590 is the military approved one.. 500 is police approved and the 88 is a budget gun.. all are basically the same thing, just better parts ect, where there made. the 590 holds more shells and has a bayo lug...

 

I'm in the military we carry standard 500's security set up. ghost ring sights

 

THe 590, it has a bayonet lug. No complaints about my 500 mossy 12g mariner either.

 

A 590 is long and heavy. Designed to do one thing.

A 500 mariner 18.5 inch barrel can be converted into a hunter and fits in a pack.

 

you can get bird barrels, slug barrels too... very adaptable

 

So get the 500?

 

two thoughts,,, go with the 500 and get the extra barrels, rifled slug barrel, longer hunting barrel with interchangable chokes OR get an even better gun... one of the Remington 870 line, go with the same basic idea with the barrels but,,, you can get a screw on magazine extension for on the 870... Also the 870 has a STEEL receiver as opposed to aluminum. The only thing I like better on my mossy than my 870... is the location of the safety... the remington has it behind the trigger guard the mossy on the top (at the back) of the receiver. The extra weight of the steel receiver on the 870 is negligible in the big picture, it's more durable and is less prone to fatigue when fed a steady diet of magnum loads...

 

Basically.. stay AWAY from the cool looking AR style stock, you will hate it.

 

590 A1
http://www.mossberg.com/products/default.asp?id=5
#51663

THIS is the gun you want. er..no... this is the gun I want! lol

 

That us the gun I have... its way better then a maverik 88 both will go boom though

 

Which ever one you get, buy and install a heat shield.Because shottie barrels get piping hot and the heat shield looks cool too.

 

Can someone post a quick review on the 500 and the 590 (pros and cons, things of that nature)?

 

Shotguns = Defense. Quick scatter shot, low penetration, in a house, darkness, night watch, heavy brush, obstructed view, and a good hunter. Great companion gun to a rifle.

500
Pros
- multiple barrel options, 18.5 inch barrel, slug barrel, choke barrels for skeet and birds
- Short, lighter, and packable
- Hunterized version is acceptable to the public and in court
- will be used for hunting and skeet shooting
- Marine Coat available - paint it black
Cons
- 6+1 rnds


590
Pros
- Bayonet lug,:thumb:
- 9 + 1 rnds:thumb:
- Rifle/ghost ring site, can be installed by gun smith on 500
- Mil-Spec - heavy duty
- Parkerized finish
Cons
- Long, heavy not easily packed
- Special purpose, marginal hunter
- Use only when S Really HTF! Appearance is a legal reality.
- It will eventually sit in safe storage, I lean toward a gun I will use

Both may be the best option. 9+1 and bayonet lug leave me feeling confused.

A long gun is lonely with out a pistol. Vise versa

 

for my shotgun I'm getting a remington 870 18" 6 shot or a mossberg 590. Both seem to be fine weapons to me.

 

i would get the 500 for any goblins creaping in your home cause if you shoot 1 the police will take your weapon and even if your legal you may not get it back. they dont like to give weapons back, or one of them wants it so it disappears.

 

Is the 500 pump Grand Slam turkey series any different in performance then the regular 500?

 

id get the 500

 

What kind of range does a 12 gauge slug have in a 18 1/2", 20", 24" barrels?

 

A rifled slug (for smoothebore) is going to have about the same range in any of the above...75-85 yards. I've seen 18.5 barrels shoot 2 inch groups at 50 yards with slugs they liked.

 

Finding the right shotgun for you (as with any tool) depends mostly on what you will be using it for. Here is a quick breakdown of my personal likes and dislikes within the Mossberg lineup:

590-

Pros:
-8+1 capacity (2 3/4" shells)
-Parkerized or Blued
-Heat shield is standard
-Lighter than 590A1 models
-Most 500 accessories fit

Cons:
-Difficult to find choked barrels (20" Cyl. bore standard)
-Plastic safety and trigger guard
-Ghost Ring sights not factory option (inhibit removal of heat shield)
-Bayonet lug (unless you plan to engage in trench warfare any time soon)

590A1 (military Special Purpose)-

Pros:
-18.5" or 20" barrel options (with 5+1 & 8+1 capacities respectively)
-Heavy-walled barrels
-Metal safety and trigger guard
-Ghost Ring sights as factory option (or add-on)
-Parkerized

Cons:
-No heat shield (option or add-on)
-Heavier than the rest

500 (18.5" barrel) -

Pros:
-Inexpensive (though the Maverick 88 is a bit cheaper)
-Interchangeable barrels/chokes
-Parkerized or blued
-Ghost Ring sight option
-Lightest
-Maximum versatility in interchangeable parts and aftermarket accessories

Cons:
-5+1 capacity
-Plastic safety and trigger guard

500 variant (20" barrel)-

Pros:
-7+1 capacity
-Ghost Ring sight option
-Parkerized or blued

Cons:
-No accessory barrels or chokes (Cyl. bore only)
-Plastic safety and trigger guard

My recommendation is to purchase the 500, 18.5" first, then consider the other models as a supplement down the road. Which type of 500 (you mentioned the Grand Slam Turkey as a possibility) is up to you based on your primary and secondary needs. Avoid pistol-grips (unless it's for door breaching) and folding stocks if you can. There are several advantages of a 500 over a Remington 870 as well (about which I can go into further detail if you like), but the 870 is also a very solid and dependable shotgun.

Also, please understand that a shotgun is not the "end all", "spray and pray", or "no over-penetration" solution to your problems. Employing a shotgun requires just as much accuracy and skill as any other firearm, if not more so. Purchase ammunition that is suited to what you will be using it for (birdshot for birds and slugs/buckshot for big game/personal defense), and become familiar, safe, and proficient with your shotgun by practicing regularly.

 

I have a Maverick 88 , primarily for home defense purposes. I have friends that own Mossberg 500s and they can barely tell the difference, except for the safety. On the 500 the safety is on top and easier to access, where on the Maverick 88 the safety is on the trigger guard. :thumb:

 

you say that the maverick 88 is a budget gun, but is it as low in quality as it is price?

 

the 88 is just like the 500, but the 500 is made in the USA the 88 is made in mexico that is why its cheaper

 

Not quite. The 88 IS made in Mexico, but the differences also include aluminium parts on the 88 where the 500 has them made of steel. I've an 88 and if you're just going to have it as a home defense gun you're not going to need a heavy duty weapon. My 88 has 40 rounds through it and most likely will never have more than 100 in my lifetime because of it's role as home-defense weapon.

 

i have a 590 and have no regrets, good gun, but if you plan on hunting pheasants and things of that nature, you may just want to get a longer barreled gun with more variability as far as chokes go, for pheasants this year im gonna have to get a new shotgun, or a barrel and new mag tube,

 

I dont liek where the safety is on the 88. The 590a1 is heavy and I dont think you gain much....never heard of a 500's barrel having any problems. The big five deal for the two barrels on the 500 is a good deal. You can always add ghost rings if ya want.

flag2442

 

I had my Maverick almost the entire time I was driving or on duty during this whole Ike thing. I deployed it once when some looters rushed out of a store and surprised me, and Maverick or Mossberg- I sure felt better having it with me. out of curiosity- which parts are aluminum? the elevator looks like it may be.

Even had a few LEOs check it out. One even said, "Dude, you're SICK! I LOVE it" in reference to the Knoxx stock, heat shield and bandolier sling. The sling actually performed better than I thought it would. It wasnt really encumbering at all to have 25 shells on it. But having a standard side mounted side arm will get fouled a bit with the pistol grip.

 

It is my understanding that the entire reciever is aluminum on all of the mossbergs even the 590a1. The 590a1 comes with a heavier barrel, metal trigger guard, and safety.

flag2442

 

And yet, I've never ever heard of the aluminum receiver ever failing...not once.

 

Either the 500 or the 590 over the Mav...

 

I own a 590 but I would recommend the 500. I got the 590 because the mgr of the BIG BOX SPORTS store near where i live told me it was a HOme Defender. I told him it was a 590 and was not a defender. He told me the gun was $129 as marked and he knew his guns. I tried one more time to show him and he told me that I should trust him since he was the gun person there. I told him I trusted him and gave him the $129 plus tax and bought both he had in stock. I felt a bit bad till i heard him speak to another employee when they were getting the second gun down. He indicated that he had taken me because the gun normally went for $119. Good for him.

I sold one to one of my friends for what i had in it. Kept one. Great gun. But I still say go with the 500. More versatle.