United States Marines train with M500 shotgunsīoth the Model 500 and Model 590 have polymer trigger guards and safeties, and standard barrels. Mariner models use the black composite stocks. A special model called the Mariner is available with the Marinecote finish, an electroless-nickel finish that is highly corrosion resistant. Stocks are either wood or composite, with the composite stocks being matte black or camouflage to match the rest of the gun.
Mossberg also offers camouflage painted models, in a number of different patterns.
#MOSSBERG 500 SERIAL NUMBERS SERIES#
This is also true of the 590 series since an aluminum receiver cannot be parkerized. Some 500 models are anodized to look parkerized, with parkerized barrels. Some models come with a matte black matte-anodized receiver, and a matte blued barrel. The standard finish for the Model 500 is an anodized aluminum alloy receiver and a polished and blued barrel. A 16 gauge model was introduced in 1963 and later discontinued. 410 bore, with the 12 gauge being the most popular and having the most optional features available. The Model 500 is available in 12 gauge, 20 gauge, and. The standard model holds five 2.75-inch (70 mm) or five 3-inch (76 mm) shells in the magazine and one in the chamber. The name "Model 500" covers an entire family of pump shotguns designed to chamber 3-inch (76 mm) "magnum" shells. The majority of the kits convert the standard issue shotgun to a 14" compact model with a 16" accessory breaching barrel, H92239-09-P-0113. A total of 1301 shotguns were converted with the first unit being equipped in July 2009. The kits included a collapsible stock, "shotgun retention system", 1913 receiver rail, fore end rail system and breaching barrels. Army Special Forces Groups procured Military Enhancement Kits to provide a standardized shotgun configuration based on the Mossberg 500. In the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the M500 shotguns were primarily used for breaking locks and hinges during door breaches. M500 and M590 shotguns were first used during the 1991 Gulf War, wherein they were used to defend US supply depots. Despite the competing shotgun designs, including with other pump action models such as the Remington Model 870 and Winchester Model 1200, Mossberg shotguns continued to see usage in various American military branches until the end of the 2010s. In 1997, the Army began to develop the M26 Modular Accessory Shotgun System, an underbarrel shotgun designed for usage on the M4 carbine, and which could also be used as a standalone weapon. Replacement for the M500 came as early as 1999, when the Marine Corps adopted the semi-automatic M1014 Combat Shotgun, which became standard issue by 2001. Ī paratrooper from the 503rd Infantry Regiment uses an M500 to open a door during a training exercise in Italy, 2014.
The new model, designated the M590A1, became the standard shotgun in the United States military. In response to a Navy request, the M590 was modified, with a thickened barrel, extended magazine, barrel shroud, and bayonet lug. To maintain its low cost, Mossberg continued to produce the M500 for civilian and police markets, and in 1987, designed the M590 specifically for military use. M500s began to be purchased by the US military in limited numbers, with the first order consisting of approximately 5,900 shotguns for the Navy and Coast Guard. During the testing, some M500s were created to better match the MIL-SPEC, which came at an increase in cost. In the 1970s, the M500 was submitted for military use, but failed to meet the MIL-SPEC 3443E protocol, which involves firing 3,000 rounds of 23-gauge shells with no more than two malfunctions. Model 590A1ĭesigned in 1961 by Carl Benson, the Mossberg 500 was created mainly for use by hunters, but quickly found itself in use by law enforcement because of its reliability and low cost. By 2021, 11,000,000 M500s had been produced, making it the most-produced shotgun of all time. The Revelation 310 and the New Haven 600 were also variations of the 500 series produced by Mossberg under different names. The 500 series comprises widely varying models of hammerless repeaters, all of which share the same basic receiver and action, but differ in bore size, barrel length, choke options, magazine capacity, stock and forearm materials. The Mossberg 500 (M500) is a series of pump action shotguns manufactured by O.F.