Mil-Spec Workhorse

Selecting their Model 590 as the basis for the detachable magazine version speaks volumes about the rugged capability of the 590M Mag-Fed variant. The government’s “Mil-Spec 3443” requirements for a replacement combat shotgun after the wear-and-tear of Vietnam are interesting. To meet the stringent specifications, the gun had to fire 3,000 consecutive rounds with no more than two malfunctions and with the development of no unserviceable parts. Plus, it had to continue to function under the most extreme environmental conditions. The Mossberg Models 500 and 590 were the only shotguns at the time to meet or exceed those standards, and Mossberg has been walking away with military contracts from around the world ever since.

The 590M Mag-Fed Heat Shield model shown here meets those standards with a heavy-walled 18.5" barrel fitted with Mossberg’s Accu-Choke tube system (Cylinder Bore included) and carrying adjustable ghost-ring sights. It features non-binding twin action bars, a bolt with dual extractors that locks into the barrel extension and ambidextrous magazine releases and a tang safety. The MSRP for this model (with a 10-round magazine) is $810. A more basic model without the adjustable sights, heat shield and Accu-Choke system carries a price tag of $721.