrosion-resistant Mariner models use a Marinecote finish.
• Sights/optics: Bead or ghost-ring iron sights depending on model; current-production receivers are drilled and tapped for an optics rail.

Technical Data

Feature	Specification
Manufacturer	O.F. Mossberg & Sons (USA)
Model	Model 500 (series)
Firearm type	Pump-action (slide-action) shotgun
Action	Pump action; hammerless, twin action bars, dual extractors
Caliber / Gauge	12 gauge, 20 gauge, and .410 bore (chambered up to 3-in shells)
Capacity	Tubular magazine; standard 5+1 (six-shot), up to 7+1 (eight-shot) on extended-magazine models
Barrel length	Approx. 18.5–28 in (47–71 cm) across field and security models (defensive models typically 18.5 or 20 in)
Overall length	Approx. 36.1–41 in (91.7–104 cm) for common security/field configurations
Weight	Approx. 7–7.75 lb (3.2–3.52 kg) depending on variant
Stock / Frame	Wood or synthetic stock; anodized aluminum-alloy receiver
Sights	Bead or ghost-ring iron sights; receivers drilled and tapped for optics on current models
Year introduced	1961

Variants

The 500 "series" is a family of closely related models that share the same core receiver and action:

• Model 500 Field — basic sporting models with vent-rib barrels and interchangeable choke tubes, set up for waterfowl, upland game, turkey, or slugs.
• Model 500 Slugster — slug-hunting models with rifle sights or scope bases and smooth or rifled barrels.
• Model 500 Bantam / Super Bantam — reduced length-of-pull stocks (13 in, adjustable down to 12 in on Super Bantam) for smaller-statured shooters.
• Model 505 Youth — introduced 2005; a further scaled-down youth model (12-in LOP, 20-in barrel, four-shot magazine) in 20 gauge and .410.
• Model 535 — introduced 2005; a lengthened receiver that also chambers 3½-in shells.
• Security / Tactical / ATI Tactical / Persuader / Cruiser / Mariner / HS410 ("Home Security") — short-barreled defensive configurations, some with pistol grips, heat shields, extended magazines, and ghost-ring sights.
• Model 590 / 590A1 — military/law-enforcement-oriented derivatives with an open-end magazine tube; the 590A1 adds a heavy barrel and metal trigger guard and safety.
• Mossberg Shockwave — a non-NFA "firearm" based on the 590 with a 14-in barrel and bird's-head grip.
• Model 590M — introduced 2018; a box-magazine-fed variant (detachable 5-, 10-, 15-, and 20-round magazines).
• Maverick 88 — a lower-cost Mossberg-made shotgun very similar in appearance to the 500, sharing many parts but using a cross-bolt safety.

Calibers / Chamberings

As a shotgun, the 500 is offered by gauge/bore. Current production is offered in 12 gauge, 20 gauge, and .410 bore, all chambered for shells up to 3 inches (the related Model 535 additionally chambers 3½-in shells). A 16-gauge version existed in 1963 but is discontinued.

Intended Use

The Mossberg 500 is marketed as a multi-purpose firearm. Field models are used for hunting waterfowl, upland birds, turkey, and — with slug barrels — deer; the platform is also used for clay-target shooting. Security and tactical models, along with the 590/590A1 derivatives, are widely used for home defense and by police and military units, where they also serve breaching roles. The ability to swap barrels means a single 500 can fill several of these roles for its owner.