Is it safe to leave a round chambered in a Mossberg 500?
 

Just wondering. I keep a Mossberg 500 in my trunk, and just took the buttstock off of it and put the pistol grip on. I've never really expected to have to use it, but there have been quite a few armed robberies in my area lately, one of which the assailant walked up to a guy who was getting groceries out of his trunk.

So I keep the Mossberg in my trunk, and want to know how safe (or unsafe) it may be to leave a round chambered. Meaning all I'd have to do is pick it up, switch the safety "off", and pull the trigger. I always leave the safety on, and even in an SD situation, doubt it would really hinder anything, because it is right where my thumb would go anyway.

I'd like to avoid having to cock it before firing if at all possible, because if someone has a gun in their hand, that sound might make them more inclined to start shooting me, whereas if the first thing they saw was the barrel of my 12 gauge, the last thing they'd see would be 9 pellets of 00 buckshot making them really "holy".

Is this safe? Or should I just leave the chamber empty?

Do you have trunk gnomes???
 

They may set off the 500, but otherwise, I dont see how it could be a problem.

I am sure that someone with more authority on the subject will offer a better opinion, but unless you plan on locking a BG in your trunk, you should not have a problem having in a ready condition.

Rod

I'd consider getting a shotgun scabbard and leaving it loaded with the safety ON in there. Reasoning: to keep anything from snagging on the trigger guard and keep the shotguns finish from getting all scuffed up from loose items in the back.

I did see one video a while back were a guys safety didn't work properly after he installed an aftermarket pistol grip. Make sure that works ok.

Pistol grip and model 500 don't go together well. I seems it would be better without a round in the chamber and the safety off. You then hit the disconect which is in a good place on the 500 and rack the weapon. Seems this is going to be faster then fumbling with a PG model 500 and tang safety.

Also, a sear works as designed but I doubt it would be designed to hold in the violence a car crash. I don't consider any weapon being transported in a vehicle in any type of case as being safe with a round in the chamber.

You also want to check the law as some states prohibit keeping a loaded rifle/shotgun in the car. Loaded in some states means round in the chamber. Don't know about Texas, but in Nevada you could keep rounds in the magazine, but not in the chamber if you are going to go for a drive.

+1

With the Mossberg safety location it is difficult to engage with a pistol grip.

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Agreed on all counts.

Full stock, empty chamber is the way to go. I would say hammer down and safety on, so it's run pump, hit safety and ready to go.

Also, most carjackings/parking lot robberies are at VERY close range from what I understand, and a shotgun is going to be pretty unwieldy. If you can't CCW, then I'd suggest a handgun in a secured location in the vehicle.

I agree on both his and your input too. I want to add that I really think it is important to carry a good pocket knife at all times. Something small like a Spyderco Delica (just an example). Maybe you already thought of it or it's already covered but I'm amazed sometimes with people who CC "sometimes" but never carry a blade.

I carry a sharpened prybar (also called a Strider RW-1) in my pocket every day, especially since I can't carry a handgun when I go to work.

That looks like a gorgeous instrument that could sing some songs if the player knew how to make music. Pricey, but nice.

I think in Texas it is only against the law to have an unloaded gun. I also wish the Main Manufacturers that are in places like NY, IL, MA and many of the accessory manufacturers like in CA would tell those states to stop making BS laws against their products or they will pack up their Shops and take their tax base and payrolls move to TX and other gun friendly states. Thiink of the Millions these companies pay in local and state taxes and the millions in payrol they pay in the states they manufacture in. Money talks. And sorry for getting of topic but it is a sore spot to be in a BS gun state like MI and God Bless TX for getting it right.

Amen to that. God bless the Republic of Texas.

As to the OP's original question: go for it. Not because of any legal issue but you might want to consider buying a gun safe for your shottie. IMHO I would never want to give a criminal a loaded weapon and a car/trunk is not particularly secure on its own. Fort Knox makes a good one that is imperfect for this use because where it opens. That said, it might give you a place to start looking. CHECK IT OUT HERE. I don't know much about it and whether it would work with a pistol grip but THIS might be another option. Neither of these provide immediate action but once the trunk is over you could access either pretty darn quickly (I can open a simplex lock I have in under 2 seconds).

I was told by the trainers at my previous dept. that the way the safety is designed, if you were up drop a loaded shotgun, it would discharge. Now I obviously do not have much experience with shotguns so not sure if that's true or not. We used Remington's, can't remember the model. True or false or on between?

Signed, confuzzed.


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I believe that would be an accident waiting to happen.

And in many states, illegal.

Please explain to me what $500 gets you in a pocket knife that $80 wouldn't.

I'm not being critical, since I know jack about knives. But, like watches, I just don't understand the value of really expensive ones.

:agree:

OP,

I stumbled upon a guy selling mountable magnets for firearms at the Gun Show. You just mount it where you want to hide it. Then attach the firearm to it. The firearm has some resistance coming off of it but not too much that would cause a problem.

I bought this for a trunk application. I figured if my hands are in the trunk already, then I want something quick that I can grab in a bad situation. Handguns are way more maneuverable in an enclosed situation. By the time you swing around a shotgun, I would think it would be your demise.

http://www.glocktalk.com/forums/pict...pictureid=6029

A Remington Shotgun will not discharge if dropped. I have a video of me beating the crap out of a loaded 870 with a mallet to prove this after that BS news report on this from CBS or ABC or one of those anti-gun networks.

I beat the weapon so hard I was knocking the trigger pins out and it still did not discharge. The entire law suit is prue BS against a manufacturer by attorny's wanting to score big. Which is why it fadded away.

Can you make it discharge? I am sure you can with enough force. Maybe dropping from a three story building onto payment or maybe even loaded in the trunk of a car that was just hit by another car. Don't want to find out by doing that mess. But dropping it or beating it with a mallet will not make it discharge.

Ability to hold an edge under abuse, ability of the blade to resist abuse (hence me referring to it as a sharpened prybar), how tight the blade locks to the frame when open, corrosion resistance... In short, a lot of advantages to a well made knife.

Plus, I didn't pay anything for it. :whistling:

As an alternative, look at the G-Code RTI holsters. G-Code sells RTI mounting discs by themselves, and they can be screwed to just about anything. Screw a disc into whatever location you like, and get an RTI holster of your choice - or get the adapter for a Serpa or Safariland holster. Holster mounts to disc, gun goes in holster. When you take the gun out of the car, you can simply dismount the holster (takes 2 seconds) and all that is left is a flat plastic disc that looks like nothing.

I mostly carry it as a utility knife, and not a weapon, but it can serve that purpose too. Unfortunately, firearms are verboten in my line of work (can't have them on the property, and Florida's parking lot law doesn't apply here), so a knife is all I can carry when going to or from work.

I'll have to check into that holster. Thanks for the tip.

I understand about the employer thing. The H.R. Dept at my work said, just keep it out of the building. They don't seem to care about the parking lot for now. :supergrin:

Thats good to know. I was always taught 870's arent drop proof and why I keep the chamber empty with a full tube.

I have a G-Code OSH riding on my range belt setup right now, and have an XST (edit: whoops, wrong name) retention holster en route right now. Both are configured for RTI. As soon as I can remember what I did with it, and decide where to put it, I'm going to mount an RTI disc in a discrete location in my car for long-distance trips. Lock in holster, 229 in holster (Retention or open top as appropriate), and hit the road. When I need to get out, draw from mounted holster, and insert into IWB holster. If need be, I can then remove the mounted holster from the disc, and hide it in the glove box.

I have collected edged weapons for the past 20 years. I love their usefulness. :supergrin:

Best way to carry a shotgun (IMO) is what we call Hot Standby.

Safety off/ with empty chamber/ pull the trigger--leave safety off.

Fully load the tube and store it. To get it into fight mode all you do is rack the slide which is much faster than popping the safety off.

Safe to carry, drop, crash etc and super fast to get into action.

One of my good friends (same one that provided me with the RW-1) recently got me started in them. It's a disease almost as bad as AR-15s.... :steamed: