Henry Rifle Forums

The safety on my old 1989 Mariner finally gave up a couple weeks ago, so ordered an NDZ replacement and got it installed yesterday. Pretty simple job, but does require gunsmith glue to hold the spring and tiny little ball in place during installation. The NDZ switch is aluminum instead of the factory plastic. Also swapped out the mag follower.





This is the kit I bought:

https://www.ndzperformance.com/mossberg ... 01-blk.htm

And a good video of the installation process:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zmk2dNSPx0

Nice, I sure like the look of those Mariners.

I second that motion Hatchdog. They are a very practical and good looking shotgun.
Nice work Gene.

daytime dave wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 13, 2021 11:43 am

I second that motion Hatchdog. They are a very practical and good looking shotgun.
Nice work Gene.

Just so y'all know, I painted the heat shield a few years ago since the original shiny finish would create some glare making it hard to see the bead in bright sun. That's the reason Mossberg switched to a non-glare finish on Mariner receivers and barrels in the early 90's.

Yup, looks good. A working (duty/service) shotgun doesn't have to be fancy, just functional.

That is a beauty!

I had a 500 persuader, a great duty shotgun.

Holiday009 wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 23, 2021 8:43 am

That is a beauty!

I had a 500 persuader, a great duty shotgun.

It's my HD gun. I don't practice with it much, but will occasionally set up some targets on a jungle trail in my woods. I'll typically have a sidearm in addition to the shottie, and will practice slinging it on my weak arm ( hanging between elbow and wrist) after a shot or 2, to draw and shoot the pistol. And then holster the pistol & reload the shottie while moving on to the next target. All this doesn't necessarily require live ammo. Maybe once every 5 or 10 outings, just to stay in shape. Like the man said, owning a shotgun doesn't necessarily mean you know how to fight with one. Same as for any firearm.

ETA: If you decide to practice this, carry the shotgun shouldered with the sling above your forearm between your forearm and the barrel. This does 2 things; it keeps the sling fairly close to your body to minimize chances of it snagging on something, and when you drop it it will automatically position itself muzzle up and at about a 10* outboard angle so you don't blow your own head off if it decides to go boom. You shouldn't have a live round in the chamber at this point anyway, but stuff happens.

interesting shotgun .... I've heard of them but this is the first I recall seeing .... does it use choke tubes ....

JEBar wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 23, 2021 1:13 pm

interesting shotgun .... I've heard of them but this is the first I recall seeing .... does it use choke tubes ....

Not from the factory, they're all cyl bore. You'd have to thread the barrel for a screw in choke. That said, if you shoot something like a Brenneke slug or Federal Flight Control Buckshot (which is what I use), you really don't need a choke.

BTW, the early models with the shiny Marinecote finish, are sometimes hawked as "stainless steel" in the used gun market for exorbitant prices. They aren't. Mossberg never made a stainless version, but some folks do get suckered in.

If I remember correctly, Winchester made a marine defender 1300 series also.

Holiday009 wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 23, 2021 2:18 pm

If I remember correctly, Winchester made a marine defender 1300 series also.

I'll take your word for that. I never researched it.

More useless info: I did make a couple of other simple mods several years ago.

A slight bevel around the loading port to eliminate the sharp edges, and make loading a tiny bit easier.



And some decoration on the grip - Marinecote->Marine Corps.

GunnyGene wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 23, 2021 1:53 pm

Not from the factory, they're all cyl bore. You'd have to thread the barrel for a screw in choke. That said, if you shoot something like a Brenneke slug or Federal Flight Control Buckshot (which is what I use), you really don't need a choke.

BTW, the early models with the shiny Marinecote finish, are sometimes hawked as "stainless steel" in the used gun market for exorbitant prices. They aren't. Mossberg never made a stainless version, but some folks do get suckered in.

I tend to believe, like an 870, she'll deliver a pretty strong kick when firing slugs or buckshot

JEBar wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 23, 2021 2:54 pm

GunnyGene wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 23, 2021 1:53 pm

Not from the factory, they're all cyl bore. You'd have to thread the barrel for a screw in choke. That said, if you shoot something like a Brenneke slug or Federal Flight Control Buckshot (which is what I use), you really don't need a choke.

BTW, the early models with the shiny Marinecote finish, are sometimes hawked as "stainless steel" in the used gun market for exorbitant prices. They aren't. Mossberg never made a stainless version, but some folks do get suckered in.

I tend to believe, like an 870, she'll deliver a pretty strong kick when firing slugs or buckshot

You betcha. Push/pull is required to avoid a dislocated shoulder with 546grn (1.25 oz) Brenneke Green Lightning at 1476 fps. And that's not their big boy (Magnum Crush).