The American army of the twentieth century waged all its wars with the active use of shotguns. Many historical books, records and documents contain information indicating the active use by Americans in many military clashes and conflicts of shotguns.
Environmental conditions, the characteristic density of the Vietnamese jungle, in which the US military had to fight, forced to master the art of close combat, their changed needs, the rich combat experience of using shotguns, became the factors that prompted the creation of a new, more advanced pump-action shotgun, which is known as the “Mossberg” 500. "
How weapons were created: history
The Mossberg 500 is an alternative to the Remington 870, which is widely used by the army and police.
In 1960, it was decided to create a similar Remington 870 rifle - more affordable, suitable for hunting both waterfowl and bear.
A new pump-action shotgun appeared on the shelves of weapons shops, with the difference that cheaper materials were used for its manufacture. However, this did not affect the quality of the weapon, the effectiveness of the shooting and its accuracy. On the contrary, production from inexpensive raw materials made the Mossberg 500 rifle more accessible to different segments of the population. This allowed him to become a serious competitor to the illustrious Remington 870.
The presentation of the first copy took place on August 21, 1961. Victories at many gun shows, awards and flattering reviews by competent judges have made the Mossberg 500 pump action shotgun one of the most popular types of low-cost pump action shotguns.
Production
Weapon production began in 1961. Since then, the Mossberg 500 shotgun has been manufactured on the conveyor by assembling from standard parts. This method is called selective. In the event that flaws are found in the details, they are immediately sent to the workshop for remelting.
The manufacturer of this weapon is the well-known company Mossberg & Sons, led by an emigrant from Sweden, Oscar Frederick Mossberg. His company, specializing in the manufacture of weapons, circumvented the Remington patent protection by replacing the trigger mechanism, thanks to which the business card of the Mossberg pump-action shotguns appeared - the famous Mossberg fuse.
Steel is used for the production of barrels, bolts and trigger elements. The receiver is made of aluminum alloys. To ensure its strength, the practice of using a metal having a large thickness is practiced.
Plastic is used in the manufacture of the base of trigger mechanisms and for pistol grip. Butts and shotgun handguards are also made from plastic, but wood is predominantly for stocks.
Before assembling the Mossberg 500 shotgun, the surfaces of all its visible elements are thoroughly processed, including blue burnishing, nickel plating and parkerization.
Fuse
The presence of a fuse in the design of the Mossberg 500 pump-action shotgun is considered to be its characteristic individual feature. A fuse is located on the top of the receiver, which makes it convenient to switch during firing from both the right and left shoulder. The fuse is represented by a button located on the trigger guard, convenient for operation with the index finger.
The convenience of using a fuse is only possible when it is located on a regular stock shotgun butt. On the pistol grip, the process of using the fuse is much more difficult. Therefore, for the Mossberg pump-action shotguns, semi-pistol grip handles are specially produced that are very similar to the grip of the sawn-off shotguns.
Technical indicators
"Mossberg 500" refers to the type of shotguns. According to the principle of operation, this is a pump action shotgun. Empty weight is 3.3 kg. Barrel length varies from 350 to 700 mm. The aiming range is 40 m. For a shotgun, cartridges of 12 x 70, 12 x 76, 12 x 89, 20 x 70, 20 x 76, 410 x 70, 410 x 76 calibres are used.
Operating principle
The Mossberg 500 is a typical pump action shotgun. The receiver has four holes that are designed for mounts for sights - diopter and optical. The shotgun contains a barrel-shaped underbarrel magazine containing 5 to 9 rounds. Recharging is carried out by moving the forearm back and forth.
Since a large amount of powder gases accumulates in the shotgun barrel during the shot, with the existing light weight of the weapon this greatly enhances the recoil and tossing of the barrel up. Therefore, in the barrel of the Mossberg 500 shotguns there are rows of small holes that perform a compensating function. When fired, part of the powder gases exits upward through these openings, creating a retroactive force lowering the weapon barrel downward. The presence of compensators makes it possible to carry out quick aiming for the next shots, it saves time, which is especially true during hunting.
Design
Externally, the Mossberg 500, the photo of which is presented below, looks like a light polished weapon, as if processed by the method of chromium plating and nickel plating. But this is not so. All metal parts that come in contact with air are treated with a special substance that provides corrosion protection. The weapon acquires an anti-glare effect. Covered visible parts have a matte shade, do not shine.
Internal organization
The Mossberg 500 shotgun, unlike other pump-action shotguns, has several features. In this model, the variant of closing the barrel channel, which is carried out by means of fastening with the breech of the barrel of a movable bolt having an inertial spring hammer and two ejectors, is notable for its originality. They are responsible for the extraction of spent cartridges, produced when the forearm is moved back.
The movable forend is connected to the bolt using two rods. They raise the swinging shutter larva and open the barrel channel. When cocking the trigger due to the displacement of the shutter in the rear position, the cartridges are released from stopping. During the shift of the fore-end, they are withdrawn from the underbarrel magazine.
The cutter controls to ensure that only one cartridge is output and through the feeder tray is placed on the delivery line. After the shutter reaches the stop in the breech section of the barrel, it engages with the barrel.
The plastic case contains a trigger mechanism that is removed when disassembling a weapon. The presence of a manual trigger interceptor prevents shots when the trigger is not pulled. This fuse has the form of a lever that is easily controlled by a finger. To turn off the fuse, just slide it forward. In this case, a red dot should appear on the body, allowing you to control the state of the shotgun.
Separation of the bolt from the breech is also carried out using a special wire loop passing through the receiver through its side and lower holes. The option with a safety loop is intended for traveling conditions.
Under the action of the feeder and the coil spring, the cartridges located under the barrel are fed through its breech section. One of the components of the store - stop - prevents the loss of ammunition.
Sometimes it becomes necessary to reload a shotgun without firing shots. Most often this happens when you need to replace cartridges - shot cartridges with card cartridges or vice versa. For this purpose, a disconnector is provided in the shotgun mechanism - a special button located on the left side, behind the trigger guard. By pressing and holding the disconnector button, you can insert a cartridge through the bottom window. By jerking the shutter after this, it is possible to ensure that the un-shot cartridge is removed and a new one falls into its place. Only then can the release button be released.
Advantages of the Mossberg 500 model
- The use of light materials in the production of shotguns was well reflected in the price of the weapon and its availability.
- The aluminum and plastic used in the manufacture of the receiver, significantly lightened the weight of the weapon.
- The high reliability of the shotgun is ensured by the difference in the tempering of the chamber and the barrel, which in the Mossberg 500 sample are separate parts for the purpose of cost reduction.
- The presence of gaps between the individual parts of the shotgun does not affect its reliability even if it is heavily contaminated.
disadvantages
- The fuse lever at the rear of the receiver during reloading emits a characteristic clang. The shotgun rattles heavily with any movement. Because of these properties, the Mossberg 500 is also called the “rattle”.
- Light weight pump action shotgun when fired gives greater returns.
- The disadvantages also include tuning difficulties.
Hunting Use
The Mossberg 500 hunting rifle is considered ideal for hunting, especially for beginners. For a more reliable operation of the reloading mechanism in case of severe pollution, a rather large backlash of the forend with steel rods leading to the bolt and bolt frame was specially made. Also, the owners are pleased with the possibility of easy cleaning and disassembling the gun. The simple design of the shotgun, the reliability and reliability of the mechanism, as well as the unpretentiousness of the weapon make it indispensable in extreme conditions - under the influence of climatic factors, humidity, pollution, military operations.
The most unpleasant moments faced by many hunters using various types of shotguns are depreciation and misfire, the nature of which is different, ranging from defects in the capsule of cartridges to temperature extremes. Depreciation is largely characteristic of Mossberg 500 hunting weapons.
Responses of the owners of these shotguns indicate that, despite the mechanism ideal for hunting, hardening of gun grease is not ruled out in it. This is an unpleasant moment. In the Mossberg 500 shotguns, misfires in the cold occur when there is water inside the mechanism. It can get there due to getting wet from rain or snow, or if weapons were thrown into the snow during hunting.
Who is used?
The range of application of the Mossberg 500 pump-action shotgun is very wide. Previously, it was intended exclusively for hunters and arming police units. But the further cheapening of the shotgun made it accessible to the general public.
Thanks to the high lethal force, the Mossberg 500 became indispensable in conducting mafia showdowns. At this time, weapons of this brand are constantly being improved. It is used by the armed forces of the armies of the USA, Thailand.