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 the Americans in many military clashes and conflicts of shotgun firearms.
The 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 requirements, the existing rich combat experience in using shotguns became factors that prompted the creation of a new, more advanced pump-action shotgun, known as the Mossberg 500.
How weapons were made: history
The Mossberg 500 is an alternative version of the Remington 870, which is actively used by the army and police.
In 1960 it was decided to create a similar shotgun Remington 870 - moreaffordable, suitable for hunting both waterfowl and bear.
A new pump-action shotgun has appeared on the shelves of gun 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 shooting and its accuracy. On the contrary, production from inexpensive raw materials made the Mossberg 500 gun more accessible to different segments of the population. This allowed him to become a serious competitor to the famous Remington 870.
The presentation of the first copy took place on August 21, 1961. Victories at many gun shows, awards and flattering reviews from competent connoisseurs have made the Mossberg 500 pump-action shotgun one of the most popular types of inexpensive pump-action shotguns.
Production
Production of weapons began in 1961. Since then, the Mossberg 500 shotgun has been built on an assembly line from standard parts. This method is called selective. In the event that defects are found in the parts, they are immediately sent to the workshop for remelting.
The manufacturer of this weapon is the well-known company Mossberg & Sons, headed by an emigrant from Sweden Oscar Frederik Mossberg. His firearms company circumvented Remington patent protection by replacing the trigger mechanism that gave birth to the signature Mossberg pump-action shotgun, the famous Mossberg safety.
For the production of barrels, bolts and elements of trigger mechanisms is usedsteel. The receiver is made of aluminum alloys. To ensure its strength, the use of metal having a large thickness is practiced.
Plastic is used in the manufacture of the base of trigger mechanisms and for pistol grips. Shotgun stocks and handguards are also made of plastic, but mostly wood is preferred for stocks.
Before assembling the Mossberg 500 shotgun, the surfaces of all its visible elements are carefully processed, consisting of blue bluing, nickel plating and parkerization.
Fuse
The presence of a fuse in the design of the Mossberg 500 pump-action shotgun is considered its characteristic individual feature. The fuse is located on the top of the receiver, which ensures the convenience of switching it while firing from both the right and left shoulder. The safety is represented by a button located on the trigger guard, convenient to operate with the index finger.
Ease of use of the fuse is possible only when it is located on a standard shotgun butt. On a pistol grip, the process of using a fuse is much more difficult. Therefore, for Mossberg pump-action shotguns, semi-pistol handles are specially produced, which are very similar to sawn-off handles.
Technical indicators
Mossberg 500 is a type of shotgun. According to the principle of operation, this is a pump-action shotgun. Weight without cartridges is 3.3 kg. Barrel length varies from350 to 700 mm. The effective firing range is 40 m. For the shotgun, cartridges of calibers 12 x 70, 12 x 76, 12 x 89, 20 x 70, 20 x 76, 410 x 70, 410 x 76 are used.
Operation principle
The Mossberg 500 is a typical pump action shotgun. The receiver has four holes that are intended for fasteners for sights - diopter and optical. The shotgun contains a tubular underbarrel magazine that holds 5 to 9 rounds. Reloading is carried out by moving the forend back - forward.
Since a large amount of powder gases accumulate in the shotgun barrel during a shot, with the weapon's light weight, this significantly increases the recoil and the barrel toss up. Therefore, in the barrels of shotguns "Mossberg 500" there are rows of small holes that perform a compensating function. When fired, part of the powder gases exits upwards through these holes, creating a reverse force that lowers the barrel of the weapon down. The presence of compensators makes it possible to quickly aim for the next shots, saves time, which is especially important during hunting.
Design
Externally, the Mossberg 500, the photo of which is presented below, looks like a light polished weapon, as if processed by chromium and nickel plating. But it's not. All metal parts that come into contact with air are treated with a special substance that provides anti-corrosion protection. The weapon gains an anti-glare effect. Coated visible parts have a matte finish,do not shine.
Internal Unit
The Mossberg 500 shotgun, unlike other pump-action shotguns, has several features. In this model, the variant of closing the barrel channel is distinguished by its originality, which is carried out by fastening a movable bolt with an inertial spring striker and two ejectors to the breech of the barrel. They are responsible for the extraction of spent cartridges, produced by moving the forend back.
The movable forearm is connected to the bolt with two rods. They raise the swinging larva of the shutter and open the barrel channel. When the trigger is cocked due to the displacement of the bolt to the rear position, the cartridges are released from the stop. During the displacement of the forearm forward, they are withdrawn from the underbarrel magazine.
The cutter controls that only one cartridge is output and through the feeder tray it becomes on the chambering line. After the bolt 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 the weapon. The presence of a manual trigger interceptor prevents shots from being fired when the trigger is not pressed. This fuse has the form of a lever, which is easily operated 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 shutter from the breech is also carried out with the help of a special wire loop passing through the receiver through its side and lower openings. The variant with a safety loop is intended for field conditions.
Under the action of the feeder and the helical spring, the cartridges located under the barrel are fed through its breech section. One of the components of the magazine - the stop - prevents the cartridges from falling out.
Sometimes it becomes necessary to reload a shotgun without firing shots. Most often this happens when you need to replace cartridges - shotgun shells for grapeshot ones 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 lower window. By jerking the shutter after this, it is possible to ensure that the unfired cartridge is removed, and a new one takes its place. Only after that the disconnector button can be released.
Advantages of the Mossberg 500 model
- The use of light materials in the production of a shotgun had a good effect on the price of the weapon, on its availability.
- Aluminum and plastic used in the manufacture of receivers, significantly lightened the weight of the weapon.
- The high reliability of the shotgun is ensured by the difference in hardening of the chamber and barrel, which are separate parts in the Mossberg 500 sample to reduce the cost.
- The presence of gaps between the individual parts of the shotgun does not affect its reliability even in the case of its strongpollution.
Flaws
- The safety lever at the rear of the receiver makes a characteristic clang during reloading. The shotgun makes a lot of noise with any movement. Because of these properties, the Mossberg 500 is also called the “rattle”.
- The pump shotgun's light weight gives it more recoil when fired.
- Tuning difficulties are also considered disadvantages.
Hunting use
The Mossberg 500 hunting rifle is considered ideal for hunting, especially for beginners. For more reliable operation of the reloading mechanism in case of heavy pollution, a rather large backlash of the forearm with steel rods leading to the bolt and the bolt frame was specially made. Also, owners are pleased with the possibility of easy cleaning and disassembly of 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 - when exposed to climatic factors, humidity, pollution, military operations.
The most frustrating moments that many hunters face when using various types of shotguns are depreciation and misfires, the nature of which is different, ranging from defects in cartridge capsules to temperature changes. Depreciation is largely characteristic of Mossberg 500 hunting weapons.
Reviews of the owners of these shotguns indicate that, despite the ideal mechanism for hunting, it does not exclude the freezing of gun grease. This is an embarrassing moment. Shotguns "Mossberg 500"misfires in the cold occur when there is water inside the mechanism. It can get there due to getting wet from rain or snow, and also if during the hunt weapons were thrown into the snow.
Used by whom?
The range of application of the Mossberg 500 pump-action shotgun is very wide. Previously, it was intended exclusively for hunters and weapons of police squads. But the further reduction in the cost of the shotgun made it accessible to the general population.
Thanks to its high lethal power, the Mossberg 500 has become indispensable in mafia showdowns. At this time, the weapons of this brand are constantly being improved. It is used by the armed forces of the armies of the USA, Thailand.
