Mossbergermeister
.410
I see the subject come up frequently when it comes to the Mossberg 500 Series of Shotguns (save for the 590A1 with the Aluminum safety) of replacing the stock plastic safety with an aftermarket safety made of metal, and it has gotten me kind of worried.
Folks seem to be concerned about the durability of the stock safety since it isn't made of metal, but is it really so flimsy that its something that I should prioritize? I mean, I see a lot of folks online who say that they immediately replaced the stock safety, but is it a necessity? In other words, is the stock safety so terribly unreliable and prone to breakage that replacing it ought to be made top priority?
I see a lot of folks expressing concern over the durability of the stock safety, but is it really warranted? I find it hard to believe that Mossberg would have continued using a safety which is indeed unreliable/prone to breakage, especially considering that such could easily become a legal liability, but then again, stranger things have happened.
So what's the real deal on the Mossberg plastic safety? Are there indeed cases of it being terribly unreliable and if so are they recent or from years past? Is it a matter of immediate concern or is it merely that if one takes a Mossberg 500 out shooting/hunting on a regular basis for 50 years then the safety may break somewhere around that time?
EDIT - 01/30/2020: Upon attempting to install an aftermarket Safety Switch by NDZ Performance, I cannot recommend this to anyone. It has been nothing short of miserable from the very beginning, and honestly doesn't seem worth the trouble. Unfortunately, the Safety Switch is secured with a one-way screw which is an absolute nightmare to remove. Lots of folks make it look and sound so easy to do, but that hasn't been my experience at all. I've watched numerous instructional videos (including one from NDZ Performance themselves) and read countless posts on how to remove the screw, but I can't get it out no matter how hard I try or what method I use. Mossberg clearly doesn't want you to remove this screw in the first place and attempting to do so is a thoroughly miserable experience.
If anything, my persistent attempts at removing this screw has illustrated just how unnecessary these aftermarket safety switches are. Seriously, I've boogered up the screw head so badly that the only way I'm getting it off now without the use of power tools is to cut through the stock safety switch with a hacksaw then remove the screw with vicegrips. No seriously, this oh-so-brittle polymer safety switch is so thick and fitted so tightly to the receiver that the only way I can think of to break it off is to deliberately cut through it with a hacksaw. This isn't something that's going to snap off if you drop the shotgun and it lands on the safety switch or anything like that, so you don't have to worry about it.
So yeah, if you're considering replacing the safety switch on your Mossberg 590 Shockwave, DON'T! Save yourself the time, money, and frustration of subjecting yourself to the pursuit of this solution in search of a problem.
Folks seem to be concerned about the durability of the stock safety since it isn't made of metal, but is it really so flimsy that its something that I should prioritize? I mean, I see a lot of folks online who say that they immediately replaced the stock safety, but is it a necessity? In other words, is the stock safety so terribly unreliable and prone to breakage that replacing it ought to be made top priority?
I see a lot of folks expressing concern over the durability of the stock safety, but is it really warranted? I find it hard to believe that Mossberg would have continued using a safety which is indeed unreliable/prone to breakage, especially considering that such could easily become a legal liability, but then again, stranger things have happened.
So what's the real deal on the Mossberg plastic safety? Are there indeed cases of it being terribly unreliable and if so are they recent or from years past? Is it a matter of immediate concern or is it merely that if one takes a Mossberg 500 out shooting/hunting on a regular basis for 50 years then the safety may break somewhere around that time?
EDIT - 01/30/2020: Upon attempting to install an aftermarket Safety Switch by NDZ Performance, I cannot recommend this to anyone. It has been nothing short of miserable from the very beginning, and honestly doesn't seem worth the trouble. Unfortunately, the Safety Switch is secured with a one-way screw which is an absolute nightmare to remove. Lots of folks make it look and sound so easy to do, but that hasn't been my experience at all. I've watched numerous instructional videos (including one from NDZ Performance themselves) and read countless posts on how to remove the screw, but I can't get it out no matter how hard I try or what method I use. Mossberg clearly doesn't want you to remove this screw in the first place and attempting to do so is a thoroughly miserable experience.
If anything, my persistent attempts at removing this screw has illustrated just how unnecessary these aftermarket safety switches are. Seriously, I've boogered up the screw head so badly that the only way I'm getting it off now without the use of power tools is to cut through the stock safety switch with a hacksaw then remove the screw with vicegrips. No seriously, this oh-so-brittle polymer safety switch is so thick and fitted so tightly to the receiver that the only way I can think of to break it off is to deliberately cut through it with a hacksaw. This isn't something that's going to snap off if you drop the shotgun and it lands on the safety switch or anything like that, so you don't have to worry about it.
So yeah, if you're considering replacing the safety switch on your Mossberg 590 Shockwave, DON'T! Save yourself the time, money, and frustration of subjecting yourself to the pursuit of this solution in search of a problem.
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