I was given a mossberg 500 slug barrel, well anyone who owns a Mossberg knows that a 500 barrel is not made to fit a Moss 835 shotgun. Well, I done some grinding on the 500 barrel to where it slides back and is engaged in the appropiate grooves on the chamber end of the gun. The chamber "hook-up" part of a 500 & 835 is the same, but the "hook-up" on a 835 at the magazine-tube end is made to slide over the magazine tube end and the cap screw on in front. Well, a 500 barrel is made to screw into the end of the magazine tube end. Well, I have ground away on the 500 barrel to where of course it fits the chamber end and engages, and I got it to where it will screw into this piece of metal *spring retainer* at the end of the magazine tube. It is a solid fit, and doesn't move, but I want to know if you all think it would be safe to shoot, or if I should just save up for a long time and buy the 835 barrel made for slugs. Oh yeah, it costs just as much to buy a slug barrel for my gun, as the cost of a CVA Muzzleloader Package at Wal-Mart. So just think about it and tell me your opinions....

No idea.

I wonder why you worked on it before asking this question.

I would consider a NEF slug gun for about 200. If you are considering a muzzleloader, then you can't be scared of a single shot, and the NEF can be reloaded much faster. I think they require scopes though, no irons.

NEF has the rifled sights, smooth or rifled bores. It's the NEF's brother the rifled bull barreled H&R Ultra that only comes with a scope rail.

Avid, are you a real gunsmith or a garagesmith? Whether to shoot it or not? Only you can decide cause it's your body at risk. I would have to recommend lots of prtective gear for the first bunch of shot. Heavy welding gloves and welding jacket type of stuff, maybe your actual head on the other side of a sizeable tree sounds good, too.

Then, take it all apart, clean it and examine it real well for evidence of failure starting.

Hot rods in the garage? Definately! Shotguns? Well I don't know about that.

Uncle Matt (in IL)

Have a gun smith check it man dont risk life or limb!

A very unscientific way of testing would be to put the shotgun in a gun vise or sand bag it into position with a pile of sandbags, tie a string to the trigger, load the gun, then fire it with the string while standing a good distance away from it, or maybe from behind a solid wall or vehicle. Use the heaviest loads you can find that will fit the shotgun, look for any problems like blown primers, split bases, hard extraction etc. If you don't have any problems, and have put enough rounds through it to feel comfortable with it, you should be ok. Also check for positive feeding.

Disassemble it afterward to check for cracks, peening, or other damage.



I've done this with a number of guns- some of them over 100 years old to sort of 'proof' them myself to check for headspace or weak metal problems on rifles. I still have all of my fingers and other appendages.

Take an old tire. Cut a 4" diameter hole through the tread on one side. Then lay the tire flat on the ground, load the gun, put the safety on, and stick the barrel throught the hole as far as necessary to be able to put the butt inside the tire on the side opposite the hole. Make sure the muzzle is pointed down-range. Now tie a 15-foot long string to the trigger, and pull it out straight behind the gun butt/tire. Now go up and GENTLY push the safety off. Go back to the end of the string, pull the string and and fire! This is how I proof-fire the muzzleloaders I build. If the gun bursts, the fragments will be caught by the tire and the ground, except for the parts that fly straight up into the air. You are far enough away that none of these pieces will hit you if the thing is faulty.

That's pretty interesting Eldeguello! Have you ever had one blow up?

if you want to try it tie it to a fence post and tie a string to teh trigger and give her a pull stand back behind a truck or somthin. just to be on the safe side