Which Mossberg 500 Should You Buy?
I get asked—A LOT—about which Mossberg 500 PGO model to buy and use as the basis for building a 26.5″ non-NFA firearm. I took the time recently to sit down and pour through all the different models of 500 that Mossberg sells—both 12-gauge and 20-gauge models of their Cruisers and Persuaders.
In the 12-gauge realm, there are several good candidates. The best in my opinion, however, is the 56340. (Shown at the top of this story.) This is a 20″ model with an 8-shot capacity and a matte finish. Most often, the bolt on these models has received the matte finish as well, which really makes the Raptor-ized firearm simply badass.
The next best 12-gauge candidate is the 51340. This is an 18.5″ model with a 6-shot capacity and also a matte finish. However, the bolts on these are usually chrome plated in my experience.
There are two other 12-gauge models that could also work: the 50580 and the 50440. Both of these models, however, feature a bright blue finish (versus a matte blue finish.) The 50580 is a 20″ model with an 8-shot capacity. The 50440 is an 18.5″ model with 6-shot capacity.
For 20-gauge guns, there’s really only one choice from Mossberg: the 50450 is a 18.5″ model with a 6-shot capacity and a bright blue finish.
I’ll just leave this picture here to tempt you to cross over to the Raptor side. 🙂
Note: All of the Mossberg 500 models discussed in this story ship from the factory with only a pistol grip. In other words, they are PGO firearms—not shotguns.
2 replies on “Which Mossberg 500 Should You Buy?”
Hi Marty really like the outside the box thinking you’ve done here. I’m going to try the raptor lug on for size. 2 quick questions, you said this setup is legal with a forward grip installed correct? Also you list the 20 gauge version, is this accomplished by getting a 14″ barrelfrom Mossberg or is there a Raptor lug for 20 gauge? Also you said you left the pic up to lure people to the raptor side but the pic is of the Mossberg 14″ barrel setup correct? Just want to know what to expect at the end. Thanks
Hello Tim,
Thank you for writing. That’s actually three questions. 😉
1. I’m not an attorney, but my understanding is that a forward vertical grip wouldn’t change the firearm’s classification.
2. You would have to cut down your existing 20-gauge barrel as short as possible while retaining the barrel lug. (AFAIK, Mossberg doesn’t offer a 14″ 20-gauge setup. And we don’t have a Raptor Lug for the 20-gauge guns.)
3. That is true. That was in reference to the Raptor Grip and Raptor Strap products. It predates the Raptor Lug by a couple of months.
Thank you again,
Marty