Who wants a pistol grip 12-gauge shotgun in a watertight floating tube? An Alaskan canoe adventurer between encampments? (Fargo: go Bears!) I’m thinking a handy snub-nosed revolver chambered in .357 (or something even larger) would be a better choice for close-in anti-ursine duty, while a proper rifle would be a safer option beyond, oh, five yards. Mossberg’s website isn’t much help on the utility question; it shows a hiker with an M500 Cruiser. The big ass tube sitting on the side of his pack is impracticality personified. Retrieving the M500 in an emergency would be as simple as playing Parcheesi blindfolded. Underwater. But this weapon “system” is worth coveting for one simple reason: it comes with a can of Survival sardines. Wait. Those are sardines, right? [Specs after the jump]
JIC™ [$448 Just In Case] 500® Cruiser® kit includes:
- 500® Cruiser® 12 gauge pump-action, 6-round capacity, 18-1/2” barrel, bead sight, blued metal finish
- Waterproof Survival Kit-In-A-Can, containing the necessities to keep you going when an emergency strikes
- Floating synthetic carrying-tube with shoulder strap
- Tube includes a heavy-duty synthetic seal, factory tested to be air-tight and waterproof to a minimum of 17psi or 40’ when properly installed
- Gun lock
- Swivel studs
- Owner’s manual
- Contents packaged in heavy-duty re-sealable bag
- As many ™ and ® notations as you can handle, maybe more
Slap a top-folder on that package and it might be useful. As it is, no thanks.
Out of curiosity, I once bought a pistol-only grip for my Mossberg 500. Two boxes of birdshot proved my new stockless boomstick to be much less practical than my .357, and brought my experiment to an early end. It wasnt a total waste, however. The whole affair (grip and shells) cost less than $30, and I occasionally put the pistol grip back on for ineffectually blasting at tin cans at the quarry.
They look cool, but there’s a reason you never see these at 3 Gun competitions. Long guns without shoulder stocks are next to useless.
Yup, pistol grip only shotguns are very difficult to use. They are great for manipulation in tight confines, but you loose in shootability.
I never bothered shooting my 500 with the pistol grip. I summarily bought a stock and got rid of the pistol grip.
How is it obscure, again?
Having fired a shotgun sans stock I have no desire for this piece. The tube is neat though. After taking one look at the webpage I laughed a bit. What hiker wants to carry all that gear plus a shotgun/bulky tube? Will the Mossy fit in her tube with a folding stock? Would be a nice boat gun in that case.
Build on a budget. 6″ PVC pipe cut to length, pressure test plug(s), 6″ cap, 5 minute epoxy, old sling(or new) and about two hours of time maybe $60.00. That’s just the tube carrier add gun of your choice.
Just curious, what is the 5-min epoxy for? You can PCV/Solvent weld the seams. You can make a sling that “hugs” the tube and wouldn’t need to install any sling swivels.
For connecting the sling to tube at fixed points. No possible slip offs. It worked for mine. But mine is for fishing rods. You could also use this same setup for countless uses including ammo, documents, takedown recurve with arrows, flares, even adding other sizes of PVC piping inside as guides or dividers. Paint it any color you want with spray paint to match or identify its contents.
I think the idea is that it’s a tube for burying it as a sort of “SHTF Reserve Gun” that “no one would know about.”
I’ve heard it said elsewhere that “if it’s time to bury it, it’s time to use it.”
Actually, not bad for the price. Typically, I’d say, build your own: Buy the gun of your choice, get some 8″ PVC from the plumbing supply, some end caps, a few cans of Spam, 50′ of paracord, etc. But, by the time you’re done, you’re probably at a much higher number than 4-1/2 bucks. They’re not gouging on the individual items.
If I was in the market for a Mossberg 500, I might buy this, put a real stock on it and use the other stuff for whatever it’s good for.
Well, you know how on some boards people will post pictures of their guns, and then comment that they were lost in a tragic boating accident– partly a joke, partly to deter thieves? I think someone at mossberg took ’em seriously.
I suspect a pistol grip only shotgun could be a very, very effective indoor weapon. It seems it would be very intuitive for point shooting. It would really suck to have the prosecuting attorney waving it in front of a jury, though.
These exist solely to plant the seeds of bad ideas in the minds of the slow-witted in the hope that they will film themselves and post the video on YouTube for others to laugh at.
Right, and get your front teeth knocked out while you’re at it.
Definitely needs a shoulder thing that goes up.
I dont see how a barrel shroud would make it any better at spray firing heat sinking bullets from the hip.
Long guns with out shoulder stocks are sort of worthless. Pass on this.
Actually, one nifty long gun was the AR7 in .22lr. Pass on bears with that one.
I actually wonder if the AR7 could be scaled up or re-engineered to take maybe a .357 cartridge?
As is… I think I would get a Ruger Blackhawk for the Bears.
Not sure how this qualifies as “obscure” since they are widely available and still offered by Mossberg….but what ever.
The JIC packages are Mossberg’s response to the small “survival” guns offered by Marlin, Springfield and Henry. Most survival guns are small take-down rifles chambered in 22lr. The JIC works on the same principal and the JIC II is even a take-down shotgun. The tube is great and much lighter than the PVC ones you can create with parts from the home improvement stores. Realistically a 12gauge would be a better survival gun over a 22lr, The price isn’t bad the tube is cool and it has room to through a stock in there. Overall I like the JIC series.
You had better have that thing out of the tube and in your hands in the event of a surprise ursine encounter. And loaded. With slugs. No time to unpack and set up when momma bear comes out of the bushes.
I think the tube is for rafting to keep the weapon dry and safe. I would use it if I were camping and open it up/load it every night.
I like the tube. I’d break down a rifle, wrap it in plastic, stuff it down in there, bury it in a fortified cabin, and wait for zombies. Or not buy it cause this thing is useless.
I’ve floated a barrel or two in my lifetime, but the Mossberg-in-a-Can floats the whole gun. It’s would be the perfect tool for hunting fish from a canoe, except for the NRA’s safety rule #2,567,922 — never shoot at water because something could get wet.
I wouldn’t want a snubby let alone in .357 for the bears I have where I live. If I am headed where the bears are, I carry either a 12 gauge with slugs or my .30-06 as bare minimums. I know it’s possible to take a bear with a pistol, but it’s not recommended.
I just got the JIC SandStorm Cruiser and done it up all tactical with the flip up stock with shell holder Single point tactical quick release sling and ghost ring heat shield! I just use it as a home defense weapon and to take camping. But I agree having it in the tube while hiking in the mountains is not practical and MIGHT prove fatal! I just use the tube to store it in while in my truck and to keep it on the down low while transporting it or carrying it to the campsite. It is a really nice gun with the upgrades AFTERALL it is a Mossberg 500! 🙂
Out of curiosity, what folding stock & shell holder did you get? I’m trying to do the same thing – get a shoulder stock to fit in the JIC tube, but I’ve seen pictures of certain stocks not fitting in due to size restraints. If you haven’t had any problems with a folding stock & shell holder fitting in the tube, would you be so kind as to share? Thanks!
Are you people idiots you people have NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Idea how many doors we breached and defeated the insurgents in Baghdad , Iraq withis same weapon !!!
Are they also planning a Super Bowl party, or
doo they haνe other plans. Coretta Scott KIng: Тhе
Words of Martin Luther King (London Collins Ϝound, 1985 – Pg 51).
Note that thе rules ƅelow won’t apply tօ some businesses.
I have this gun (sandstorm version). I don’t think this gun is made for sudden emergencies (bear attack, intruder, zombies). It IS made for all-in-one bug-out situations where you don’t plan on getting it out until you get where you are going, and when you get there and get it out, it will be bone dry, with a couple dozen rounds of ammo, cleaning tools, cordage, fire-starting stuff, and maybe some fishing gear, a poncho, mosquito net, knife(s), a small pistol, MRE’s or whatever. There is a good bit of room in there if you pack it right. You could keep it at the house for a quick bug-out (think California fire or earthquake or Louisiana hurricane or flood or government upheaval or whatever), or store it somewhere away from home, like a cabin or buried in the woods, or even in the car or truck or boat or whatever. The tube is air-tight, very durable, and is made out of some kind of light-weight fiberglass or something like that. Certainly not a good choice for carrying around while hiking, and I wouldn’t want to be trying to get it out of the tube in case of a home invasion, but it’s perfect for a bug-out kit with all the firepower necessary to stop bears, secure food, deter evil-doers, and store bare survival essentials. You will probably never need it, but for a lot of decent (and maybe obsessive) folks, it covers the “what-if” scenarios pretty well. Sure, you could do it yourself, but then who is the obsessive one 😉
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