Low prices on the Mossberg 500 12- Gauge start at Champion Firearms-

Held To A Higher Standard. Shotguns have long been the gold standard for personal protection, and for good reason. While handguns are effective for home defense, nothing says "Howdy" quite like a 12- gauge.

The Mossberg 500 was first introduced in 1961 and gave rise to the Model 590 in the '80's, which was adapted by the U.S. military as the only pump action shotgun to ever pass Mil-Spec 3443 requirements. From hunting to combat operations, the Model 500 was designed for harsh and dirty conditions.

Other than a bayonet lug, the only functional difference between a Mossberg 500 and 590 is the style of magazine tube each employs. For well over 50- years, Mossberg has been building the Model 500. In that time frame, over 10- million pump shotguns have been produced by the company, with over 100,000 being supplied to various branches of the armed services.

By a wide margin, Mossberg is the world's leading producer of pump shotguns. Pump actions are favored by military and law enforcement because they are fast and reliable. Manual cycling of the action simplifies the reloading process and reduces the odds of a malfunction.

In experienced hands, a pump action shotgun is almost as fast as a semi- auto, and sliding the forend helps a shooter return to a target plus stabilize the gun faster. At the heart of the Mossberg 500 is a series of reliability enhancing features like an anti-jam elevator.

Similarly, it also has dual extractors for flawless feeding, positive shell extraction and consistent ejection. By comparison, when a Remington 870's single shell extractor fails, you've got major problems.

A Mossberg block locks directly into the barrel via a locking lug, and this direct bolt-to-barrel lockup is stronger than a bolt-receiver lockup. On Mossberg pumps, the shell lifter remains in the upright position when a round is chambered. This allows for faster reloads without the possibility of pinched fingers.

The magazine tube is located below the barrel, and is screwed into the receiver. It also serves as a solid anchoring point for the unique barrel collar that threads directly onto the top of the magazine tube.

While this system allows barrels to be quickly swapped out, and the gun to be cleaned more easily, it does not permit the addition or subtraction of shorter or longer magazine tubes. In essence, what you see is what you get.

The shotgun features a machined aluminum alloy receiver to save on weight. Proponents of the Remington often claim that the 870's steel receiver holds up longer than the Mossberg.

What they fail to take into account is that the 500 / 590 actually has a steel bolt that attaches directly to a steel lug in the barrel, which alleviates any stress on the alloy receiver. In addition, Mossberg passed the Mil-Spec 3443 requirements, where the 870 did not. Regardless, either shotgun would make an excellent choice for a home defense weapon.

The receiver is also drilled and tapped to enable the shooter to add optics. The 500's ambidextrous two position top- tang safety is much easier to disengage than competing crossbolt designs, and the action bar release is located just behind the trigger.

The 18.5" barrel and assembly are machined from steel, then drawn down to a fixed cylinder bore for strategic accuracy at self- defense operating distances. Should the Mossberg 500 ever require service, it is backed by an industry leading 10- year manufacturer's warranty.

The shotgun is chambered for 2-3/4" shells, but it can easily handle jaw rattling 3" magnum buckshot or slugs. A bead front sight is threaded onto the barrel, which helps acquire its target quickly.

All metal parts wear an electroless nickel finish referred to as MarineCoat, which resists rust and corrosion better than standard finishes. The buttstock has a nicely textured grip with a non- slip recoil pad for positive shoulder engagement. A circular grip forend provides solid traction while racking each round in and out of the chamber.

The shotgun has an six shot capacity. For thorough takedown and cleaning, the trigger assembly can be removed by pushing out one retaining pin, and pulling down on the guard.

Similarly, the barrel quickly unscrews from the magazine tube. Overall, the Mossberg 500 is an ultra reliable, affordable and user friendly self- defense shotgun.

Established in 1993, Champion Firearms is a retail gun store and indoor range located in College Station, Texas.

As a brick & mortar store, we pride ourselves on customer service, quality products and our competitive pricing.

Each listing is an item we actively plan to stock. While not all of our inventory is listed, the items contained on our website represent some of the most popular products we carry.

Our staff has worked hard and done their best to ensure the accuracy of every listing. In the event an error has been made, Champion Firearms asks your understanding while we make it right.

From all of us here at Champion Firearms, thanks for visiting our store. For assistance, please do not hesitate to let us know what we can do to help: (979) 693-9948 or [email protected]