Mossberg 500/590 Bullpup Shotgun
Can anyone inform me of the pro's/con's of the Mossberg 500/590 Bullpup Shotgun compared to the standard 500/590 model? Has anyone tried the 500/590 Bullpup? Basically, I'm looking to be persuaded/disuaded into buying one. Any help would be great.
Thanks.
Thanks.
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See this URL: http://www.nisat.org/weapons pages linked/US/mossberg_model_500_bullpup_12.htm
It says "The Bullpup is the militarised version of the M500 sporting shotgun."
My question is, why would domestic and foreign militaries use the bullpup shotgun design over the typical "sporting" design? What are the benefits of the bullpup to certain militaries?0 -
The bullpup configuration is acheived with a stock that relocates the action to the rear of the gun allowing a shorter overall length without sacrificing barrel length or length of pull. The Mossy 500 bullpup is a fun little gun but they are really heavy for a little shotty. If you can get a good deal on one then by all means pick it up.
Love them Beavers
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Is the bullpup 500 heavier than the standard 'sporty' 500??? 0 -
Between the FN Tactical 12g and the Mossberg 500/590 Bullpup, which would make a better defensive weapon? 0 -
quote:Originally posted by books129
Is the bullpup 500 heavier than the standard 'sporty' 500???
Not much, you gain the additional weight of the stock kit. It does put the weight further back which makes the gun feel heavy and awkward.
Love them Beavers0 -
quote:Originally posted by books129
Between the FN Tactical 12g and the Mossberg 500/590 Bullpup, which would make a better defensive weapon?
The advantage to the bullpup is that it is easy to move in confined quarters. The longer OAL and forward weight distribution of the FN is going to reduce flip and be easier to shoot quickly. As much as I love Mossbergs I'd go with an FN over the bullpup for serious situations, just my .02
Love them Beavers0 -
As an owner (and reluctant aficionado) of the Mossberg bullpup, I'll give the best answer I can.
Pros:
-- Maneuverability, especially in home defense. Bullpups are much more maneuverable in domestic situations than traditional rifles; even if you get a Mossy bullpup with the full 20" barrel, you'll take at least six inches off the length of the weapon and make it easier to handle. (Using a bullpup does take some getting used to, however ... because it's so short, you need to aim with your torso more than with your hands. Like anything, it's a training issue.)
-- One-handed operation. No, I don't mean one-handed shooting ... but in the home-defense scenario, if you need to use one hand for opening doors, calling the police, etc., you can still keep the bullpup in a ready position that is much more functional, even compared to a standard shotgun with a full stock.
-- This guy handles recoil very well and while it has a heavy-ish trigger pull, it's a pleasure to shoot.
Cons:
-- The sights are unfortunate (probably "half-assed" is a better term); they're mounted along the top of the carry handle so the distance between the front and back sights is about six inches. This isn't a terminal nuisance, as you can remove the sight handle, attach a mounting rail, and rig it up with whatever sight you want. Plus, this is a shotgun ... unless you're shooting skeet, you'll probably be fine.
-- The safety issue. Mind that the Mossberg (and Maverick) bullpup is a standard shotgun mounted inside a jury-rigged (although well-engineered) bullpup housing. The housing itself has two safeties: one in front of the trigger guard and a palm-safety. This means that the gun mechanism itself is perpetually hot. This means that possibly -- maybe, perhaps, theoretically -- something could cause the gun to fire, in spite of the two safeties in the pullpup housing. (I.e., drop it and it goes off. I've never heard of this happening, but it's theoretically possible, and this gun should be regarded with an appropriate amount of mistrust.)
-- The location of the shell-eject button. (This is also a side-effect of the gun being a stardard shotgun mechanism inside a jury-rigged housing.) If you need to eject a jammed shell, the button is now located to the rear of the stock, available only through a thumbhole. In other words, hope that you don't need to get to it in a hurry.
-- Fixed right-handed operation. I almost forgot this one, as I'm right-handed. The empties spit out of the right side of the stock, near the shoulder. If yer a lefty, yer outta luck.
-- Minor issues: it's a bit heavy; it has a long/stiff trigger pull; the pump action is a little bit heavier; the gun generally feels awkward, overcomplicated and unreliable. In spite of the limitations faced by the designers when making a bullpup out of a standard pump-action shotgun, the bullpup housing very well-designed in terms of overall operation, but most of the details don't seem very well thought out.
(Personally, I'm not a dilettante so I was able to work around the minor issues, and when you get down to it, they come with the territory: to get a standard shotgun working in a bullpup stock, there are lots of linkages required to make everything work properly, and these linkages don't operate as smoothly as they could. This is also something you see in most bullpup rifles regardless.)
Summary:
It's an interesting gun; certainly not a work of genius, but fun, and it has some practical aspects to home defense. It does have some major issues that need to be minded if you hope to use it in a serious capacity (and in my opinion, the only serious capacity in which this gun should be used is home defense).
I would hardly call this gun "militarized": I would be extremely surprised if it was ever used by a police/security/penitentiary/military agency as a service weapon. The Mossberg bullpup probably saw more action in late 80s action movies than it did anywhere else, and I would wager that it was made more as a novelty for collectors than as a special-purpose shotgun.
One neat thing about the bullpup housing is that it can be used with all Mossberg 500/590 shotguns. Plus, if you don't like the front handle or the carry handle, they can be easily removed. (The removal of the front handle is an irreversible modification.)
All the above said, I own one and I think it's heaps of fun. I keep it handy for home-defense and take it out to the country to blow stuff up. And for all its warts, this gun seems to keep its value reasonably well.0 -
^ That was a heckuva first post!!
Just wanted to add a comment on "militarised": While the bullpup could be considered the "Hollywoodised" version of a good sporting/defensive shotgun, the 590 is what could be called the "militarised" version of the 500. Same basic mechanism, with a few mods for military service (finish, bayonet lug, heat shield, a few metal instead of plastic parts) it was the first ever shotgun to pass mil-spec testing procedures, despite the long history of shotguns in military service.
[Hmm... I just went and checked Mossberg's site, and the 590 isn't listed...]0 -
The Mossberg 590 is the ONLY shotgun that passed the drop test, IS the military version of the 500, and even has a Ramones song written about it;"Scattergun".
The bullpup version was designed for close quarters operations/vehicle carry.
Swapping barrels in the bullpup configuration can be a pain where you sit.
Rifle Basix makes a nice 3lb trigger that drops right in.0 -
quote:Originally posted by books129
Can anyone inform me of the pro's/con's of the Mossberg 500/590 Bullpup Shotgun compared to the standard 500/590 model? Has anyone tried the 500/590 Bullpup? Basically, I'm looking to be persuaded/disuaded into buying one. Any help would be great.
Thanks.0
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