The 4 Best Mossberg 500 Stocks – Tactical & Short Reviews 2023

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Photo by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command / CC BY

The Mossberg 500 shotgun is one of the most popular shotguns not only in the United States but all over the world. The 500 is used for a wide variety of different roles and is highly customizable, and one of the biggest changes you can make is to change the stock.

You can customize the stock to your heart’s content, but the user should keep a few features in mind. First off is strength: the 500 is 12 gauge is powerful and it needs a strong stock to absorb the recoil. The top Mossberg 500 stocks should also be simple to install, easy to use, and should fit the shooter. Likewise, some stocks are made for use with body armor and some stocks are not. Keep this in mind and how you’ll be using your stock before you settle on one design or another.

Below, you’ll find our recommendations for the 4 best Mossberg 500 stocks for the money.

Hogue Stock Mossberg 500

A wide variety of Mossberg 500 stocks are still produced with wood. Wood may be more appealing to the eyes, but when it comes to functionality, polymer is superior. The Hogue polymer stock keeps the basic design of the classic Mossberg 500 stock but is entirely synthetic.

The polymer Hogue stock retains the natural intuitive shooting ability of the shotgun, the ease of use, and normal length of pull. The Hogue is lightweight and comfortable on the shoulder. Even when facing the recoil of a 12 gauge load, the Hogue stock’s built-in recoil pad reduces the typical shoulder pain associated with such a powerful load.

The polymer material of the stock is better suited against water, humidity, and abrasions than a wood stock. The Hogue stock may be a polymer, but it is extremely durable and quite rigid. The stock features a rigid fiberglass skeleton that can take a beating and keep going. The Hogue polymer stock will last for decades and outlive a wood stock any day. Bar none, it’s one of the best tactical stocks for Mossberg 500 shotguns.

Hogue Shotgun stock and forend install

Magpul MAG490 SGA Stock Fits Mossberg 500/590


Magpul is well known for its AR 15 accessories and magazines. They have recently entered the shotgun market by producing extremely well-produced shotgun stocks. The Magpul SGA stock is an excellent choice for the Mossberg 500. The genius of the stock is that it is not limited to tactical or sporting uses for it can be used easily for either purpose.

The Magpul combines both a traditional shotgun stock with a pistol grip. The pistol grip is connected to the stock at the bottom but is nearly independent. This aggressive pistol grip design allows the user to maintain control over the weapon with one hand, something useful for police and home defenders. This can even be handy for hunters climbing a tree stand, a steep hill, or carrying game home. The traditional side of the stock maintains the user’s ability to intuitively point and shoot the weapon. That intuitive shooting is one of the strongest points a shotgun has.

The Magpul SGA stock is incredibly well made. and made almost entirely from polymer. The stock can be fitted with a cheek riser for easier, more comfortable shooting. The stock is implemented with a sling point and is ready for both combat and the sporting field. If you want the best tactical stock for Mossberg 500, this just might be it.

Magpul SGA & MOE Stockset! Upgrade for the 590A1

Mesa Tactical (Sold on Brownells.com)

Mesa Tactical was making adaptable shotgun stocks long before they were fashionable. Mesa Tactical has a long history of creating quality goods at an a good price. Their shotgun accessories have been the first choice of police officers throughout the United States and for good reason. The Mesa Tactical telescoping buttstock combines the easy handling of the M4 carbine with the commonality of AR 15 parts.

The stock is identical to the M4 collapsible stock. It utilizes the same M4 style collapsing stock with a standard M4 receiver extension/buffer tube. This means you can utilize any mil spec buffer tube and any mil spec M4 stock. This includes offering by Magpul, Blackhawk, and other major AR manufacturers. This adjustable length of pull helps fit the shotgun to the shooter and to compensate for tactical gear like plate carriers.

The Mesa Tactical kit also utilizes any standard AR 15 grip. It comes with an overmolded Hogue grip, but again you can fit any standard AR 15 grip. The Mesa Tactical telescoping buttstock also features an Enidine hydraulic energy absorber to reduce recoil and improve its overall handling. The Mesa Tactical shotgun stock is well designed, easy to install, and of course fits the modular 500. This is hands down one of the best Mossberg 500 stocks on the market.

Blackhawk Knoxx SpecOps Gen 3 Stock

Accessorizing and customizing your firearm shouldn’t just be in vanity or to follow a fad, it should do something to help the weapon function and run better. One of the best things an upgrade can do is address a weakness. One of the weaknesses of the Mossberg 500 and 12-gauge shotguns in general, like we’ve said earlier, is recoil. The Blackhawk Industries SpecOps Knoxx stock is one of the most effective tools for absorbing and defeating recoil. If you’ve never used this system, you will be shocked at just how capable it is at reducing recoil.

The system uses an internal buffer with a spring to absorb the powerful recoil of a 12 gauge shotgun. This two-stage system is extremely innovative and it’s proven to work extremely well round after round. This includes full powered buckshot and the most powerful of slugs. The Knoxx SpecOps stock isn’t just a gimmick but a fully functional stock. The Knoxx SpecOps Gen 3 stock uses the standard M4 style stock with an adjustable length of pull to accommodate various shooters, as well as armor and tactical gear.

The Knoxx SpecOps Gen 3 stock has six positions of adjustment, and the stock also sports a very robust recoil pad to help further reduce recoil. The stock is complete with a QD sling point, a very ergonomic pistol grip, and a sturdy and strong design. This is one of the best tactical stocks for Mossberg 500 shotguns period.

Five Hundred

The Mossberg 500 shotgun has a long history of strength, dependability, and power. A stock that takes away from those features is not one you want on your shotgun. The best Mossberg 500 stocks allows the shooter to stay in the fight, to keep hunting, and to be able to use their firearm for decades on end. If your stock can’t keep up with your gun, then ditch it. Thankfully, none of our recommendations will ever disappoint you. Good luck!

  • Owner of Reloaderaddict.com, Boyd Smith is a major handgun enthusiast, and although he owns Glocks, he prefers the revolving wheel type. His go-to guns are a Smith & Wesson 642 Performance Center for carry and a Ruger GP100 in the nightstand biometric safe (he has kids). He loads both revolvers with old-school 148-grain Federal Gold Medal .38 wadcutters. It’s OK if you think he’s a wimp. Email him.

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