I must ask - Mossberg o/u?

[TWeatherford]

I was in Walmart today, and never can pass by the gun cases. Today I was drooling over a Mossberg 500, yes I know only $200 but I am in college. Right next to it was a Mossberg 12 gauge o/u for $475. I have heard here and elsewhere that good o/u shotguns can't be had for under a grand, unless well used. However, Mossberg is a pretty decent brand of shotgun, no? Anyway, thought I'd ask, because it sure is a beautiful gun, with some nice engraving and good wood.

 

[Hoppy590]

Mossberg reserves. imported and sold under the mossberg name. its a turkish made gun. there have been some concerns over snaped firing pins. but last i heard mossberg has been more than helpfull with fixes/replacements

 

[ArmedBear]

It's not a Mossberg; it's a Khan imported by Mossberg, styled to look like a Beretta. If you compare it with a Khan, the differences are cosmetic. Anything you know about a Mossberg shotgun doesn't apply, good or bad. That doesn't make the SR bad. It just means that it's neither designed nor built by the same people who make the shotguns you know as Mossbergs.

I've known a couple of people with them. Both had firing pins break within a couple thousand rounds (6 months of casual but regular range use). Bummer, too, since I think they both had had the guns fitted professionally. Both were shooting Winchesters last I saw them. Mossberg did fix the Silver Reserves, but only when the owners shipped the whole receiver.

From what I've observed, I wouldn't buy an O/U that costs under $1000 new.

There are some deals on used guns, even Berettas; you just have to look around.

 

[Technosavant]

For the most part, I read that they are decent guns. Not bad looking, either.

The problem is, if you dry-fire it while open or unassembled (one of the two; I don't own one, I just read up on it), and you don't move the lever ALL the way to the right, the firing pins won't retract. This means that when you close the gun, the firing pins are in the way of the locking block. Some have seen denting of the locking block, occasionally bad enough to prevent loading a shell in the lower chamber.

I wouldn't buy one without inspecting it first, and I'd be more likely to go with a Remington Spartan 310 anyway- made by Baikal, it's a bit heavier/rougher, but seems like it is better built.

Disclaimer: This opinion is formed by readings of www.shotgunworld.com forums on the various models.

 

[ArmedBear]

The people I knew did not, AFAIK, do any of these these things with the guns. They did not abuse them in any way. In both cases, firing pins broke. I believe these are two separate problems.

The Baikal is built like a tank. It does not have these problems. Our club rents them to new shooters and high schoolers, and they've performed well. It's not pretty, it's not graceful, but it's not failure-prone, either.

However, it's important to note that the 12 Gauge O/U is a bit of a specialized beast. For bird hunting, a lighter, smaller gauge gun is usually preferable. For waterfowl, pheasant, or all-around use, a good quality pump or semiauto is pretty cheap, especially compared to a good O/U, and you get 3 shots and a gun that will generally stand up to more abuse and dirt without complaint.

So, for the uses I have for a 12 Gauge break-action, I want a refined, well-balanced, good-quality gun. Range use involves a lot of rounds, and you really notice the niceties of balance and ergonomics at the range.

Bottom line? There aren't any O/U's under $1000 that I want. It's not that I'm rich -- far from it. I'd just rather have a good repeater than a marginal double, if I can't afford a good double. And I'd still want the repeaters for field use, one way or another.

 

[shotcalla]

I picked up a lightly used SR for $300 at a gun show and thought I got a great deal. I have not had any issues with firing pins and my locking block is fine. The jewelled monoblock is a nice touch that some of the much more expensive guns don't have. If you are a light user and want a decent all round gun get the SR.

I have no illusions that I could fire this gun thousands of times on the trap line, if that is what you want get a BT99.

My gun will probably get used for upland game or sporting clays where the option to have different patterns is useful.

I also have a Baikal (and a SX2 & several pumps) and think the SR is much more refined than the Russian gun.

 

[TWeatherford]

thanks for the reviews. I am not going for an o/u until I get some more of the basics, a good bolt .22, an 870 and mossy 500, one or two .22 handguns, and a .357 revolver. Then maybe I'll look to a nice o/u. I noticed this one and was wondering if it is complete crap, with the mossberg name on it anyway, or actually a decent gun at a good price.

 

[heavyrecoil]

This is a piece-o-crap gun that kinda looks good in the box/on the rack, but is not really worth your time/money. Pros: Nice Turkish Walnut stock, Mossberg's warranty. Cons: on many guns, firing pin hits/damages edge of chamber (when dry fired), short lifespan (soft metal), low-quality workmanship. I briefly owned one and it was... OK at best.

Don't get me wrong-- there are some great value guns coming out of Turkey-- but this ain't it. Check out the line of shotguns that CZ-USA features on their website or take a look at DeHaan Shotguns. Better products, more quality control.