Ok my trusty rusty Mossberg 500a has seen better days. She still have some life in her I think. All of her parts seam to be in good order but she has had a very good diet of slugs and 3in shells. How many slugs is just too many? There is a new one now.
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darkvox
ANSWERS: 3
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I hate to get metaphysical on you, but I think that for this question I must. A frontiersman has a trusty axe. After a few seasons later, the head is dull and cannot be sharpened anymore so he replaces the head. A few more seasons and the handle dries out and splits so he replaces the handle. Is it the same axe? Your gun is a fairly popular one with a variety of aftermarket parts, both replacement and enhancement. The question you have to ask yourself really is whether the cost of replacing the worn parts to repair your trusty companion compared to the cost of replacing it entirely is worthwhile. Without seeing your gun, I don't know. For all I know, a new barrel and a meticulous cleaning/oiling of the action may be all that is needed.
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I doubt the receiver is damaged since the gun is rated to shoot slugs and 3" magnums. The barrel may have a litte wear, it's easy to switch to a new barrel. If you need, you could try a head space gage just to see if it is getting loose.
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I would tend to believe that unless you've been shooting trap several times a week for a very long time that the little bugger is probably still in pretty good shape. On the other hand if you've been shooting waterfowl (steel shot) that might be a different story. Now the 'rusty' comment might be a concern but maybe not if it's only the barrel. No matter. There are plenty of OEM and aftermarket barrels on the market. Clean it up, if you have doubts have a gunsmith examine it. Otherwise get yourself a new rifled slug barrel with scope mount for Bambi so you can do a nice group at 50 yards and a new smooth bore with an assortment of chokes and you have the equivalent of a complete overhaul and a versatile sporting arm that could last a lifetime.
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