Mossberg 590A1

It’s been said if you give a soldier or cop an anvil for Christmas, he’ll break it by Valentine’s Day. Their equipment necessarily has to be reliable and capable of withstanding the rigors of hard use, day-in and day-out.

My shotgun of choice for the last several years meets the above criteria. It is a Mossberg 590A1. I’m not alone as it is the duty shotgun of choice for military and law enforcement agencies worldwide. It is the only pump action shotgun to pass MilSpec 3443E in the shotgun selection process.

Hard-Use Gun

Most readers are probably familiar with the Mossberg 500/590 series. They are almost as prevalent as Ruger 10/22 rifles. The difference in the 590A1 from their siblings is an upgrade with heavy walled barrels, metal trigger guard and safety. The trigger guard and safety on standard models are plastic and although the plastic parts will serve well in most roles, I have seen both parts break. The metal will hold up better with hard use.

All 590A1s have a nine-shot capability — eight in the magazine and one in the chamber — and 20″ cylinder-bore barrels with 3″ chambers. A bayonet lug is affixed to the magazine and with a bayonet attached, might be enough to cause a social justice warrior during a “peaceful protest” to move along.

Various models feature tactical tri-rail forends, six-position adjustable stocks, Picatinny rails on top of the receiver, specialty sight packages and either Parkerized or Marinecote finishes. Weight as it ships from the factory is 7.25 lbs.

My personal 590A1 (Mossberg model #51663) has a Parkerized finish with and adjustable rear ghost ring sight. The front sight is a blade on a serrated ramp with a red insert.

I think one of the best features of all 500 series Mossberg shotguns is the placement of the safety and action release. Located on top of the receiver, the safety can be manipulated easily by both right- and wrong-handed persons without changing the firing grip. The action release, located behind the trigger guard is equally ambidextrous.

Load Out

I carry shells in the SideSaddle with the brass heads of buckshot facing down and the heads of slugs facing up. The person who taught me this technique explained in the dark, the shells can be told apart tactilely. This is logical and a good practice.

Along the same lines, feel the brass head of the shell as it is pushed into the magazine. Inadvertently placing it in backwards will result in a true jam, versus a malfunction that an immediate action drill can reduce. The open lifter on the 590A1 makes clearing the jam easier, but it is an involved process and takes time. In a critical situation it’s wiser to transition to a sidearm.

A common malfunction with the shotgun is short-stroking the action. The cure is to work the action like a rented mule; don’t worry, you won’t damage the gun, it was designed to be worked this way.

One downside of the shotgun is the amount of ammo on tap and it is wise to keep it topped off: shoot one, load one; shoot two, load two. In other words, load when you can, not when you have to.

Heavy Duty

The only drawback I have found with the 590A1 is during a shotgun course, with a full payload and the 20″ heavy-walled barrel and magazine tube, it becomes heavy during repetitious range drills.

I also have a Model 500 with 18.5″ barrel and five-shot magazine to which I have added ghost ring sights and Magpul furniture. It duplicates the action and feel of its larger brother without the fatiguing weight after a long day on the range.

If you’re in the market for a shotgun tougher than an overcooked steak, the Mossberg 590A1 won’t fail you. The suggested retail price is $759.

Mossberg.com
Magpul.com

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