Mossberg 500 and 590 are shotguns, not rifles

If a first-time owner says they bought a “Mossberg rifle,” they usually mean a Mossberg 500, 590, or Maverick 88. Those are pump shotguns. They shoot shotgun shells, not rifle cartridges. The number on the barrel is a gauge (12, 20, or .410), not a caliber like .223 or .308. A long gun with a shoulder stock is still a shotgun if it is built to fire shells through a smooth barrel.

Shotgun vs rifle, in one pass. A shotgun is loaded with a shell (shot or a slug). You work the forend (the pump) to cycle it. A rifle is loaded with a cartridge (one bullet in a case). An AR-15, a Ruger 10/22, and a bolt-action hunting gun are rifles. AR-15 stocks, magazines, and BCG parts do not fit a 500. A 500 stock does not fit an AR-15.

People mix the words up because both sit on the shoulder, both can look “tactical,” and a lot of TV calls every long gun a rifle. Look at the gun: 12GA or 20GA stamped on the barrel, a pump you slide, and a receiver that feeds shells. That is a shotgun. Supplier titles here say MSBRG, 12GA, FOREND, SIDE SADDLE, HEATSHIELD.

Mossberg does make rifles. The Patriot is a bolt-action rifle. Patriot magazines (short action, long action, magnum) are rifle magazines — they will not feed a 500. The 702 Plinkster is a .22 rifle. Those are the exception. They are not the gun most first-timers bring home from a “Mossberg” conversation.

A Shockwave uses 500/590 shotgun parts and 12-gauge shells. It is not a rifle. 590M box magazines are shotgun magazines (this store lists 10-round bodies). A side saddle holds extra shells on the receiver, which is a shotgun part.

We sell parts, not firearms or ammunition. This is not legal advice and not a how-to for buying a gun.

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