Tactical Mossberg 500 Finished

Well, the last part came in today. I was waiting for some giftcard/credit card points to kick in to pick up the last few items on my list to complete my tactical shotgun. I started out with a standard Mossberg 500 18.5". It is a 12 gauge pump with a 5+1 capacity, and came with both a stock and pistol grip. This is a beast of a gun that is very reliable and rugged. I wanted to upgrade this to a more tactical version for a couple of reasons. To start off, I didn't like the length of the stock that came with it. It has around a 14" LOP (length of pull) which is pushing it for my frame. Another issue because of that is with the fore end. With the long LOP, it was hard to fully grasp the fore end without stretching to my limits. The last problem, a small one, is the amount of on board ammunition. There is a 20" version called the 590 that allows a 7+1 capacity, which totes another 2 rounds than the standard 500, and just like a pistol or rifle, the more ammunition you have, the more you can send down range. So to remedy those problems and anymore that may come up, I have chosen some inexpensive modifications that have completely changed my run of the mill HD (home defense) shotgun to a fully adjustable tactical weapon.

Sorry for the crappy phone picture, can't be bothered to find the real camera right now.

Modifications:
New Stock
There are several options for stocks, but they fall under a few categories. Fixed, adjustable, and folding. A fixed stock is the standard type, an adjustable or m4 style stock is a telescopic stock that can change lengths, and the folding stock is a fixed stock on a hinge that either can fold to the side or on top. Because I did not like the LOP of the standard fixed stock, I wanted one that I could adjust to my liking. I looked online, checked some models, read a lot of reviews, and decided on the Blackhawk! Knoxx NRS stock, which is a standard adjustable stock. There is a version that has some built in springs that help reduce felt recoil, but I read a lot of reviews that the springs can come loose and result in the floating stock kicking you in the face. Not something that I want. After installation, I found that the second notch is perfect for my frame and the gun is finally comfortable when shouldering.

Railed Fore End
With the adjustable stock, I can easily reach the fore end for manipulating the pump arm. With this easy access, I wanted some sort of fore grip to make pumping easier and achieve a better handle on the shotgun. To make that work, I needed a fore end that had rails on it to attach a fore grip. I looked online again and found some reviews and models and decided on a Promag tri-rail forend. One thing with the Mossberg 500 is that there are two different lengths of slide action assemblies. Depending on the year that it was manufactured, you either have a 7 3/4 " or a 6 1/2", with latter being difficult to find aftermarket parts for. Fortunately I have the 7 3/4" one and my search was easy. The tri-rail has three rails, on the bottom and both the sides, which is more than enough for what I want. With it installed, it is rock solid and ready to attach any fore grip on the market.

Fore End
Now that I have a fore end with rails, I can now start looking for a fore grip. The main style is a stick style, which has its advantages for rifles, but with this shotgun, I wanted something different. Magpul has some great products and they had exactly what I wanted. I picked up one of their Angled Fore Grips, specifically their 2nd generation version. The fore grip is set at an angle and gives me a better grip on the fore end and makes pumping very comfortable and more ergonomic. I definitely have better control with the AFG that the stock set up.

Side Saddle
To remedy the on board ammunition, I picked up a Tac-Star side saddle, which attaches to the side of the receiver and allows for an extra 6 rounds to be carried on the gun. With this addition, I can now carry a total of 12 rounds of 12 gauge shells. The added benefit of this is that I can carry different types of shells and they are easily visible when necessary to change shell types (slug, target, buck shot, less lethal, etc). Right now I have 3" 00 Buck magnums loaded in the tube with three slugs and three 9 ball 00 Bucks in the side saddle.

Overall I am very pleased with how it came out. I didn't spend a lot of money and I now have a completely different shotgun. I am basically finished with this build, minus any add-ons like a flashlight or laser. Those are just accessories and do not attribute changes to the functionality of the gun. Although, if I ever come across a breacher barrel at a good price, I might have to pick that up. I can't wait to take it out and put it through its paces. At 8.5 lbs fully loaded, it is on the heavy side, but that just means that there is more to love.