Not sure where to put this, it was here or Reviews, but since I haven't shot it yet, I didn't feel it was worthy of full "review" status... More a record of the build and the issues I ran into on it...
Started off as a Mossberg 500 I got in trade for a customized Mosin (after I test-fired the Mosin, almost didn't want to trade, cut and recrowned, bedded, action pillars, custom stock and paint, all by me, and close to MOA with a cheap red dot).
Magpul SGA stock and MOE forend, FDE (Wanted grey but were out of stock during the sale) $115 or so
Aimtech Warhammer rail system $80 I think?
Brownells Red anodized aluminum follower $20?
Mossberg 18.5" Breacher barrel $135-ish
AIM "Warfighter" Reflex sight... $50, and only a deal at half the price, see below.
Barrel... No problems... factory, fit like factory, no issues with it.
Follower... Nada, smooth like butter, I like the red, easy to see clear.
Magpul stock and Forend, no problems, easy as pie... No issues or problems... until...
Aimtech Warhammer... Admittedly, bought it for the looks, and the receiver wasn't drilled and tapped for a rail... The quality isn't bad, but it's aluminum, fairly soft, and the included 6-32 screws are soft as well, they'll be replaced... Once I got it on, it was time to start modifying... There were issues...
Since the Warhammer was made for the factory forend, i had to take... maybr 3.8" off each side of the MOE forend at the top, because it wouldn't clear, was rubbing all the way down and basically had it locked tight. So I marked it with a Sharpie on both sides, flipped it upside down on my belt sander, took it down, deburred it with a knife edge, and was good to go... Then ran into the second issue... There's an alignment piece that fits into the front of the forend, and anti-rotation deal... The breacher barrel is larger diameter than stock, so the forend had to be cleared... basically took a half round file to it and took the inside top of the forend down to the forend nut, and widened the opening on the "ears" on the Magpul tab.
Then issue three reared up... The front of the Warhammer mounts with a two piece clamp around the barrel with two 6-32 screws, then pops down on top of that mount and secured with two 6-32 screws. Due to the aforementioned barrel diameter, the mounting clamp was too wide... so each piece went to the belt sander to have about 1/8" taken off the outside... It's a tight fit, but it works.
Then the AIM sight, it was cheap, and had some cool reticles (dot, >.<, happy face, and skull). It will be replaced (by a Bushnell TRS-25), for one even with no riser it's too high. Ordered the High cheekpiece set for the SGA stock and the highest one (.75") is still maybe 1/4 to 1/2" too low... The Warhammer sits high enough you can actually use the front bead still, so you need a low profile sight. The glass isn't great, but it's not horrible either, all reticles can be switched to red or green, and has 3 brightness settings... That's the big dealbreaker. This sight would not EVER work in a low light situation, all of the settings are WAY too bright for indoors or low light, the reticles get all flared out and basically unuseable.
Thinned out some Rustoleum Flat Black enamal and shot it with my airbrush (After the picture), and that isn't going to fly either. Thin coats, oven cured, but still too soft for a working gun (or a woods gun, knockaround gun, whatever), all of the black matches now, but it comes off too easy. I'll either re-do with Krylon, Cerakote kit, or send it off to have a pro coat it flat black (and maybe the barrel FDE, who knows?)
Last upgrade will be one of the higher profile steel safeties, were out of stock when I ordered.
So imo...
Magpul furniture - 10/10
Brownells follower - 10/10
Warhammer - 7/10, quality isn't amazing, but it's not horrible, and it's the look I was going for, just wish it rode a little lower. Also nixes the idea of using a sidesaddle mount, unless you went with one of the velcro or tape mounted ones... Eopxy might work also.
AIM Warfighter sight - 3/10, looks cool, that's the pro. Outdoors only in bright light, huge con. When I get the TRS I'll probably toss it off... Could see it come up for half-price down the road in the classifieds... heh.
Can try to get detail pics of issues and fixes if anyone wants, didn't think to snap them as I went.
Started off as a Mossberg 500 I got in trade for a customized Mosin (after I test-fired the Mosin, almost didn't want to trade, cut and recrowned, bedded, action pillars, custom stock and paint, all by me, and close to MOA with a cheap red dot).
Magpul SGA stock and MOE forend, FDE (Wanted grey but were out of stock during the sale) $115 or so
Aimtech Warhammer rail system $80 I think?
Brownells Red anodized aluminum follower $20?
Mossberg 18.5" Breacher barrel $135-ish
AIM "Warfighter" Reflex sight... $50, and only a deal at half the price, see below.
Barrel... No problems... factory, fit like factory, no issues with it.
Follower... Nada, smooth like butter, I like the red, easy to see clear.
Magpul stock and Forend, no problems, easy as pie... No issues or problems... until...
Aimtech Warhammer... Admittedly, bought it for the looks, and the receiver wasn't drilled and tapped for a rail... The quality isn't bad, but it's aluminum, fairly soft, and the included 6-32 screws are soft as well, they'll be replaced... Once I got it on, it was time to start modifying... There were issues...
Since the Warhammer was made for the factory forend, i had to take... maybr 3.8" off each side of the MOE forend at the top, because it wouldn't clear, was rubbing all the way down and basically had it locked tight. So I marked it with a Sharpie on both sides, flipped it upside down on my belt sander, took it down, deburred it with a knife edge, and was good to go... Then ran into the second issue... There's an alignment piece that fits into the front of the forend, and anti-rotation deal... The breacher barrel is larger diameter than stock, so the forend had to be cleared... basically took a half round file to it and took the inside top of the forend down to the forend nut, and widened the opening on the "ears" on the Magpul tab.
Then issue three reared up... The front of the Warhammer mounts with a two piece clamp around the barrel with two 6-32 screws, then pops down on top of that mount and secured with two 6-32 screws. Due to the aforementioned barrel diameter, the mounting clamp was too wide... so each piece went to the belt sander to have about 1/8" taken off the outside... It's a tight fit, but it works.
Then the AIM sight, it was cheap, and had some cool reticles (dot, >.<, happy face, and skull). It will be replaced (by a Bushnell TRS-25), for one even with no riser it's too high. Ordered the High cheekpiece set for the SGA stock and the highest one (.75") is still maybe 1/4 to 1/2" too low... The Warhammer sits high enough you can actually use the front bead still, so you need a low profile sight. The glass isn't great, but it's not horrible either, all reticles can be switched to red or green, and has 3 brightness settings... That's the big dealbreaker. This sight would not EVER work in a low light situation, all of the settings are WAY too bright for indoors or low light, the reticles get all flared out and basically unuseable.
Thinned out some Rustoleum Flat Black enamal and shot it with my airbrush (After the picture), and that isn't going to fly either. Thin coats, oven cured, but still too soft for a working gun (or a woods gun, knockaround gun, whatever), all of the black matches now, but it comes off too easy. I'll either re-do with Krylon, Cerakote kit, or send it off to have a pro coat it flat black (and maybe the barrel FDE, who knows?)
Last upgrade will be one of the higher profile steel safeties, were out of stock when I ordered.
So imo...
Magpul furniture - 10/10
Brownells follower - 10/10
Warhammer - 7/10, quality isn't amazing, but it's not horrible, and it's the look I was going for, just wish it rode a little lower. Also nixes the idea of using a sidesaddle mount, unless you went with one of the velcro or tape mounted ones... Eopxy might work also.
AIM Warfighter sight - 3/10, looks cool, that's the pro. Outdoors only in bright light, huge con. When I get the TRS I'll probably toss it off... Could see it come up for half-price down the road in the classifieds... heh.
Can try to get detail pics of issues and fixes if anyone wants, didn't think to snap them as I went.
