Were those tests a straight-run with no maintenance or cleanings? Seriously, if you buy one that's in good shape, clean it when you need to, and take care of any small repairs as needed, then even a used shotgun should last your lifetime.

If, like many, you hate to sell a firearm (or other tools) may find yourself in the position of having to decide who to leave it to.

 

3,000 rounds?

Doesn't seem like much to me, I'd lay a bet against some pretty tall odds that my ol' Mossy 500 has had upwards of double that number through the barrel in the 16 years I've owned it, and probably closer to triple, and it's never met a gunsmith...........

 

I guess I should have googled it before asking. I just found a quote in a wikipedia post about Mossberg 500s that says, "Mossberg claims the Model 500 is the only shotgun to pass the US Army's Mil-Spec 3443E test, "a brutal and unforgiving torture test with 3,000 rounds of full power 12 gauge buckshot".

I assume this means it wasn't cleaned or anything during that time, so it certainly shouldn't indicate how long the gun "lived". The recoil generated by pump actions, especially with 3" or slug loads still makes me wonder about that.

 

used shotguns can be a great value, do your research before buying though. pump shotguns are one of the most durable firearms available, i personaly hunt upland with a ithaca 37 that was made in 1975 (purchased used) that still works perfectly, however alot of it depends on how these firearms are treated and were they are used as to how far they will go without breakage, spare parts for used shotguns can be found here http://www.google.com/url?url=http:...j0j0i10j0l7.8233.12570.0.17807.6.6.0.0.0.0.250.1092.0j4j2.6.0...0.0.596LAyCp93o
good luck

 

The test did not wear out any shotguns. It states the Mossberg 590A1 fired the US Army's Mil-Spec 3443E test without a malfunction. No other shotguns conpleated the test without a malfunction. No where does it say worn out. Things can break without wearing out, I don't think the average person can wear out a shotgun.
Joe R
A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.” Proverbs 22:3

 

what's 3,000 rounds? .... your run of the mill trapshooter will double that easily in a year ..... there's old trapshooting guns out there, well maintained, that have dusted hundreds of thousands of targets .....

 

+1 I have a friend who probably puts 200 rounds a week through his shotguns shooting trap and skeet, and has for 20+ years. If he'd had one that stopped working, I would have heard about it. I've put several hundred through my 870, and I don't even feel like it's broken in, yet.

 

3k is childsplay to my dad's Remington 1100 from the 70's

 

I have a Damascus barreled 16 Ga that my Grandmother got as a young girl, it still works fine. When I was working we had Remington 870s and Mossbergs that had 60,000+ rounds through them, no problems, they were training guns that got used heavily.
The military does tests for severe use, which is fine for their needs, but the average civilian owned shotgun will last several lifetimes if properly cleaned and cared for.

 

Yeah that test was with full powered 00 with no maintenance in between. Shotguns are quite the opposite of a short life span, they will last your lifetime and on down through your kids etc. as long as they're cleaned and cared for.

I have my own brand new Mossberg 500 that I adore, but I also have a 1974 Mossberg 500 I inherited from my grandpa that has God only knows how many shells through it in the past 38 years. She still goes bang every time.

 

Long after you are dead and won't care anymore.

 

I agree, they will last multiple life-times with minimal care. That military torture testing is TORTURE testing. Shotguns are simple and strong, therefore tough to break. The less parts, the less sh*t that can break.

 

I have a Mossberg 500 from the early 70's ,used as a PD training gun that has 5000 to 7000 rounds of buckshot and slugs thru it and a uncountable number of birdshot thru it with no major problems.

I also have a LC Smith 20g sxs from the 30's passed down from my dad to me that has been shot a uncountable number of times that still locks up as good as it did the day it was made, she will make 100 and still be busting bunnies and birds and then some.

 

I recall reading an article on the rem 1100 that stipulated that once the feed tube joint with the receiver goes bad, it is probably better to toss the rifle than to attempt repairs. It was speculated that this usually occurs a bit north of the 500k round mark.

 

The shotgun you're seeking (590A1) should last far longer than you, as many people here have mentioned.

Now about the US Army's 3443E test... Yes, the Mossberg was the only one to pass the test. In addition to standard ''milspec'', they required the shotgun to have a metal safety button and metal trigger guard, and be able to fire 3,000 rounds without cleaning or maintenance. Three malfunctions were allowed, but no breakages that seized the function of the shotgun. The 590A1 used none of its allowance.

However.. Rumor has it that Mossberg was the only one who participated in the test.

To some, this means they may not be ''the best''. You'll always have Remington die-hard's and the likes. Fact of the matter is that this test shows the 590A1 is an extraordinarily tough shotgun.

Could the 870, etc have passed this test too? Probably. They're wonderful shotguns. And to think one is better than the other is plain ignorance.

I personally chose the 590A1 for a few reasons. More convenient slide release, magazine capacity, safety location, easier to load shells, feel of the action, and factory rear ghost ring protected by two thick ears (unlike the Rem's which sits out in the open).

Good luck with whatever you choose!

 

However.. Rumor has it that Mossberg was the only one who participated in the test.

I don't know that Mossberg was the only company to submit to the test, but I do know that Remington did not submit any guns to the test. Very important to remember when reading through all the different hype.

Department used to have 14-inch 590A1s and 870Ps. All saw about 3000-shells of 00 Buck and slugs go through them every year (no foofy Wal Mart low brass loads - just serious social stuff). After about 7-years of the above abuse and spending every day riding around in cruisers and being banged about, the 870s were holding up much better than the 590s. Thats a lot of abuse though that most folks are never going to subject ANY firearm to. Be that as it may, I'd take either (590 or 870) any day of the week, both great shotguns. Pretty sure if anyone could scare up enough friends (with strong shoulders) and enough ammo, they could put either of those two shotguns through a 3000-round "torture test" and would not see either gun fail.

 

The pump is dated 1909, to 1914, and the double is in the 1880s, they are still ticking. I use the pump as my go to so she gets a good bit of shooting.

to a competitive trap shooter 3,000 rounds is a good weekend practice session.

 

WOW! Isn't that a Manhattan Firearms "The Interchangeable" 12 ga double?

 

Plastic wads, plastic shells and even some brands of plastic coated slugs means virtually 'zero' wear on the bore too. Not many firearms can boast that!

 

I have fired a club shotgun and they think it has had over 100,000 rounds through it.

 

Haha, every single one of my shotguns has had well over that. Those are continued firing tests, so unless you are planning on shooting 3k rounds in one sitting, I wouldn't be too concerned.

 

The short answer to your question is: FOREVER.

Shotguns are simple to maintain. If you're going to buy one, just give it a good inspection to make sure the previous owner didn't screw it up somehow.

 

I know that they subjected the Benelli M4 for 25,000 rounds and had no breakdowns and why it was awarded the military contract so I'd figure that they would conduct the same approximate number of shells with the now discontinued--but still used--Mossberg.

I've got guns from the 1920s that I still shoot...You'll not wear out a gun with normal shooting and proper care in many generations of shooters.

what's 3,000 rounds? .... your run of the mill trapshooter will double that easily in a year ..... there's old trapshooting guns out there, well maintained, that have dusted hundreds of thousands of targets .....

Your run of the mill trap shooter will average that in a month but, then again, most aren't using pump action shotguns.

Long weekend shoot, ten entries, I'll shoot 1,000 rounds and probably 20,000 over the year--not much shooting at -40F temperatures--although I break it up between a semi auto (sporting) and an O/U (skeet).

I know of many trap or skeet shooters who'll put fifty, sixty thousand rounds a year downrange and usually with the same gun or split between a pair of guns.

 

tests are usually just abuse tests not function tests.x amount of rounds with out cleaning/lubed,x amount of rounds with out parts being changed(parts that wear more like springs).think of a car engine,can run your life time if properly maintained(lubed/lube changes).same for fire arms,they will last YOUR life time if properly maintained(also includes environment/storage).

this theory works for metal for sure,i dont know about plastics,since they are relativity new and claim less need for lube.

 

I don't know about a rating, but my Winchester Super X Model 1 has gone hunting and clay pigeon shooting with me since I was 12 years old (27 years).

I haven't kept track of the number of rounds, but I go through about 1500 rounds per year (some years a little more, some years a little less); I did have to buy a buffer this year; the frame was starting to wear.

 

As others have stated, in is quite common for a trapshooter to shoot a half million rounds in his carrer. Winchester has a tool room gun model 97 that fired over one and a quarter million rounds without repair. My own model 12 trap gun was built in the early 1950's and since I have ownered it, about 20 years, it has fired many many thousands of rounds and I have never actually cleaned it. Every couple of years I will squirt the action with one of those arisol gun cleaners.

 

OT: How's a trap shooters body 500,000+ rounds down range?

Seems they would have severe shoulder issues years later.

 

Most of the serious ones spend some serious time and/or money making modifications to their shotguns and loads to be comfortable. The guy I mentioned earlier does his own reloads and makes a very light load that he can shoot all day and still obliterate targets.

 

In normal, or even heavy use, a shotgun should last longer than you do. Or your kids.

 

My Winchester Red Letter Model 37 was purchased back in 1937 or 1938 by great uncle. Over the decades it has been used and abused to the extreme and to this day still works flawlessly. I have no reason to believe it won't be the same in 2037 or even 2137 for that matter.