Mossberg 500 12ga loaded
 

In western Connecticut hills living next to state forest but I don't hunt but keep my 12ga pump oiled and clean AND loaded. I wonder is it a BAD IDEA to keep her loaded with those shells sitting in the chamber touching the sides (gun oil). Is this a good way to get a jam maybe if I had to shoot? I keep it by my bed and I don't want to have to chamber a shell _ I want to push off the safety and fire if I need to, but I don't want to be stupid (please don't say keeping a loaded 12ga by your bed is stupid). Thank you for your kind attention if anyone cares to comment.

i see no problem with it. Maybe after awhile the oil might get gumped up and mess with it a little, but i doubt it. If your a little paranoid about it work it once a week.

thanks HuntingPAkid I appreciate your input

Ya I see no problems with it I have an 887 nitro and keep it loaded with no such issues.

thanks BP Niccum

By the way - what do you folks think about the "plastic" trigger mech as opposed to a metal? version?

Haha So far I havent had a issue but I havent taken the gun through the ringer yet. So im leaving my opinions open but I will always be a fan of the metal.

yeah, thanks!

I never leave a gun cocked when it's not in use as I think it weakens the spring, which might fail when it's needed. My suggestion would be to keep shells in the magazine and nothing in the chamber with it uncocked. It doesn't take but a fraction of a second to put one into the chamber and the sound to an interloper will probably be all that's need to turn the tide.

My 870 (I know, not a 500) stays loaded 24/7 365 days a year. When its not being hunted with, its under the bed as home defense. No issues ever... thousands of rounds.

A gun that is wiped down with a oily cloth is fine. If your gun is loaded I would't have more oil in it, or on it, than a light wiping. You can always give it another wipe anytime you want.

If you've oiled it so much that oil will collect in recesses by gravity feed, or is observable in fine drips down the inside of the barrel, or the firing pin hole clearly is saturated --- then that it too much for a loaded gun in my opinion and for that matter a bit overboard for an empty gun as well. Once the movable parts of an auto-loader or pump action are clean and dry a light wiping is more than sufficient for storage, unless you live in a very corrosive environment. Remember, you can always give them another wiping periodically.

Most of the responses here are conjecture. A lot of theory, which is all true for very long term storage, but the timelines are unrealistic for what you're talking about. Assuming you actually use your shotgun a few times a year (which you d@mn well better be if you're using it as a self defense weaon), then you're doing enough maintenance to keep it in fine working order.

Oil seep, spring fatigue, case-head corrossion (voltaic cell created when moisture condenses in your action) are all incredibly long term effects. You're not talking about that length of time between handling and maintaining the weapon, so it's all irrelevant.

The 500's are like, well, we all know what they're like. Everybody has one, and they'll be fine as long as you keep it clean and take care of it... If you weaken your mag spring or mainspring by leaving it loaded and cocked, you'll find out about it in a hurry at the range when you're practicing with it, and you can get new parts in a heartbeat. I keep spare springs (among other parts) for most of my firearms, that way if I have a breakdown, I don't have to wait a week to get something shipped to me. Definitely worth the $5-10 to have a spare mainspring or mag spring laying around.

I paid $150 for the first Mossberg 500 I bought in 1998, been through half a dozen or so since then, paid $175 for a used one last week. Same ol same. Bought the new one to keep behind the seat of my farm truck, nothing fancy, but it'll work when I need it, and for sub-$200, I could care less how pretty it looks after a few years banging around in my feed truck. Mossberg 500's are the type of shotgun that I only end up getting in for work because someone has used them enough to wear something out. They don't wear out early, they just lend themselves to getting used a lot, because they flat work. (that said, not really a fan, but have a high level of respect for the 500).

Nothing wrong with one locked and cocked by the bed for that "Bump" in the night situation. But you made note of the excess oil and as Nomercy stated, mop it up a bit and you will be good to go.
I as well as many others here, keep a scattergun handy for that reason and I was bought up with the saying that "day time handgun, night time shotgun". I live by that.

I don't like the idea of plastic gun parts. The only way to get a metal one is find and older one or get a military version.