Brand New Mossberg 500 - Consistent Feed Problems

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I picked up a Mossberg 500 pump from Four Seasons earlier today.

Shells are ejecting properly, but I'm having consistent jams when feeding a new shell into the chamber. I can't even get through the five shells in the magazine without one or more of these jams.

If you look at the picture, the top, front of the shell gets keeps getting caught in the cut-out of the barrel (circled and pointed to). When I push the forearm forward. Some shells go in smoothly, but many of them are getting caught. If I pull the forearm back to ease the bolt off the shell, the shell is ejected and wasted.

mossberg_500.gif



Any thoughts? I'm ready to return this things to Four Seasons tomorrow to get my money back.

THANKS
 
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The words "It's a Mossberg" come to mind.
[laugh]

That said, that cut-out isn't unique to your gun obviously, so the problem, if there is one, is likely back on the bolt or the feed ramp that lifts the shell from the magazine up to the bore...

Stupid question - you are charging it in a firing position, not up-and down, sideways or anything like that?

I'd go back to FS to get it straightened out... Sounds like something is not right where the shell meets the bolt that is raising the front of the shell...
 
yea, it happens even when I cycle the action with the gun perfectly level.

I'll be going back to FS tomorrow morning. there's clearly something mechanically wrong with it... The shells that do cycle properly are aimed at the bore when the action is closed. the shells that are jamming appear to be pivoted, so that the front rubs across the top of the receiver. some shells get forced into the bore, some get stuck between the bolt and that barrel cut-out. I can't figure out for the life of me what the purpose of that cut-out is... and why it's left at a 90 degree angle, rather than shaved down at a smaller angle to help feed the shell into the bore, similar to a feed ramp.
 
yea, it happens even when I cycle the action with the gun perfectly level.

I'll be going back to FS tomorrow morning. there's clearly something mechanically wrong with it... The shells that do cycle properly are aimed at the bore when the action is closed. the shells that are jamming appear to be pivoted, so that the front rubs across the top of the receiver. some shells get forced into the bore, some get stuck between the bolt and that barrel cut-out. I can't figure out for the life of me what the purpose of that cut-out is... and why it's left at a 90 degree angle, rather than shaved down at a smaller angle to help feed the shell into the bore, similar to a feed ramp.

That cutout is where the locking lug on the bolt body locks into. If you look just forward of that cutout, the extention is slightly ramped to guide the shell into the chamber.

Is the lifting mechanism lifting the shell too high? The shell should be level to cocked just slightly upward ( a degree or two) as it engages the chamber.

Also be aware that ammo that has been left loaded in a shotgun tube magazine under spring tension for a long time(months) can experience deformation of the end of the shell causing it to be out of round or expanded in diameter on the shot end of the shells. If you are using fresh ammo, this won't be a factor in your problem but its something to remember with tube fed shotguns.
 
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I can't figure out for the life of me what the purpose of that cut-out is... and why it's left at a 90 degree angle, rather than shaved down at a smaller angle to help feed the shell into the bore, similar to a feed ramp.
Then get busy with a welder. Fill it up with a plug weld then shape it how you want it with a die grinder and file.

WECSOG
 
Then get busy with a welder. Fill it up with a plug weld then shape it how you want it with a die grinder and file.

WECSOG

No need to do that, nor would it be advisable. It would change the temper of the steel for one thing and any reshaping would only need to be done on the front edge. The rear edge has to remain at 90 degrees to maintain a lock with the lug that goes into the hole.
 
I appreciate the responses. as far as modifying the gun, finding a welder, etc: no f*cking way. this thing is brand new and I'm already having issues with it. part of buying a new gun isn't modifying it to make it function properly at the basic level. I didn't buy a gun to have strange problems with it. If I wanted that, I'd buy another 10 year old glock (whole nother can of worms, lol).

FS did make the effort to to look into it, a few people actually, and they were very busy. I have to give them good credit for that. we cycled rounds through the gun. they were careful when racking it, a little slower than I do, pointing out that it was working fine, telling me it's about finesse. I did it and had it jammed within two rounds racking it forward like anyone else in the world would do. they're telling me I'm not doing it right, but it's not really all that difficult. pull back to stop like you mean business, push forward to stop like you mean business.

I think ultimately it's just a sh*tty design for the inside of a receiver. there are too many catch points for the rounds to get caught. I've put hundreds of rounds through my benelli trap gun and have never had a single jam. The benelli sees a lot of fast-paced action. This mossberg is strictly for home defense and will have very few rounds through it, but it's barely capable of even handling that. It happens most when I have the barrel angled up some. not much, maybe only 20-30 degrees off horizontal, similar to how it would be racked if I were in bed.

I'll probably fire it a few times with friends it to try out the pistol grip, and then replace it with something better. sorry if anyone from FS is reading this... I took it home and practiced racking rounds through it over a hundred times with the same issue. slightly better because I'm making a bigger effort to rack it slower and "cleanly", but its still happening. better quality shotguns are designed to prevent these sorts of stupid jams. I'd certainly love to wake up in the middle of the night, grab the shotgun and rack it while lying in my bed, in the dark, still half asleep, and have this feeding jam. that would be awesome.
 
front edge could probably be filed down. I'm amazed that something like that isn't done standard by mossberg.

Why are you amazed that extra craftsmanship is not lavished on Mossbergs? They are bottom-of-the-heap uber cheap guns for fudds.

If you wanted a quality shotgun you should have bought a Benelli Super Nova or Remington 870.
 
I've Got a 500 and have no problems at all!! My first shotgun I bought back in the 1960's was a Mossberg 195K 12ga.bolt action w/poly choke and got my first pheasant with it!!! By the way MOSSBERG is one of the oldest companies still making firearms. I've got absolutely no complaints and have been looking for a 195K for a while now just to have for my collection,brings back a lot of great memories!! Joe
 
No need to do that, nor would it be advisable. It would change the temper of the steel for one thing and any reshaping would only need to be done on the front edge. The rear edge has to remain at 90 degrees to maintain a lock with the lug that goes into the hole.

You don't really know what WECSOG means, do you? [smile] [laugh]

Wiley E Coyote School Of Gunsmithing

ETA: my post was written with severe but understated sarcasm.
 
I've Got a 500 and have no problems at all!! My first shotgun I bought back in the 1960's was a Mossberg 195K 12ga.bolt action w/poly choke and got my first pheasant with it!!! By the way MOSSBERG is one of the oldest companies still making firearms. I've got absolutely no complaints and have been looking for a 195K for a while now just to have for my collection,brings back a lot of great memories!! Joe
i have an older mossy bolt action 12 ga. its at my sons house so i cant look to see what model it is. when i can i will check it out and let you know.
 
Love my 870. Paid about 320 for it at FS. Ask if you can trade it in/upgrade. It is NOT functioning properly. That needing to do it smoothly stuff is crap. IMO you should be racking it fast and hard, and should be expected to if you are freaking out or panicking. How can you comfortably trust your life to a gun that won't cycle 5 rounds, you can't and shouldn't.

Mike
 
i have a mossberg 535 that had the same problem, when you do a search on the internet you will see that many people have the same problem, i never had mine fixed i just put it aside not to sure i want to spend the money on a gunsmith when the gun is not that expensive, but from what i found on the internet they were saying that it was the shell lifting arm, the problem does not get better it only gets worse shells will not extract correctly and the shells will get jammed as the try and cycle up ....goood luck and would be interested to know what you find out
 
You don't really know what WECSOG means, do you? [smile] [laugh]

Wiley E Coyote School Of Gunsmithing

ETA: my post was written with severe but understated sarcasm.

Oh...I know WECSOG....I was WECSOGing before it had a name.[rockon][thumbsup][smile]
 
If the gun is double feeding it sounds like the interrupter is in need of a tweak, if you observe the way the shells in the tube are stopped and released giving it a little extra bend outward or call Mossberg and I'm sure they will mail one right out. The Mossberg shotguns are not firearm jewelry they are one of the most mass produced and owned shotguns out there along with the 870, if you look the 870 is suffering extraction issues due to rough chambers. Good luck with it and I'm sure you can resolve it, I own a 590A1 and like the tang mounted safety as I'm a left hand shooter with long guns.


MOS5INT.JPG
 
yeah, I'll call mossberg on tuesday. if it ends up going back to them, at least I can send it through FS and avoid the shipping charge. I'll go right to the source. FS was giving me the "these guns are solid - we sold 400 of these last month alone, blah blah blah"...
 
yeah, I'll call mossberg on tuesday. if it ends up going back to them, at least I can send it through FS and avoid the shipping charge. I'll go right to the source. FS was giving me the "these guns are solid - we sold 400 of these last month alone, blah blah blah"...

Sometimes guns come from the factory with problems, it happens. I've also had many customers come in with guns that have been giving them problems that I've been unable to recreate in any way, shape, or manner.
 
yeah, I'll call mossberg on tuesday. if it ends up going back to them, at least I can send it through FS and avoid the shipping charge. I'll go right to the source. FS was giving me the "these guns are solid - we sold 400 of these last month alone, blah blah blah"...

Just take it back to the store and tell them the problems.
 
Bring it back to FS and have them deal with the issue for you. No use messing around with what is obviously a lemon.

-Mike
 
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