The Mossberg 590 has been a staple of home defense for decades. It has been difficult to replace it at the top of the pump action hierarchy. Because it’s reliable, generations of homeowners, soldiers, and police officers have relied upon it to stop evil. They do have a Kryptonite problem, however, and the Mossberg590s addresses it. The Mossberg 590s Dual action bars and a rock-solid locking mechanism ensure that the 590 will work as long as the pump can move. These bad boys are unaffected by dirt, sand, or ice. They have only one natural enemy, and that is 1 3/4 inch shells. Many adapters have been developed to allow guns like the 590 to run these shorter shells. Many of them have proven reliable. “Relatively reliable,” is acceptable for the range. Imagine being handed something and being told, “Yeah it works most of the times.” People buy a 590 because they want something that works when they need it. The traditional shotgun owner had to choose between single-digit capacity or an adapter. You may be wondering what changed. The introduction of the 590s platform. Capacity Pump up The Mossberg 590s is Mossberg’s solution for those who want to use shorter shotgun shells. These are available from companies such as Federal and Aguila. A gun with 1 3/4-inch shells will have a more than 60% increase in capacity. You’ll get more shots and less recoil. There will also be a lower chance of overpenetration. These are all important considerations if you have to use a shotgun in your home. They are quieter, but that is irrelevant to me. Ears will still ring regardless of which way you go. Yes, Aguila Minishells or Federal Shortys have many advantages over full-length ammunition. However, if you try to run them through a standard pump action they will often slip through the rearmost section of the elevator, creating a real problem. Most people can deal with this issue by aggressive cycling and have some success. The receiver must be manually removed until it flips 180 degrees inside. Mossberg found a solution to this problem by changing only the bolt slide and elevator to better control the movement of the shorter shells. It also added a rubber bumper that is held in place by a groove of dovetail design. You don’t have to limit yourself to these difficult-to-find shells. It can handle shells up to 3 inches and 2 3/4 inches, thanks to its 590 core. You read that right. Just stuff the tube with any combination shells and it will run. Mossberg’s 590s Lineup I love that Mossberg doesn’t hesitate to add new SKUs to its catalog when they release a product. The company only needed to offer the 18.5-inch version. You can’t just offer one version if you have barrels and grips. But, if you want to make your customers happy, you might also offer a shorter and a longer version. The 14-inch Shockwave is the shortest 590. This makes sense as these things are difficult to control with standard 12-gauge feed. Shooting one with the minis will be easy. The same applies to its larger 18.5-inch brother. This allows you to add stock without having to go to Club Fed or pay for the tax stamp. If you are looking for a stock, the 18.5-inch version can be grabbed with one attached straight out of the box. For maximum capacity, the 20-inch version can be purchased with a 13+1 round count. This is the route I took, as you might guess. Hands on the Mossberg 590s. I am adamant that guns are tools and aesthetics should not have any bearing on your range day. It’s true, I’ve said it before. There’s nothing beautiful about an all-black, working-class shotgun. However, that is not how I felt when I first took the 590s out from its box. It sounds crazy, but this shotgun made me feel a little bit of me. It was either its sleek exterior or its tough yet rugged composition that made me feel something. Perhaps it was the fact it snubbed New York’s firearm laws and operated under a technicality ….. That’s most likely it. My wife is still reading the saying, “It’s cheap.” It’s just like you, fat bastard.” To put it simply, I liked the way it felt and looked before I even brought it up to my shoulder. My 590s came with a bold front sight blade, and a hula-hoop rear ghost ring for quick target acquisition. This scattergun was also equipped with an MLOK-compatible forend that can hold flashlights, lasers, or a small pouch to store your man cards. This is a departure from the old-school Picatinny rails, and allows you to keep the bulk down. The barrel measures 20 inches and is threaded for a choke. This opens up the possibility of using it for other purposes than tactical affairs. It does come with a cylinder choke. Other chokes were not included with the gun. It’s a fairly common pattern so you should be able find something in any gun shop. The Gun is Safe Right Out of the Box! This is a bright side. We started our testing right there. The only slugs that I tested were the Aguila 1 3/4-inch, 7/8 ounce jobbies. They still did well at 15 yards with five-shot groups as small as 3.78 inches. My first shots were about seven inches from the left and slightly higher than my second shot. The fully adjustable rear sight corrected that error quickly. I found the large graduations to be more appealing than small precision clicks. This is a shotgun, so accuracy by volume is the key. I had 14 rounds total between the tube & the chamber and finished my slug evaluation by lighting up a full-sized IPSC made of steel for what seemed like an eternity. My follow-up shots were quicker than I could have imagined. My shoulder didn’t call me a butthead either after the experience. It’s cool to switch it up A shotgun loaded full of slugs is great. It’s a low-capacity rifle, so it’s not a high-capacity rifle. Federal Shorty No. 4 was the reason I was more excited to fire my next round through the tube. 4s. Good old No. No. 4 is my number one recommendation for home defense. It’s certain to be deadly inside a room. The chances of it escaping the threat and getting into your child’s room are significantly reduced. These shells were patterned on the steel from a distance of seven feet before I let loose. It produced tight clusters of 4.5 inches, with each pellet accounted for in its center mass. Remember, kids: flesh stops a shotgun bullet better than sheetrock. As beautiful as a monstrous pattern may seem, it is not without risk. Off-target pellets can cause unwarranted injury or property damage. While it is enjoyable to bang away at steel and paper, my favorite part of the range day was using the odds-and ends shotgun shells that had been lying around the house for years. I dumped the shells from close to a dozen different boxes into a shopping bag. I added the Federal Shortys and stirred them into a bag to test the “any shell” claim on a recreational clay course. There were even a few Hornady coyotes loads of 3-inch size in the mix. It was a fun surprise each time one made its way into the chamber. Despite not being designed to break clays I managed to smash more than 70% of the stuff that went into the air that day. The gun was able to take everything I put in it, regardless of what had come before or what was coming after. Wrap up The Mossberg 590s may be the most innovative design that the company has produced since the shockwave. This shotgun will open up the market for miniature shells. This firearm will undoubtedly lead to more manufacturers offering miniature shells. The platform was very well balanced and weighed in. 14 shells are easy to transport without adding extra weight. This is a great option for the weekend shotgunner and home defender. Usually, I end a review by pointing out some negative points that I would like to see improve. The Mossberg 590s shotgun was a great choice. This is normal in situations like these. They took a great shotgun and made it even better. Mossberg.com has more information. Mossberg 590s Specs Gauge: 12
Barrel: 20 inches
Overall Length: 41 Inches
Weight: 7.25 pounds (empty)
Stocks: Synthetic
Ghost Ring Sights
Pump Action
Finish in Black
Capacity: 8+1 (2 3/4 “)
MSRP: $731. This article was originally published by Personal Defense World in the February/March 2022 issue. Subscription is available in print and digital editions at OutdoorGroupStore.com. Or call 1-800-284-5668, or email [email protected]. Continue Reading Search The post 12-Gauge Feast – Shooting the Mossberg 590s appeared originally on Personal Defense World.
