The issue is so pervasive that it has lengthy been the follow of firearms instructors and police trainers to advise college students with Mossbergs to “purpose for the belt” simply to hit heart mass.
The rationale for that is that Mossberg’s 18.5″ and 20″ self protection barrels have a entrance brass bead that sits decrease within the sight airplane in comparison with Mossberg’s longer 28″ searching barrels. Mossberg’s searching barrels have a “vent rib” over prime of the barrel, which raises the bead to the right top which permits them to shoot to the purpose of purpose.
For instance this, right here is a photograph of my 28″ Mossberg 500 Vent Rib Barrel Searching Barrel over prime of my Mossberg 500 18.5″ Safety Barrel with the manufacturing facility brass bead:
Picture credit score: Rocky Mountain Bushcraft, ©2023 All Rights Reserved
So if you find yourself capturing a Mossberg short-barreled protection shotgun, it may be very irritating to hit what you’re aiming at if you find yourself capturing at longer distances, particularly if you find yourself capturing slugs.
Remington solved this downside with their 870 collection protection shotguns by making a raised entrance sight platform for his or her self protection barrels which shoot to the identical level of purpose as their searching barrels:
Raised Sight on a Turkish Remington 870 clone with an 18.5″ safety barrel:
Picture credit score: Rocky Mountain Bushcraft, ©2023 All Rights Reserved
Sadly, Mossberg has nonetheless not addressed this problem.
The Bead
Mossberg’s small/brief manufacturing facility brass bead (left) subsequent to Defender Tactical’s taller and beefier Highball Bead (proper):
Picture credit score: Rocky Mountain Bushcraft, ©2023 All Rights Reserved
Put in on the barrel:
Picture credit: Rocky Mountain Bushcraft, ©2023 All Rights Reserved
Comparability of the 18.5″ Safety Barrel subsequent to the 28″ Vent Rib Searching Barrel after set up of the Highball Bead:
Picture credit score: Rocky Mountain Bushcraft, ©2023 All Rights Reserved
As you may see, the Highball Bead makes up for the misplaced top from the dearth of the vent rib, permitting for the gun to shoot to the purpose of purpose.
The Rear Tang Security Sight
Though you should purchase the Highball Bead by itself, Defender additionally despatched me their Rear Tang Security Sight to check out with the Highball entrance bead. You should purchase Rear Tang Security Sight with the Highball Brass Bead as a equipment for $25.00.
Manufactured from plane grade aluminum, the Rear Tang Security Sight has a sight line notched into it to behave as a rear sight for higher sight alignment with the entrance bead.
Picture credit score: Rocky Mountain Bushcraft, ©2023 All Rights Reserved
Additionally it is formed to enhance upon Mossberg’s quite uncomfortable plastic security change. The inventory plastic security change has sharp edges on it which make it uncomfortable to push forwards and backwards.
Grovtec’s Fast Detach Single Level Bungee Sling has been a fantastic accent for my Mossberg 500 FLEX Takedown, particularly when I’ve the pistol grip put in. It permits me preserve the shotgun firmly and comfortably connected to my physique and permits me to go fingers free if wanted.
Picture Credit score: Grovtec.com
It additionally acts as a poor man’s brace to extend accuracy when aiming my shotgun with the pistol grip. Extremely rec’d accent!
Area Testing
Okay, I’ve the Highball Brass Bead put in, however does it work as marketed?To check out the Highball Bead, I grabbed my Mossberg 500 FLEX 12 Gauge, put in my 18.5″ Safety Barrel on it and arrange targets at 25 yards and 50 yards. I then shot them with numerous slugs utilizing each the unique bead and the Highball Bead.
I discovered that the Highball Brass Bead fully eradicated the purpose of purpose problem. Listed below are the outcomes:
Picture credit score: Rocky Mountain Bushcraft, ©2023 All Rights Reserved
Sure, this goal appears to be like like a complicated mess. However that is as a result of a separate wad struck the goal after every shot and made a gap just like a slug going by it, therefore all of the circles and notes on the goal.
However when you look fastidiously (click on on the picture to enlarge it), you may see that with the manufacturing facility brass bead at 25 yards, the photographs have been hitting on the prime of the chest and barely proper. They have been hitting barely proper as a result of utilizing simply the entrance bead (with no rear sight clearly), was inflicting my windage to be barely off.
However after set up of the Highball Brass Bead and the Rear Tang Security Sight, I used to be placing the slugs proper into heart mass.
25 Yards utilizing Federal’s 1oz Shorty Slugs:
Picture credit: Rocky Mountain Bushcraft, ©2023 All Rights Reserved
I completely love Fiocchi’s 7/eighth ounce Low Recoil Slugs. Though they weren’t as correct because the Remington Slugger Managed Recoil Slugs in my Mossberg, they’re lots correct inside typical slug distances. However their vital benefit over some other slug I’ve tried, is that they’ve very low recoil but nonetheless pack a punch. They’re additionally almost as gentle as a 20 Gauge slug. So they’re a superb ultra-light 12 Gauge shell to to throw right into a wilderness/backcountry survival equipment for bear safety and emergency searching.
Sturdiness
I noticed feedback in a web-based discussion board questioning if the Defender Highball Brass Bead would break simply resulting from its taller measurement. Nicely, I’ve had the Highball put in on my Mossberg 500 since Might of this 12 months (8 months because the time of this writing). Throughout that point, I’ve bumped it into numerous laborious surfaces whereas going forwards and backwards from the vary with out the slightest trace of it bending or breaking.
Last Ideas
Cons? Only one — the Defender Highball Bead and Rear Security Sight equipment is made in China.
In response to the proprietor of Defender Tactical, he would have needed to cost double the value if he made the bead and rear security sight in america. He informed me that as a lot as he would have liked to fabricate it right here, he felt that gun house owners wouldn’t be keen to pay that a lot for a brass bead and rear security sight.
I can not argue with him that the tradition in America remains to be “purchase no matter is least expensive it doesn’t matter what evil dictatorship it comes from.”
Hopefully within the close to future this angle will change, as a result of each Chinese language product we purchase goes in direction of the constructing of hypersonic missiles which can be being pointed at our Navy ships within the Pacific.
Origin of producing apart, the Defender Tactical Highball Brass Bead & Rear Tang Security Sight equipment is properly made and does precisely what it’s speculated to do at a really reasonably priced worth.
4.5 out of 5 Stars (Extremely Really useful)
Concerning the writer
E mail him at rockymountainbushcraft @ hotmail.com (with out areas)
