Was poking around one of my favorite pawn shops today and came across an extra special Mossberg 500A in 12 GA. This one looks like it was stored in a salt marsh for years on end. Surface corrosion on the barrel and mag tube. Galvanic exfoliation corrosion on the receiver with a cracked stock. Extra special Dremel carving on the wood forearm. Safety is welded in the off-safe position from corrosion. Must be older than a 1968 model, because it has no serial number. The trigger guard/housing is plastic and looks newer than the rest of the gun. Minor corrosion on a few spots inside the barrel. The action does cycle fine with only minor corrosion on the bolt face. I suspect the previous owner stored it in one of those cheap naugahboo gun cases under a bed, or in a basement for decades. Barrel is 28" full choke. The tag says $150 on it. The sales guys are betting that no one will want to buy it.
I have bought several beater guns from this same shop and enjoy fixing them up. Have recently rebuilt two other Mossbergs and have the spare parts to repair all the mechanical issues. The finish is so bad, I am thinking I can clean off all the rust/corrosion and then paint it with truck bed liner. The barrel would get chopped to 19" with a fiber optic front sight. If I can get it for the right price, this might turn out to be a cheap trunk gun to haul around.
I have bought several beater guns from this same shop and enjoy fixing them up. Have recently rebuilt two other Mossbergs and have the spare parts to repair all the mechanical issues. The finish is so bad, I am thinking I can clean off all the rust/corrosion and then paint it with truck bed liner. The barrel would get chopped to 19" with a fiber optic front sight. If I can get it for the right price, this might turn out to be a cheap trunk gun to haul around.