mossberg with heat shield

[You'll shoot your eye out]

I have a Mossberg 500 12 gauge. it is parkerized, with extended magazine and full length vented heat shield. It came with a pistol grip but I have put a stock on it. The guy where I bought it new said it was for military sentry work. I wonder if this is true, does the military use these shotguns? I also wonder about the heat shield, how many 3 inch magnum's do you have to shoot before you could burn yourself on the barrel? wouldn't that kind of heat damage the barrel? Or is it just for looks? (looks pretty cool!) Since I got it I have thought of taking it out and pounding slugs until it heated up, I can't imagine what that would cost.

 

[Sylvain]

I think it's just for looks.
You will never shoot a shotgun fast enough and long enough to need a heat shield.
It's not a machine gun, especially a pump action shotgun.
For me it only makes the shotgun heavier.
If you are worried about burning yourself just wear gloves.

 

[ctbreitwieser]

Marine Corps uses Mossy 500's. They dont get used a whole lot though. Dont really need a shotgun to breach a hanging piece rug.

Was the guy right? techinically he was. But thats like selling any 1911 and saying it was used by the soldiers in WW2.

 

[Foxtrum]

I think I would get tired before the barrel heated up I have a shield on mine. Think it would be scarier to the BG?

 

[jedi]

You will never shoot a shotgun fast enough and long enough to need a heat shield.

I have a Moss 500 (no heat sheild) and shooting 8 rounds of BuckShoot 00 will get the barrel hot enough for you to not want to hold it for any lenght of time. Gloves typically help in making sure not to have to deal with this issue. A heat sheild would also help bu alas it's just more weight and I don't shoot all 8 shells back-to-back that often so not an issue.

@OP
Sure your barrel will get hot but not to the point where you have to worry about barrel issues. Yes accuracy (for say slugs) may become an issue if you are firing and firing but that is an issue for any long gun after firing it for so long.

-Jedi

 

[IndianaResident]

I have a Moss 500 (no heat sheild) and shooting 8 rounds of BuckShoot 00 will get the barrel hot enough for you to not want to hold it for any lenght of time. Gloves typically help in making sure not to have to deal with this issue. A heat sheild would also help bu alas it's just more weight and I don't shoot all 8 shells back-to-back that often so not an issue.

@OP
Sure your barrel will get hot but not to the point where you have to worry about barrel issues. Yes accuracy (for say slugs) may become an issue if you are firing and firing but that is an issue for any long gun after firing it for so long.

-Jedi

We've discussed this before, and I'm 100% with Jedi. A fully magazine of birdshot can make it super uncomfortable, or burn on a thinner barrel.

Head shields are heavy though. Mossberg 500's and 590's are issued in the Marine corps, but see more service as breachers weapons than gate sentries.
I always saw Benelli M4's at the gate, just hoping to plug a grill with a slug.

 

[forthehousew]

I have heard the heat shield also prevents denting the barrel as the Marines sometimes use a long arm as a club, maybe urban myth.

 

[nimrodder]

The Indiana Army Guard has M500 shotguns mostly in MP units and no they don't have heat shields.