Mossberg 500s are great shotguns. They’re affordable, reliable, and rugged. Like any magazine fed firearm, they have one reliability weak spot: the magazine spring. These springs lose their tension as the weapon ages. Every time it is compressed, the metal from which its made is weakened just a bit. Over a the years, the spring can get so anemic it can cause feed failures. This process is exacerbated if rounds are left in the magazine for days, weeks, or longer at a time. Not an uncommon practice with shotguns used for home defense or kept ready for hunting opportunities.
There are two ways to detect a weak magazine spring. If the last round or two doesn’t pop out with vigor whenever you unload the magazine (just press the shell retainer spring with your finger), the magazine spring is suspect. The other way is to just wait and have the gun mis-feed at a critical moment. Don’t know about you, but I’d rather find out the first way than the second. Two avoid either condition, the best way to ensure continuous reliability is to replace the spring at regular intervals, say every five or ten years depending on how you use the magazine.
Here at LocaCarnivore, we believe in making hunting and shooting as affordable as possible. To help you, we’ve started a new series, LocaCarnivore DIY. This video is our first episode. It shows you how to replace the magazine spring (and the follower if you care) on your Mossberg 500 in less than five minutes without tools. As always, before you start any gun maintenance project ensure the firearm is unloaded.
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