Western Field M550
O.F. Mossberg & Sons (for Montgomery Ward) · Shotgun · Discontinued · 1971
Also known as: Wards Western Field M550, Montgomery Ward Western Field M550, Western Field 550ABD, Westernfield M550AB, Western Field Model 550 (Mossberg 500)
Overview
The Western Field M550 is a pump-action shotgun chambered in 12 Gauge, sold through Montgomery Ward under its Western Field house brand from the early 1970s. It was a private-label version of the Mossberg 500, built by O.F. Mossberg & Sons with the same aluminum-alloy receiver, twin action bars, dual extractors, and top-mounted tang safety. M550 models were typically offered with long 28- or 30-inch field barrels, many fitted with a C-LECT-CHOKE adjustable choke, a tubular magazine, and a walnut-finished stock and forend. It was an affordable, utility-grade hunting and field shotgun typical of mid-20th-century American mail-order firearms.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3290 g (116.1 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1245 mm (49.02") |
| Barrel Length | 711 mm (27.99") |
| Action Type | Pump Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Tube |
| Muzzle Velocity | 400 m/s (1312 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3340 J (2463 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 40 m (44 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | None |
| Frame Material | Aluminum |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 12 Gauge · primary — also known as 12 ga, 12 bore
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Tubular Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Top Tang Ambidextrous Safety
- Features: Tubular Magazine, Twin Action Bars, Dual Extractors, Adjustable C Lect Choke, Bead Front Sight, Easy Barrel Swap
Base model
Production
Production years: 1971-1985
Sold under Montgomery Ward's Western Field brand; built on the Mossberg 500 platform, of which over 12 million units were produced across all variants. Western Field private-label production ended when Montgomery Ward wound down its firearms catalog sales.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Carl Benson
Discontinued: 1985
Notes
Western Field was Montgomery Ward's store brand; the M550 (also seen as 550A, 550AB, 550AD, 550ABD) was Ward's relabeled Mossberg 500. Suffix letters denote barrel, choke, and stock configurations. Chambered for 2 3/4 inch (and on some examples 3 inch) shells. Many wear a C-LECT-CHOKE adjustable choke marked Full / Mod / I-Cyl.
Background
Sold through Montgomery Ward's catalog and department stores, the Western Field M550 let budget-minded American hunters buy a Mossberg-built pump shotgun under the retailer's own house brand rather than the maker's name, a common practice for U.S. mail-order retailers of the era.