Mossberg's JM 930 Pro Shotgun
The shotgun has been around for hundreds of years and has proven itself a versatile tool for everything from hunting to home defense to competition shooting. But like most tools, it is pretty difficult to find one that can do everything equally well. Most of us own several shotguns, each designed for a specific task. But guns cost money and money is tight. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could find one gun that could do it all? Mossberg may have just the answer in the new 930 JM Pro Series, semi-auto 12 gauge.
Purpose-Built Plus
The JM in the 930 Pro stands for professional shooter Jerry Miculek. Jerry has won over 100 shooting titles and is a 5-time USPSA 3-Gun National Champion. Mossberg enlisted Jerry’s help in designing a shotgun tailored for the 3-Gun shooter. They took their existing 930 design and turned Jerry loose on it. Typical 3-Gun shotguns can cost upwards of $2,000. Mossberg produces this one — all ready to go — for around $700.
A competition shotgun needs some key features to enable you to compete successfully. First and foremost is the 930’s soft-shooting characteristics. The dual-gas vent system and thick honeycomb recoil pad make the JM 930 JM Pro Series a pleasure to shoot. More importantly for competition and defense purposes, this translates into faster follow-up shots.
The gun has a 3″ chamber and is only available in 12 gauge. Barrel length options are 22″ and 24″ and include a full set of Accu-Choke tubes. Vent-ribs are standard and are topped at the muzzle by a red fiber-optic front sight, which really speeds up target acquisition. The 22″ model comes with a black synthetic stock while the 24″ version is available with the black or Kryptek Typhon pattern synthetic stock. The stocks all have a 14″ length-of-pull. The 24″ barreled gun—the one I have—has an overall length of 44.5″ and an empty weight of 7 lbs. 12 oz.
The 22″ barrel comes with an 8-shot magazine tube and the 24″ gets a 9-shot. Moving back to the receiver is where we start to see some of the serious upgrades. The bolt has been given an extended and knurled charging handle. I found this helped greatly while operating the gun under stress and ensured I got a round chambered when in a hurry. The trigger is relatively crisp and has an adjustable overtravel screw. Manufacturers usually don’t pay too much attention to shotgun triggers, figuring they don’t rate as precision tools. But the 930 JM Pro Series is intended to hit small targets very quickly, so Mossberg found a good balance between a safe trigger and a good-shooting one. The rear of the receiver sports the standard Mossberg tang-mounted safety, which is robust and easy to manipulate for both right- or left-handed shooters. The top of the receiver is drilled and tapped for an optic mount.
Loading and reloading a tube magazine takes time. Competition shooters know this and spend a lot of money modifying their loading ports to help speed up the process. Jerry Miculek is one of the fastest shooters in history and knows a few things about what is needed here. Mossberg greatly improved the loading gate on the Pro Series for faster reloads. This included beveling the areas of the receiver surrounding the loading gate as well as lightening the loading-gate spring. The magazine spring is light enough to let you shove in rounds in a hurry, but strong enough to ensure reliable feeding. This is an area where a competition shooter could lighten the spring even more, but only if they tune it to the load they shoot. This is not recommended if the gun is to be used for defensive purposes.
Oversized controls make for faster manipulation.
Fiber-optic front is easily acquired, even in reduced light.
The trigger is better than “shotgun good.”
A Winning Edge
If you haven’t shot a 3-Gun competition it may be hard to understand just how important the shotgun is. I know it was for me. I am not a 3-Gun shooter but I found it to be a lot of fun and will probably get serious about it if given the opportunity. I have only shot in two 3-Gun matches, the Hornady Pandemic – Zombies in the Heartland match in May 2014 and again in May 2015. In 2014 I was asked to shoot in the match with Team TUFF Products.
Having never shot 3-Gun, I tried shooting the shotgun stages with a stock 18″ barreled pump. Even though I did OK with the pistol and rifle, it was clear I was outclassed with the shotgun. In 2015 I returned with my 930 JM Pro Series. What a difference the shotgun made for me! I seldom missed a target and was able to hit them very quickly. Some stages had over 20 shotgun targets so speedy reloading was critical. I learned how to load two rounds at a time to further speed things up. In the end, I took second place out of 149 shooters in the Amateur Division. I feel the Mossberg helped make the difference.
The zombies didn't stand a chance when Eric Olson went after them with the 930.
The rubber buttpad makes a long day of shooting much more enjoyable.
Top mounted safety is lefty friendly.
Afield & At Home
If you want to have fun at the range but still have a shotgun that can protect the castle and maybe bring in some meat, the Pro Series can get it done. As a defensive shotgun, it has all the features and accessories you want. Its only drawback is the longer barrel. I typically like an 18″ barrel for defensive purposes but a few more inches isn’t a deal breaker. If you actually take the gun out and spend time shooting it on the range or in competition, you’ll like the longer barrel, yet you’ll find moving around your house with it won’t be as hard as you think. And having nine or 10 rounds on board when facing a potential threat will give you great peace of mind.
You might think the Pro Series wouldn’t make a good hunting shotgun but it actually works pretty well for most applications except long-range waterfowl. It is really quick for rabbits and quail. I didn’t see a huge difference between the 24″ Mossberg and my 26″ quail gun. The biggest problem is the legality of the magazine capacity. Many areas limit capacity to two rounds. This is easily remedied with a wooden dowel. Cut it to length and insert it in the magazine with the barrel and magazine tube removed. Removing the barrel and taking the gun apart is very easy. The gun comes with instructions on this. Mossberg has also put a video on their website of Jerry Miculek showing you how to take it apart, clean it and put it back together.
Mossberg designed this shotgun to be a competition winner and has certainly accomplished its goal. But the 930 JM Pro Series is much more than just a fun gun. If you are on a budget, have an open mind and are willing to practice with it, the Pro Series may be the one shotgun you have been looking for.
O.F. Mossberg & Sons
www.mossberg.com
Hornady Mfg inc.
www.hornady.com
Hoffners Knives
www.hoffner.com
Strong Suit Gloves
www.strongsuitgloves.com
Tuff Products
www.tuffproducts.com
