Centerfiresystems has the Canadian police mossberg 500 stripped receivers for sale.  How easy would it be to build up a shotgun or two? It probably wouldn't be cost effective since buying the parts piecemeal from say E-gunparts would be expensive like the bolt and trigger group, but barrels would be pretty cheap.



I'm thinking about getting one or two to SBS and add an AR stock adapter, they are only $50 each.

I think it would be cool since you could easily refinish the parts as you build it up over time.

What do you think?

Just my opinion....

Mossberg 500's are not hard to "build" at least that is to sa that they are not hard to take down to nothing and re-assy.  there are no Pressed in" parts or anything like that. However around these parts a used beater that is a prime type refinishing or project shotgun, go for around 100.00. given that the reciever you show is 50.00 alone, I would not think it would be worth it from a business point of view.. I have seen parts kits for a mossberg go for around 75.00( everything but the reciever) but even then your getting a little deep into a shot gun that is not going to be worth the sum of the parts involved.

Now haveing said that, you may be like me and the bull headed thought that you can build it cheaper and it will be exactly what you want without haveing to throw out half the "stock parts" and buy new ones anyway.

all in all if the reciever was say 25.00 Id say go for it. at 50.00 id say spend another 50 to 100.00 bucks and start with a working firearm.

Just my 2 cents.
ehunter

Wow, even a stripped 500 receiver costs more than its worth....


Save your coins, IMO. You can pick a functioning beater 870 for 150 bucks, and have a good platform.

+1 on what ehunter30 said re $50 not being that good of a deal.
Used but 100% complete & functional Elmer Fudd rabbit/duck Mossbergs go for less than $150 all the time in face to face private sales.  Add the transfer cost/tax/NICS check/etc & that used & abused stripped receiver becomes even less of a "bargain".

Centerfire was selling the parts kits made from these shotguns for ~$150 IIRC.  Top folding stock, standard mag, etc.  I guess now they've decided to sell off the left over receivers (perhaps their agreement with the Canadian PD was they wouldn't sell the complete riotguns on the civilian open market?)

Buying the rest of the parts individually from Numrich/GPC/E-gunparts would cost way too much $$$$$.
But if you watch eBay/the AR15.com EE/etc like a hawk you might be able to pick up the rest of the parts cheap enuff.   Plenty of trigger groups, bolts, barrels, etc on eBay for cheap.   I've picked up all the internal parts (complete bolt assembly, bolt carrier, ejector & screw, complete trigger group, TG pins, lifter, mag follower, mag spring, shell stop & release) for ~$20 or so.  Long 28" fixed choke barrels go for cheap compared to the riotgun barrels or ones set up for choke tubes....hacksaw to 18.5",  add a bead & you're set.   The furniture you could probably get for nearly free locally if you don't mind using the cheap blonde wood everybody ditches when switching to synthetic.

It does sound like it'd be a fun project but not really economically sound...much like resoring old cars or building hotrods or chopper motorcycles.  You'll never really recover your time/$$$$ if you sell it later.  If you had an FFL & had a deal with a local PD to buy & "destroy" their seized crime guns (access to cheap parts) you could make a profit with these.  

If these were virgin, never assembled receivers then they'd be perfect for a SOT built AOW ($5 transfer tax).