How To Take Apart Shotgun Shell

Whether your shotgun is used to launch buckshot or beanbags, you need to keep it clean and ready for service

There was a time when the shotgun was the primary long gun for police, just in many departments, it has been relegated to a secondary, or even less-lethal weapon, as information technology has been replaced by the patrol burglarize or carbine.

Nosotros've previously discussed how new ammunition developments have made the shotgun more valuable than ever as a lethal tool, but regardless of whether yours is reserved for launching buckshot or beanbags, you need to go along it clean and ready for service.

While semiautomatic shotguns like the Benelli One thousand-series guns, the Beretta 1301, or FN SLP have become more popular in recent years, the traditional choice for police force use has always been a pump-action gun. Today, we'll await at how to detach one of the most popular guns in this grade, the Mossberg 500/590-series.

steps to disassemble the Mossberg 500/590 series shotgun

1. The first stride in disassembly is to ensure your shotgun is unloaded. To accomplish this, point and keep the barrel in a safe direction while accomplishing the following:

a. Place the safety to the "ON" (aft) position.

Place the safety to the ON (aft) position.

b. Push the push behind the trigger baby-sit to unlock the action, and slowly pull the forearm all the fashion to the rear. This volition squirt a shotshell that is in the chamber. Working the action slowly will allow y'all to safely capture the ejected shotshell.

Pushing this push in volition unlock the activity.

Slowly move the forearm to the rear and capture the shotshell ejected from the chamber.

c. If there was another shotshell in the magazine, information technology will now be on the elevator. Roll the gun onto its right side, to allow this shotshell to fall out of the ejection port, into your manus.

If there was another shotshell in the magazine, information technology will at present exist resting on the elevator.

Roll the gun on its right side, to allow the shotshell on the elevator to autumn out.

d. Physically and visually check the bedroom and elevator to ensure at that place are no shotshells present, then move the forearm forward and shut the activeness.

Ensure the sleeping accommodation and elevator are empty past bear upon and sight, then close the action.

e. Reach into the loading port underneath the gun, and push on the cartridge stop in the left sidewall of the gun with your right pollex. This will allow the base of operations of the get-go shotshell to partially go out the magazine tube. Using slight thumb pressure level on the base of the shotshell to aid it articulate the elevator, pull information technology gratuitous from the mag and out the loading port on the bottom of the gun.  Repeat this process until all shotshells have been removed from the magazine.

Push on the cartridge stop on the left sidewall with your thumb.

Slight thumb pressure will help the brass base clear the elevator.

Remove the shotshell from the loading port area, and repeat the process to remove all the shotshells from the magazine tube.

f. Once all shotshells have been removed, physically and visually bank check the magazine tube to ensure there is no ammunition left in the magazine.

Ensure the mag tube is empty past touch and sight. Y'all should see the follower, instead of shotshell brass.

2. Movement the forearm to a middle position where the action is halfway open.

3. Unscrew the takedown spiral (or magazine cap, on some models) on the finish of the magazine tube, to release the barrel.

Unscrew the takedown spiral at the end of the magazine tube.

4. Pull the barrel forward, off the gun.

Remove the barrel from the front of the receiver.

5. With a non-marring tool, push the trigger group pin out of the gun from the right side.

Push the trigger group pivot out (this gun has a hex bolt that must be unscrewed, instead)

6. Remove the trigger grouping from the action past pulling the rear of the trigger guard down and aft, simultaneously.

Remove the trigger group by pulling down and aft on the rear of the trigger guard.

vii. Remove the cartridge interceptor from the right sidewall of the gun.

Remove the cartridge interceptor from the right sidewall.

8. Remove the cartridge finish from the left sidewall of the gun.

Remove the cartridge stop from the left sidewall.

nine. Afterward ensuring information technology'south lined up with the relief cuts in the receiver, pull the bolt slide out the bottom of the receiver.

Marshal the bolt slide with the relief cuts, and pull it out.

10. Remove the forearm from the gun by pulling information technology forward, off the receiver.

Remove the forearm by pulling it forrard, off the receiver.

eleven. Remove the bolt by pushing it forrard, out the forepart of the receiver.

Push button the commodities forward and out of the receiver.

12. Remove the lift, by pinching the artillery together and so that their studs clear the holes in the sides of the receiver, and so lifting information technology out.

Compression the arms of the elevator, and lift it out of the receiver.

13. (If desired) Remove the spiral that holds the ejector in place on the left sidewall, and remove the ejector.

14. (If desired) Unscrew the magazine tube from the receiver, being careful as you well-nigh the cease because information technology will be nether slight spring pressure.  Remove the spring and follower from the mag tube.

Now that you have your shotgun disassembled, yous can properly clean and inspect it, to ensure it will give you reliable service in the field.

All photos by Mike Woods.

About the author

Mike Forest is the son of a xxx-year California Highway Patrolman and the author of "Newhall Shooting: A Tactical Assay," the highly-acclaimed report of the 1970 California Highway Patrol gunfight in Newhall, California. Mike is an Honor Graduate of the United States Air Force University, a graduate of the The states Army Airborne Schoolhouse, and a retired The states Air Forcefulness Lieutenant Colonel with over 26 years of service. He's a National Rifle Association (NRA) Constabulary Enforcement Division-certified firearms instructor, senior editor at RevolverGuy.com, and has been a featured guest on the Excellence In Training University and American Warrior Society podcasts, as well every bit several radio and idiot box programs. He's grateful for the opportunity to serve and acquire from the men and women of law enforcement.

Source: https://www.police1.com/police-products/firearms/shotguns/articles/how-to-disassemble-the-mossberg-500590-series-shotgun-for-cleaning-aj2Alg3HaeD7RsQs/

Share this post