Well, I grew up in a working class family duck hunting the Marshes of coastal Texas from the age of 14. I am a redneck, I reckon, even if a college educated redneck and a lover of classic rock music and a motorcyclist from the age of 13. Not real rednecky, some of my life.
But yes, that's the proper way to put it, pump guns are tools, not artwork. If I buy me an O/U, it'll partly be for art and because I can't afford the SxS I'd want.
I probably won't use it much, certainly NOT in the salt marsh. I mainly prefer the Mossy for superior ergonomics, left handed ergonomics. Love the tang safety and the placement of the slide release and the lack of a friggin' shell elevator in the way when I'm stuffing loads in the magazine.
Eat Beef, you probably know my stomping grounds. I grew up in Jones Creek hunting Brazoria and Matagorda Counties, but lived 30 years of my life in Port Lavaca hunting tide land areas, the island, and the Guadalupe Delta and have hunted as far south as the land cut.
Now, I'm between Hallettsville and Eagle Lake and plan to book some hunts here this season as well as run down to Port Lavaca for hunts. I'm still only 70 miles from Port Lavaca, but no longer across the street from the placid blue waters of Lavaca Bay. But, there are puddle ducks like mallard up here that we don't get much of down in the delta.
I traded a guy out of a Revelation M310 when steel shot became mandatory in 1980. It was just a single action bar Mossberg. I bought a vent rib 500 screw in choke barrel for it to replace the "C Lect" choke it had on it. Used it for 12 years until I decided I wanted a camo 500. I had an FFL at the time and got a camo model for 200 bucks dealer cost. Sold the old Revelation, but shouldn't have I suppose. But, really, didn't need it anymore.
Anyway, I wonder if all the store branded Mossbergs like that Revelation are in the total count? If not, that would probably put 'em over the top.
There were tons of store branded 500s sold in the 60s.