Real world complaints about older bolt action shotguns

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  • RCB

    Sharpshooter
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    Aug 17, 2009
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    I've had a Wards single shot bolt action shotgun (20ga) for quite a while. My mother had it before me. It's certainly not store fresh. At any rate I have never fired it. While looking for a part, I happened across posts about people warning about bolt action shotguns. I can't see how a bolt action shot gun would be any more dangerous than a bolt action 308 or 303 from WWII and before. Does anyone have any real world experiences with these?
     

    gregkl

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    I had a bolt action Mossberg when I was a kid. It worked okay but it blew powder residue into my face when I shot it. I suspect it was blowing by the bolt but it was a long time ago.

    I wouldn't say it was more dangerous.

    Oh, mine wasn't a single shot. It had a magazine.
     

    Mongo59

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    Years ago Sears had a recall on the bolts out of the shotguns they marketed, not the whole gun, just the bolt.

    Other than that I know of no other problems...
     

    DoggyDaddy

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    My very first shotgun as a kid was a bolt action Mossberg. I loved that little gun. Great for squirrels. My BIL had a 16 gauge Mossberg bolt action with a poly-choke and I liked using it for rabbits. I could get off 3 shots at a bunny with no problem, and a couple of times I needed that third shot before I hit it. I'd say that unless like Mongo59 said, it was defective, there is nothing inherently unsafe about them.
     

    Kernal1984

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    I grew up with a mossberg 410 bolt action that was passed around the family to whoever’s kid was the right age for it, killed a lot of squirrels and clay birds with it.

    Just picked another one up that I happened upon at a local shop and put it through its paces with a few different loads and the only problem I had was trying for doubles I would get a failure to feed sometimes.
     

    DoggyDaddy

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    I grew up with a mossberg 410 bolt action that was passed around the family to whoever’s kid was the right age for it, killed a lot of squirrels and clay birds with it.

    Just picked another one up that I happened upon at a local shop and put it through its paces with a few different loads and the only problem I had was trying for doubles I would get a failure to feed sometimes.

    I think I'll probably get another one eventually. I've come close several times when I see them at shows. I don't really hunt anymore but I'd like to have it just for nostalgia's sake. All my childhood guns were stolen back in the early 80's (when I was in my early 20's) - that Mossberg 410, a Mossberg 44 US, and an Ithaca model 37 Featherlite. I've replaced the Ithaca and the 44 US, so if I can pick up another Mossberg 410, I'll have them all back. :)
     

    Sniper 79

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    I've also come close to purchasing one. Seem like they would make a nice squirrel woods gun. Poly choker on the end would be sweet. A 20ga would be ideal and a 410 for the kids. Also love the looks of that 20ga bolt action slug launcher Savage has.
     

    M67

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    Typically there's no lugs on the bolt, so the bolt handle takes the abuse from firing. The magazines usually fail too so you have issues feeding. Sometimes you can get mags, sometimes you can't and when you do find the mags and IF they work, sometimes they're worth half as much as what the gun is worth.

    If you have a part fail in the bolt, all of them suck to take apart, some are just about impossible. They were designed to go together but not come apart. Finding parts for some of them are impossible too.

    You have to realize, it's 2020 now. Those guns were cheap guns when they made them, tack on 50 years and they're now an old cheap gun that's probably been shot a lot

    Nostalgia maybe? If it's been in the family for decades maybe? Outside of that.....I'd look elsewhere. I mean really there's some brand new pump actions coming out of Turkey for around $200. If anything least the company is still around and they have some warranty
     

    DoggyDaddy

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    Typically there's no lugs on the bolt, so the bolt handle takes the abuse from firing. The magazines usually fail too so you have issues feeding. Sometimes you can get mags, sometimes you can't and when you do find the mags and IF they work, sometimes they're worth half as much as what the gun is worth.

    If you have a part fail in the bolt, all of them suck to take apart, some are just about impossible. They were designed to go together but not come apart. Finding parts for some of them are impossible too.

    You have to realize, it's 2020 now. Those guns were cheap guns when they made them, tack on 50 years and they're now an old cheap gun that's probably been shot a lot

    Nostalgia maybe? If it's been in the family for decades maybe? Outside of that.....I'd look elsewhere. I mean really there's some brand new pump actions coming out of Turkey for around $200. If anything least the company is still around and they have some warranty

    Not sure about the other brands, but I've never considered Mossbergs to be "cheap" guns, especially the older ones. Their sales slogan "more gun for the money" was pretty accurate. Inexpensive yes, but well made, like tanks really. And theirs were internal mags, not detachable box mags.
     

    gregkl

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    Not sure about the other brands, but I've never considered Mossbergs to be "cheap" guns, especially the older ones. Their sales slogan "more gun for the money" was pretty accurate. Inexpensive yes, but well made, like tanks really. And theirs were internal mags, not detachable box mags.

    Just different perspectives from different people. We considered Savage and Mossberg as the "cheap" guns. By cheap we meant lower quality.

    Brownings, Remingtons, Winchesters and Weatherbys were the firearms of greatest desire when I was a youngster. This was from a performance perspective but I recall a lot of talk, touching and staring going on as far as the looks. Especially the wood that was used.:)

    My Mossberg bolt action shotgun was built like a tank though.:)
     

    DoggyDaddy

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    Just different perspectives from different people. We considered Savage and Mossberg as the "cheap" guns. By cheap we meant lower quality.

    Brownings, Remingtons, Winchesters and Weatherbys were the firearms of greatest desire when I was a youngster. This was from a performance perspective but I recall a lot of talk, touching and staring going on as far as the looks. Especially the wood that was used.:)

    My Mossberg bolt action shotgun was built like a tank though.:)

    Oh heck yeah, everybody wanted those "fancy" brands! :): But as you probably know, I've been on this old Mossberg .22 kick lately, and I continue to be impressed with their quality and function after 70+ years.
     

    gregkl

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    Oh heck yeah, everybody wanted those "fancy" brands! :): But as you probably know, I've been on this old Mossberg .22 kick lately, and I continue to be impressed with their quality and function after 70+ years.

    Yes. And if I was into 3-gun, I'd probably pick up one of those JM Mossbergs!
     

    M67

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    Not sure about the other brands, but I've never considered Mossbergs to be "cheap" guns, especially the older ones. Their sales slogan "more gun for the money" was pretty accurate. Inexpensive yes, but well made, like tanks really. And theirs were internal mags, not detachable box mags.

    I love old Mossberg 22s, the point being a $10 shotgun from the 60s and 70s that was made cheap by 1960s and 70s standards (cheap meaning cheap not POS just inexpensive) is still an inexpensive gun of not great quality when they’re 50-60 years old. Some guns were not meant to last 100 years. These lasting 2 generations are probably good by their standards.

    and if anyone says a sears and Roebuck, western field, West Point, etc private label bolt action shotgun is a quality firearm is plain lying to you. It’s like old Universal semi auto shotguns, Winchester 1400s, etc

    some guns we’re not designed or intended to last forever. Like automobiles or anything else human made there is a serviceable life to things
     

    Thor

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    Generally, bolt shotguns should be no more unreliable than pump action rifles; or lever actions or semi-autos for that matter.

    Like others on this thread, my first hunting gun was a Mossberg .410 bolt gun. The only failure it had was when I inadvertently stuck it's mug in the snow crossing a fence then engaged a rabbit. Lost just enough off the end of the barrel to keep it legal.

    Currently own a Savage bolt 12ga with a rifled barrel for slugs. Nothing wrong with that gun either.
     

    Fullmag

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    Heard many older hunters say they had a bolt action mossberg shot gun and wish they didn’t sell it. Not once heard a bad thing about them.
    Always thought they would slower operating than a pump or side by side.
     

    Tombs

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    I got a mossberg 695 awhile back just for the fun of a fully rifled bolt action 12 gauge. Was so incredibly cheap, it was a no brainer just for blowing stuff up.

    Seems robust enough to me, never had any blowby or issues running even some of the nastiest 3" magnums. Makes me wonder if it'd be possible to have it bored out to 3-1/2" for the giggle factor. I think there's enough room to eject the shells.

    I will say this though, even light birdshot that feels like a blank in my pump guns will bruise your shoulder out of that thing.
     

    White Squirrel

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    Oct 3, 2016
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    I inherited my dad's Mossberg 20 gauge bolt with a 2-shot magazine and the poly-choke. He got it in a trade in the early 1950s. That was the only shotgun we had when I was growning up. It was a squirrel, rabbit, and deer gun. It may be "cheap', but it has been reliable for over 70 years now. I hope some of the modern guns I have will last that long and be that reliable.
     

    HCALREF

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    Aug 2, 2017
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    I have had a few bolt action shotguns thru the years and found that many times, the magazines or clips, were worn and loose, and they did not feed reliably.
     
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