Me and My Mossberg

[Buckman18]

I also posted this on GON to hopefully help someone avoid the headaches Ive experienced with my Mossberg 535:


A couple of years ago, I found myself proudly claiming title to a Mossberg 535 pump 12 gauge for turkey hunting. For the past 3 decades, I had turkey hunted with a run of the mill Remington 870 Express...

Nothing was wrong with the 870, and I still have it, but becoming acquainted on forums such as this one and GON, I thought it'd be fun to get a new rig. Besides, I've never owned a camo gun. My 870 has performed flawlessly since Bill Clinton was President, but feels like toting a 4x4 post on long journeys. My new Mossberg came with a 'turkey choke,' came with fiber optic sights, came studded for a sling, had been dipped in the Realtree camo, and only weighed about 6 pounds. The shorter 22" barrel would be less cumbersome and easy to tote on those several mile journeys in the mountains. Also, Made In The USA, I LOVE buying American. What's not to love, I'm in Turkey Heaven now! I could not wait to put it on a feed sack and dial her in...

Fast forward a few days. When I was putting it together, the rear sight snapped and broke... No big deal, its tapped for a scope. So I bought bases and rings and mounted a scope. I bought several varieties of 3 inch turkey shells. Its chambered for 3.5's but Im happy with 3s. Double X, grey box Winchesters, Remington Nitro and Premier, Longbeards, Federal, Hornadys, mixed up in 4s, 5s, and 6s. With my new 'turkey choke' I was determined to find the best load at 40.

Well, I got the scope close with cheap bird shot at about 10 yards. My oh my this thing thumps even with cheap bird shot... I back it up to 30, then 40 and finally got it good enough to start sampling the turkey shells. For the first time, I tried putting a shell in the magazine. It was quite a challenge to get it to go. Finally it did. Must be stiff, being brand new and all. 2nd shell finally went after a bunch of jamming and pressing with my thumbs (plural). I pumped the action to put a shell in the chamber. Nothing happened. I pumped again. Nothing. The 3rd time I pumped hard as ****, the shell loaded. Weird. Must need breaking in? I slid another round into the magazine.

Oh my, what a kick!!! Ive never felt something quite like that. Glad it wasnt the 3.5's!!! But... its light, so its going to kick. And its for turkeys, not skeets, so I can deal with the recoil. I bet the trigger is north of 7 pounds, probably 9 or 10. I dont like that but I can deal with that also. After shooting many many brands and shot sizes in my 'turkey choke,' only the Longbeards produced over 100 pellets in 10 at 40, and it wasnt much over 100... So I ordered a Longbeard choke from Carlson. No big deal, really, just about $170 more to get it ready (cheap scope, bases, cheap weaver mounts, and now a new competent choke). But, there is a problem... every other round that I try to rack either will stay in the magazine or fall out the bottom... That's crap, but since its already Turkey season I'll just have the mindset that Im hunting with a single shot. I go on to shoot 2 toms with it to fill my limit and ill deal with these issues later. Im a dad with 3 kids, and, Ive got better things to do at the moment.

Stevens launched a new single shot 12 with screw in chokes, so I put the word in Santa's ear and got one in my stocking. I fixed it up and hunted with it in 2019...

Honestly, by now I had just about forgot I even owned the Mossberg. However, I recently decided that I need to get it fixed up like I want, like it should've been the day it left the factory. I really dont want a pump with a scope so I ordered some tru glo fiber sights (the all metal ones - $50). Mounted them, and just nearly got them dialed when something didnt feel quite right when I shot.... the recoil pad had molded over the butt of the stock, and the STOCK CRACKED under its own recoil. About half way to the receiver. So I ordered a new stock (ebay - $30 more). Now the cycling issue... A simple google search led me to a problem Mossberg has had with the shell stop. It needs to be bent. I took it out and bent it. Whoops, I mustve bent it too much because now I cant load shells in the tube. I try bending it back. You guessed it... It broke.

The new one is scheduled to arrive tomorrow. ($10 more)

I want to be a raving fan. I really like the gun. I have other Mossberg products and am quite happy with them. But my patience is growing a little thin. Looking back, I should have just sent it back to Mossberg and demanded a refund. Maybe this will fix it.


Update:

The little part (shell stop) arrived and is now installed, and the gun appears to be functioning as it should. So that's good news.

Now ill just need one or two more shells to dial in the new sights, and we should be ready to rock. The stock I bought weighs about a pound more than the original, so now I have a 'normal' 7 1/2 pound shotgun, instead of a lighter weight pump gun that originally peaked my interest.

Conclusion: after the upgrades and fixes, I now have considerably more stones and headaches invested in this thing than I would have if I wouldve bought a Winchester SXP NWTF edition. If I could do over, Id by the Winchester, and still have a 6 pound gun.

[Bowguy]

Did Remington have the express 30 years ago? If so I must be getting old. Doesn't seem that long ago

[Bowguy]

Wow 1987 the express was introduced. I've never been a fan of it though and never messed with a 535. I wonder if any wasn't user error. We typically blame equipment when that's not truly the issue oftentimes. For instance if you shot longbeards first time I'd bet about any choke would put over 100 on target. Maybe it was a sight issue?
Next thing if the gun was new and you really had problems Mossberg should repair it. Money should not come from your pocket.
Three if the gun really is a headache sell it.

[Buckman18]

Well, other than the cracked stock, looks like I'm not the first one to have these same problems... And, if i wouldve known the problems would be continuing I certainly wouldve sent it back and told them to keep it...

Mossberg 535: How I Fixed Problems With the Feed and Replaced the Sights | SkyAboveUs
https://skyaboveus.com/hunting-shooting/Mossberg-535-Problems-and-Fixes

[Bowguy]

Had a Kimber rifle, same thing. Piece of garbage. It was sent back 3 times. Customer service was completely rude. They never fixed the issue. Gun doesn't live here anymore

[Buckman18]

Had a Kimber rifle, same thing. Piece of garbage. It was sent back 3 times. Customer service was completely rude. They never fixed the issue. Gun doesn't live here anymore

Yeah, if i had a crystal ball when the issues started I wouldve just sent it back. That was a bad decision and lesson learned. I have made up my mind that this is it, one more problem and i will just cut my losses and move on.

[Bowguy]

All you can do you never know when problems stop or are gonna be continual so you gotta just take your best guess

[Turkeytider]

Just curious. Since you had such great service from your standard 870 Express, why didn't you just get an 870 turkey gun? The Express Super Mag has, I believe, a 21 or 23" barrel , drilled and tapped for optics, camo.

[Buckman18]

Just curious. Since you had such great service from your standard 870 Express, why didn't you just get an 870 turkey gun? The Express Super Mag has, I believe, a 21 or 23" barrel , drilled and tapped for optics, camo.

I was attracted to the Mossberg because it was so light, and it felt good when I shouldered it.

[jrmcclure]

I have had a 535 for about 15 years now and it has been nothing but a solid turkey killer. Early on I had a couple of Remington nitro magnum turkeys 3.5's that would stick and you really had to rack it hard to get them to eject, but since going to hevi shot and tss no issues at all. My Mossberg 535 weights within a couple ounces of my 20 gauge 870 turkey setup. Hevi and tss fixed my recoil and bolt sticking issue. I have no intention of letting mine go anytime soon.

[BandedSpur]

Sorry to hear about your troubles but reminds me yet again why I will never own a Mossberg.

[paboxcall]

That's tough, sorry that happened to you as well.

I had a 500 in 12 gauge back in the late 90s - it shot about 4 inches right and 3-4 inches low POA to POI at 40 yards with the beads. Shells would get stuck in the tube because the tube spring would twist. I had to disassemble it to get them out a number of times. I put a set of fiber optic sights on to correct the POI issue, maxing out the adjustment but still needing a touch of Kentucky windage. Missed a bird that came a strong half mile across a big timber ravine at 20 steps, and traded it that summer.

Sorry to hear about your troubles but reminds me yet again why I will never own a Mossberg.

I felt the same way, till I came across a "used" 20 gauge Mossy 500, which was sitting in a safe and never spent a day outside. I've owned it a year now, and no issues other than it needs a stiff racking. Its a work horse that shoots POA to POI, and I'm really pleased this time around.

[badwolf]

My buddy bought one of those, couldn't get it sighted in. It was hitting 2 ft high. Mossberg sent him a new barrel , same problem.  I went to the range to help him and had him sit on the ground  like turkey hunting  when he touched of a 3.5 inch magnum he'd  roll on his back and the gun would shoot high. I told him to put sand bags on his feet to hold him down. Then his stock cracked  and he demanded his money back. I don't buy Mossbergs either.

[trkehunr93]

Sorry to hear about your issues with the 535, I've owned a 500 since '97 and it jammed a couple of times, cost me a follow up shot once but that's been almost 20 years since it's done that.  It's killed a lot of turkeys since then.  My 835 has performed flawlessly since '06.  I think every manufacturer has a flaw somewhere in some designs. 


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