[DontBurnMyFlag]

Hey everyone

Im a relatively new owner of a mossberg 500 persuader. 7+1 capacity 20"bbl etc. It had 25 rounds through it and wasnt cleaned since. That was a year ago in september! I bought it off my friend legally a while back. I took it to the range and I had no problems. The inside still appears oiled and clean and the barrel is in great condition. I shot 75 rounds of bird shot through it at the range about 5 days ago. I didnt clean it at all. My experience with pump action shotguns is to clean em when they need it, when you can tell they are really dirty.

To sum it all up. When should I clean it, how often, what should I use? Should I oil or grease the chamber? The barrel isnt rifled, should it be cleaned as much as a rifle barrel? What ,if any, problems will occur from not cleaning this tough gun? Ive heard of people that hunt with the same dirty shotgun all year round. So should I baby it, or treat it like a working mans gun?

Thanks for your info in advance.

 

[Outriderdark]

I don't think I've ever cleaned my 500 after I got it.
Tough gun. I cleaned it when it was new to get any machining residuals out of it, greased the action, and just keep pumping away. That was 2 yrs ago.

 

[ash]

I clean all my guns after I use whether they need it or not and the pistols just for fun sometimes.

 

[mark8252]

Cleaning

When I go shooting I usually bring and shoot 4-5 guns.
I clean them afterward ..but only one a day so it takes me 4-5 days to clean them all. That way I am not cleaning for a long period of time after shooting which ruins my fun that day.
Never have a problem and they all look good as new.

 

[DontBurnMyFlag]

thanks for the info. I think Ill just run a boresnake through the barrel when it gets visibly dirty. also, any tips on greasing or oiling the action?

 

[Outriderdark]

I swear by Kleen Bore's TW 25 B lube. It's a light grease that doesn't go anywhere and doesn't gum anything up. Plus it stands up to bad conditions.
The key to lube is restraint. Lightly lube it. Don't go crazy or it'll collect fouling and start to malfunction.
With TW 25 B you jsu put a very small amount on contact points a spread it very thin.

 

[Uncle Red]

I used to clean my M500 once a year, if that. Then I discovered that it was developing surface rust especially on the magazine tube. Now what I do when I return from the field is wipe it down with an oiled rag and clean it well at the end of the season. I’ve had mine for about 19 years now and although it looks worn (rightfully so after 19 years) it still functions as well as it did when I first got it.

-UR

 

[Outriderdark]

Good point on the mag tube UR.
The mag tube gets neglected on most shotguns.
We forget that we're shoving all kinds of damp and crud in there with the shells and it just lays in there. and the tube is made of cheaper metal than the rest of the gun.

 

[DontBurnMyFlag]

thanks guys. all great advice. I hope my mossberg lasts 19 years Uncle Red

 

[BattleRifleG3]

I've relatively recently gone to using grease on internals instead of oil. I use oil for cleaning and grease for working lubrication. I would snake the bore before and after shooting for safety and cleanliness reasons, and the rest perhaps annually. If you shoot it often, it'll get a chance to collect junk and powder residue. If not, it will probably collect dust. But I'm of the opinion it's more important to lubricate it correctly and thoroughly than to do it often and not as well.

 

[glockzilla]

I bought mine in 1985 . I have only once striped it down and cleaned it . Only because I was camping with it in the rain for a week and it got completely wet . But it still looks as new as the day I got it . I have the defense combo 18 and 28 inch barrels and a pistol grip option . Rob