Major Flaw in the Mossberg 500/590 and Maverick 88

**Kaptein L** · 09-04-2020, 23:40

**A-R** · 10-04-2020, 08:59

Originally Posted by Ds J

Isn't the Maverick the SAP's issue weapon? If it can take SAP handling, another explanation might help?

IIRC, they did issue them to the "Special Constables" in the early '90's. They were almost indestructable. Later, when the locally made Musler (Beretta 202 copy made by Musgrave and Haussler) became available, the SAP adopted that. If I had a choice between the 2, I would take the MAverick/Mossberg every time. The Musler is is well made, but has a lot of extra buttons and stuff to manipulate. The MAverick/Mossberg is roughly made, but is a straigt-forward working tool. The first series of the Maverick only had a single action bar. These were prone to breakage. When they went back to the dual bar setup as in the Mossberg 500, they were just as tough, except for the plastic stocks that are much tougher than the wooden ones often seen om Mossbergs.

**Carbine** · 10-04-2020, 10:02

Yes the SAP did have some Mossberg 500s many years ago.

Many weapons are going to have a flaw if you hammer them enough, and just at the right angle etc. If this was a common problem, they would not have sold over 10 million of them and they would not have survived military torture tests and operational use. If it is a worry for any 500 owners then it's an easy fix as mentioned above.

Still happy with my 500 and will still take it over other pumps and semi autos that I've either seen fall apart with light use on clay pigeon shoots, or jam repeatedly at clay pigeon shoots and 3 gun shoots.

**FNBROWNING** · 10-04-2020, 10:27

The Beretta may have more buttons but this does not appear to be an issue. Stuff shell in, pump slide and it goes bang just like any other pump.Think it also has a chromed bore.

**A-R** · 11-04-2020, 07:29

Originally Posted by FNBROWNING

The Beretta may have more buttons but this does not appear to be an issue. Stuff shell in, pump slide and it goes bang just like any other pump.Think it also has a chromed bore.

You missed the part where you need to press the button first, to release the loading gate. Then keep it depressed while loading...

**FNBROWNING** · 11-04-2020, 09:46

Originally Posted by A-R

You missed the part where you need to press the button first, to release the loading gate. Then keep it depressed while loading...

You are likely right. Its long since I last used one so yes may be forgetting something. But even rolling in the dirt I do not recall ever having issues loading or seeing anyone anyone else with difficulties so if required it was not an issue. Most of us never carried or used it, familiarity as purely training and then back in storage. Was this possibly only required to load the first round?

**A-R** · 12-04-2020, 07:37

Originally Posted by FNBROWNING

You are likely right. Its long since I last used one so yes may be forgetting something. But even rolling in the dirt I do not recall ever having issues loading or seeing anyone anyone else with difficulties so if required it was not an issue. Most of us never carried or used it, familiarity as purely training and then back in storage. Was this possibly only required to load the first round?

No. The mechanism is very similar to the Beretta A300. You need to keep the button depressed in order to release the loading gate, for every round loaded into the mag tube.

If I had one of these, I would try to somehow modify the loading gate to make it open freely.

I have found that very few owners actually practise reloading a shotty. They also don't carry spare ammo. Seems they are content to be stuck with the few rounds thay have in the mag.

One of my shotguns is a Browning BPS (Browning Pump Shotgun). This is a bottom ejecting action with no loading gate. It is pretty fast to load singe rounds into the mag tube. Loading 2 rounds is a little more difficult, as the depressed loading gate, that acts as a guide to help the rounds into the tube on a normal action, is absent. The big downside of this action type is the inability to do a quick OSR (Oh sh!t reload) by throwing a singe round into the open ejection port. What it can do, is open the action as soon as you press the trigger. So you keep rearward pressure on the pump handle. Once the trigger is released, the action flies open almost automatically. The Rem 870 can do the same.

I have tried doing this with the Mossy/Maverick without ammo, and it won't. I do suspect that with recoil added it will do this. Worth checking out if you want to shoot it fast. Not sure how fast you can fill the mag on a Mossy/Maverick, as the mimimal loading gate does not really lend itself to guiding the rounds into the mag tube.

The thing is that you need to determine what the purpose of the shotty will be, what your skill level is and how fast you actually want to shoot and reload it. Horses for courses. I would guess that the Rem 870 (and it's many copies) represents about the best tubular mag pump action system from a fast shooting and reloading point of view.

But we are straying far from the thread now...

**MrK** · 12-04-2020, 09:58

I have used the RS 202 quite a bit. I have to agree with FNBROWNING, the button needs to pressed only if you managed to run the gun empty. As long as you reload the tube while there is a round in the chamber there is no need to press it.

**liquid360** · 20-04-2020, 18:07

So it seems this is only an issue when the safety is engaged ? when the safety is on "fire" there is not enough space for the pins to be pushed back ...can anyone confirm this?

**SoldierMan** · 20-04-2020, 18:32

Originally Posted by liquid360

So it seems this is only an issue when the safety is engaged ? when the safety is on "fire" there is not enough space for the pins to be pushed back ...can anyone confirm this?

If that is the case it is only with the 500 and 590, that trick would not work with the Maverick 88 on which the safety is in a different place.