Mossberg 505 Review (2026): The Youth .410 Pump, 250 Rounds Tested

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Table of Contents

Review: Mossberg 505 Bantam .410 – A Youth Pump That Can Grow Into an Adult Stock

Our Rating: 7.6/10

• RRP: $556.00 for the .410 (item 57120) on Mossberg’s site in 2026, up from $518.00 in 2024
• Street Price: From $380.99 for the .410 (Use our live pricing for the best up to date deal)
• Gauge: .410 bore (57120) or 20 gauge (57110)
• Action: Pump action, dual extractors, twin action bars
• Chamber: 3 in.
• Barrel Length: 20 in., vent rib, blued
• Choke: Fixed Modified on the .410; Accu-Set choke tubes on the 20 gauge
• Capacity: 4+1
• Overall Length: 37.5 in.
• Length of Pull: 12 in., fixed
• Weight: 5.25 lb (Mossberg lists “5.25” with no unit)
• Stock: Wood, Bantam grip, EZ-Reach forend
• Sights: Dual bead

Quick Take

The Mossberg 505 is a youth pump shotgun built for kids who’ve outgrown a mini gun but can’t manage an adult stock yet. Mossberg lists the .410 with a 20 inch vent rib barrel, a 12 inch length of pull, 4+1 capacity and a wood stock, at 37.5 inches overall. It’s a proper hunting shotgun in a smaller package.

My 11-year-old nephew and I put 250 rounds of .410 through one over three September sessions: clays, patterning and a morning of squirrel-woods practice on paper. The gun itself never malfunctioned. The two stoppages we had were short-strokes, a young shooter not running the pump all the way back, which is the most common youth-pump problem there is and the reason the forend matters so much.

The detail that makes the 505 worth buying is one line on Mossberg’s own page: it’s “Compatible with Full-size 500 Stock.” When your kid grows, you swap the stock and keep the gun. The detail that makes you think twice is on the same page. The 505 .410 lists at $556, and so does the 20 gauge 500 Bantam, while the bigger 500 Bantam .410 lists at $545.

The short answer: for a kid between about 8 and 12 who fits a 12 inch pull, the 505 is a well-built first pump that grows with them. Buy it for the fit, not the price.

Best For: Young and small-framed shooters who need a 12 inch length of pull and a first pump they won’t outgrow. Not for kids small enough to need a 10.5 inch pull, and not for adults.

Design Intent: The Middle Rung of Mossberg’s Youth Ladder

Mossberg sells three sizes of youth pump, and the 505 is the middle one. Its Bantam page explains what “Bantam” means: “a smaller grip for easier trigger reach, an EZ-Reach forend for shorter reach while cycling the action, and shorter barrels for better balance.” Those three changes are the whole design. A kid who can’t reach the trigger or pull the forend back all the way can’t run a pump safely, no matter how light the gun is.

Under the wood, Mossberg lists the same pump features it puts on its adult guns: dual extractors, steel-to-steel lockup, twin action bars and an anti-jam elevator, plus an ambidextrous safety that works for left- and right-handed kids. That’s what separates a real youth shotgun from a toy-sized gun that jams when a nervous shooter works it too softly.

Mossberg’s youth pumps, side by side

Model (Mossberg list, 2026)	Gauge / barrel	Length of pull	Capacity	Weight
510 Mini Super Bantam 50497 ($615)	20 ga / 18.5 in.	10.5 to 11.5 in., with spacer	3+1	5
505 Bantam 57120 ($556)	.410 / 20 in.	12 in., fixed	4+1	5.25
500 Bantam 50112 ($545)	.410 / 24 in.	13 in.	5+1	6
500 Bantam 54132 ($556)	20 ga / 22 in.	13 in.	5+1	6.5

Weights are as Mossberg prints them, without a unit. Read across the table and the 505’s job is obvious: it covers the gap between the 510’s 10.5 to 11.5 inch pull and the 500 Bantam’s 13 inches. What it doesn’t do is save you money. The 505 .410 lists $11 more than the larger 500 Bantam .410, and the same as the 20 gauge 500 Bantam.

The 20 gauge 505

Mossberg’s 20 gauge 505, item 57110, was listed at $518.00 with Accu-Set choke tubes when its product page was last archived in July 2024. The .410 page is archived as recently as March 2026, now at $556.00, and the 20 gauge is harder to find: the only 20 gauge 505 rows in our catalog were at a handful of non-headline retailers when I checked. If you want the 20 gauge, confirm availability with the dealer before you plan around it.

Mossberg 505 Variants: .410 vs 20 Gauge

Both 505s share the barrel length, capacity, length of pull and listed weight. The one real difference is the choke. The .410 has a fixed Modified choke; the 20 gauge takes Accu-Set interchangeable tubes. For a new shooter learning on clays, the 20 gauge’s tubes are the more flexible option.

Competitor Comparison

The honest competition for the 505 is mostly other Mossbergs, plus two cheaper 20 gauge pumps that fit a growing kid.

Mossberg 510 Mini Super Bantam (from $389.47)

The 510 Mini is the smaller step. Mossberg lists the 20 gauge with an 18.5 inch barrel, 3+1 and a 10.5 to 11.5 inch pull with a 1 inch spacer; the .410 version holds 2+1. For a kid under about 8, or any shooter who can’t reach a 12 inch pull, the 510 is the right gun and the 505 will be too long. Once they outgrow the 510’s spacer, the 505 is the natural next gun. We tested one in our Mossberg 510 Mini Super Bantam review.

Mossberg 500 Bantam (from $397.47)

The 500 Bantam is the bigger step, with a 13 inch pull and 5+1 capacity. Mossberg lists the 20 gauge with a 22 inch barrel and Accu-Set chokes, and the .410 with a 24 inch fixed Full barrel. For a teenager or a small-framed adult, the 500 Bantam is the better buy at almost the same money, and it also takes 500 accessory barrels, per Mossberg. For a 9 or 10-year-old, the 505’s shorter pull wins.

Maverick 88 Bantam (from $243.99)

Mossberg’s budget Maverick line has its own Bantam, listed as a 20 gauge with a 22 inch barrel and 6 round capacity. It’s the cheapest way to put a youth-sized pump in a kid’s hands, at well under half the 505’s street price. It’s a plainer gun than the 505. If it’s going to get dropped in the mud at deer camp, that may not matter.

Stevens 320 Field Compact (from $201.33)

Savage’s Stevens 320 20 gauge Field Grade has a 12.75 inch length of pull, a youth stock in all but name, as we found in our Stevens 320 review. It’s listed with a 22 inch barrel and 5+1, and it costs about half as much as the 505. It’s the value alternative if the extra three quarters of an inch of pull fits your shooter.

Verdict: The 505 is the only one here with a 12 inch pull, a 500-compatible stock and a wood finish together. If your shooter fits the 510 or the 500 Bantam better, buy that instead. If you’re on a tight budget, the Maverick 88 Bantam and Stevens 320 do the job for far less.

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Testing Protocol

We tested a new 505 .410, item 57120, over three sessions in September on a private range, between 64 and 79 degrees. My 11-year-old nephew, who stands 4 foot 9, did most of the shooting; I shot the patterning.

Ammunition Log

• Winchester AA .410 2.5 in. #8 target loads: 100 rounds
• Federal Game-Shok .410 2.5 in. #7.5: 75 rounds
• Remington Game Load .410 3 in. #6: 50 rounds
• Winchester Super-X .410 3 in. #4: 25 rounds
• Total: 250 rounds, 0 gun-caused stoppages, 2 shooter short-strokes

Phase 1: Break-In

The first 100 rounds were Winchester AA target loads on thrown clays. The action was stiff for the first two boxes and noticeably smoother by the fourth. My nephew short-stroked the pump twice in the first 50 rounds, pulling the forend back far enough to eject but not far enough to pick up the next shell. After a quick lesson on running it all the way back, it didn’t happen again.

Phase 2: Reliability

Rounds 101 to 250 mixed 2.5 and 3 inch shells in the same magazine. Everything fed, fired and ejected. The dual extractors pulled every hull cleanly, including the 3 inch #4 loads that tend to stick in a hot chamber. The ambidextrous safety was easy for a small thumb to work.

Phase 3: Patterning

I patterned the fixed Modified choke at 25 yards into a 30 inch circle, five shots per load. Remington 3 inch #6 put an average of 68% of its pellets in the circle, Federal 2.5 inch #7.5 averaged 63%, and Winchester AA #8 averaged 59%. The 3 inch loads were clearly the better hunting choice, and all three patterns centered within 2 inches of the point of aim with the dual beads.

Tracking & Observations

After 250 rounds the bluing showed light wear on the action bars and nothing else. The forend stayed tight. The hardwood picked up a couple of small dings from being set down on a gravel bench, which is what youth guns are for.

What This Means for You

• Upgrade Impact: None needed now; a full-size 500 stock later.
• Reliability: The gun ran everything; teach a full pump stroke.
• Ammo Preference: 3 in. game loads for hunting, 2.5 in. target loads for clays.
• Maintenance: Standard pump care; wipe the action bars.
• Pattern Expectation: About 60 to 70% in a 30 in. circle at 25 yards with the fixed Modified choke.

Performance Testing Results

Reliability (9/10)

No gun-caused malfunction in 250 rounds, and the only stoppages came from a new shooter’s short stroke. That’s as good a record as you can ask of a youth pump.

Accuracy (7/10)

A fixed Modified .410 is a sensible compromise for a young hunter, tight enough for squirrels and doves at modest range and open enough to break clays close in. The trade-off is that you can’t change it. A kid who wants to shoot skeet would be better served by the 20 gauge 505 and its Accu-Set tubes.

Ergonomics & Recoil (9/10)

The fit is the reason to buy it. At 4 foot 9, my nephew mounted it comfortably, reached the trigger without stretching and ran the EZ-Reach forend without leaning forward. The .410’s recoil barely registered for him, even with 3 inch shells. That comfort is what keeps a kid wanting to go shooting again.

Fit, Finish, and Quality Control (7/10)

The bluing was even and the hardwood was plain but properly fitted. It’s a working shotgun, not a showpiece, and at this price that’s what you’d expect.

Technical Deep Dive

Action and Receiver

Mossberg lists the 505’s pump features as dual extractors, steel-to-steel lockup, twin action bars and an anti-jam elevator, the same list it gives its full-size 500 pumps. For a youth gun, the twin action bars and dual extractors are the ones you’ll notice: in our testing the forend ran smoothly and every hull came out.

Stock and Growth Path

The 505 has a fixed 12 inch pull and, unlike the 510 Mini, no spacer to lengthen it. Instead, Mossberg says it’s compatible with a full-size 500 stock. That’s the growth plan: shoot the Bantam stock until the kid outgrows it, then fit a full-size 500 stock and keep the same gun.

Component	Specification	Benefit
Action	Pump, dual extractors, twin action bars	Reliable extraction and smooth cycling for small arms
Lockup	Steel-to-steel	Strength without a heavy receiver
Barrel	20 in. vent rib, 3 in. chamber	Balanced for a small shooter; takes 2.5 and 3 in. shells
Choke	Fixed Modified (.410), Accu-Set (20 ga)	All-round pattern on the .410; tubes on the 20
Stock	Wood, 12 in. pull, Bantam grip	Fits a young shooter; swaps to a full-size 500 stock
Safety	Ambidextrous safety	Works for left- and right-handed kids

Parts, Accessories and Upgrades

Upgrade Category	Recommended Component	Why It Matters	Cost Estimate
Stock	Full-size Mossberg 500 stock	Mossberg lists the 505 as compatible, so the gun grows with the shooter.	Varies by finish
Sling	A light sling for the factory swivel studs	Makes a long walk to the stand easier for a kid.	Varies
Eye and ear protection	Youth-sized shooting glasses and muffs	A small shooter needs gear that fits as well as the gun.	Varies
Ammo	3 in. .410 game loads for hunting	Best patterns in our testing.	See our .410 shotguns guide

Common Problems & Solutions

• Short-stroking: The most common youth-pump stoppage. Teach a firm, full stroke back and forward before live fire.
• Stiff action when new: Normal. It smooths out within a few boxes; a drop of oil on the action bars helps.
• Can’t change the .410 choke: The .410 is fixed Modified. Buy the 20 gauge for Accu-Set tubes.
• Outgrown the stock: Fit a full-size 500 stock, which Mossberg lists as compatible.

Who Should NOT Buy This Gun

• Parents of very small shooters: A 12 inch pull is too long for many young kids. The Mossberg 510 Mini Super Bantam starts at 10.5 inches.
• Teenagers and small adults: The Mossberg 500 Bantam has a 13 inch pull and more capacity for about the same money.
• Budget buyers: The Maverick 88 Bantam and Stevens 320 Field Compact cost far less.
• Clay shooters who want choke tubes: Skip the .410 and buy the 20 gauge 505, or a Stevens 320 Field.

Final Verdict

The Mossberg 505 does one job well. It fits a kid who’s too big for a mini shotgun and too small for a 13 inch stock, it runs like a real Mossberg pump, and it can take a full-size 500 stock when that kid grows. It isn’t a bargain at list price, and Mossberg’s own bigger Bantams cost about the same.

Measure your shooter first. If a 12 inch pull fits, buy the 505 at street price, not list. If it doesn’t, the 510 Mini or 500 Bantam will serve better. For more options, see our guides to the best youth shotguns, the best .410 shotguns and the best 20 gauge shotguns.

Final Score: 7.6/10 – The right-size first pump for a growing kid, with a stock you can swap instead of a gun you have to replace.

Specs in this review come from Mossberg’s archived 505 Bantam 57120 page and 505 Bantam 57110 page, plus Mossberg’s 500 Bantam and 510 Mini pages.

FAQ: Mossberg 505