Mossberg 500

The most-sold pump-action shotgun in North America. 1961 design, current production, the Index's first pump-action shotgun entry.

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Mossberg 500 reference image for Holdover Ban-Risk verdict

Is the Mossberg 500 banned in Canada? Not currently. The Mossberg 500 is Non-restricted, but it scores 2/15 on the Holdover Ban-Risk Index. It is not currently eligible for compensation. The current amnesty for prohibited firearms expires 90 days after the latest Supreme Court appeal termination under SOR/2026-114.

Classification: Non-restricted · OIC/SOR: - · Ban-Risk: Low · Compensation: Not currently eligible · Amnesty: SCC appeals + 90 days

Verdict

The Mossberg 500 has been continuously produced since 1961 — one of the longest-running American firearms designs currently in production and the most-sold pump-action shotgun in North America. Tubular magazine, ambidextrous top-mounted safety, dual extractors. Canadian shooters use the platform across the full range of shotgun applications: bird hunting (with the 28-inch barrel), deer hunting (with rifled-barrel slug configurations), home defence (with the 18.5-inch barrel), and sport shooting. The Index reads it 2/15: pump-action (1), common shotgun gauge (1), zero across the rest. First pump-action shotgun entry on the Index — the previous shotgun entries were all bullpup semi-automatic platforms (Lever Arms LA-K12 Puma, Hunt Group FD12, Derya MK10, Uzkon Typhoon ARS12) or AK-pattern semi-automatic (Saiga-12). The pump-action category sits structurally outside the SOR criteria's reach in the same way the lever-action category does — both are Class 1 action types with no policy momentum.

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The Ban-Risk Index updates as classifications and the federal compensation list change. Get those changes, and the SCC + 90-day amnesty deadline reminders, in The Dispatch.

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Lineage

Parents: Mossberg 200 (predecessor) → Mossberg 500 (1961) → 590 military / law-enforcement variant (also Non-restricted), Maverick 88 budget sub-variant

Primary sources for this entry

Safety note: the Ban-Risk Index is editorial estimation, not legal advice or a substitute for current official guidance. The classification field reflects current RCMP FRT status as of the last-scored date. For any transfer, surrender, deactivation, or transport question, consult primary RCMP / Public Safety Canada sources and, where appropriate, a Canadian firearms lawyer.