Mossberg 190D
Classic Bolt-Action Shotgun
The Mossberg 190D was one of the wildly-popular bolt-action shotguns following WWII until the 1970s.
We all have sentimental guns, but if I had to pick “the” one in my safe, I’d make a strong case for my 16-gauge bolt-action Mossberg 190D.
This gun holds a special place in my heart because it was the first gun I ever purchased. The used shotgun cost me $35 at a local gun shop in 1975, representing an entire summer’s wages for mowing lawns. I was so proud when I brought the gun home, but my mother cried. We weren’t a gun-owning family, but my parents let me keep it. It was certainly a different time when someone too young to have a driver’s license could purchase a firearm if they had the cold, hard cash in hand.
The Mossberg 190D is a strange bird, at least by 2024 standards. It’s a bolt-action, magazine-fed 16-gauge shotgun with variable choke. They were once very common from WWII until the 70s but the passing of time has rendered them nearly extinct. Savage is the only major manufacturer still building bolt-action shotguns, marketing mainly to the deer and turkey hunting crowd. But it wasn’t always such; bolt-action guns were one of the most popular actions for hunting.
History
Oscar Mossberg and his eponymous company first started building bolt-action shotguns in 1933 with the Model G .410. They were moderately popular, and the product line grew to encompass other models. Unfortunately, the next “War to End All Wars” — World War II — put a halt to civilian firearm production.
Once the war was over, Mossberg resumed building civilian guns and promptly resurrected the bolt-action shotgun, coming out with models 185, 190 and 195 chambered in 20-, 16- and 12-gauge, respectively. The 16-gauge seems like an odd choice today but it was actually a very popular gauge for 30 years following the war. Most folks felt like it was a nice compromise between the punishing 12 and the smaller payload of 20-gauge. Gun writers might have also had something to do with it.
The action is simple but robust. It takes a lot of dirt and crud to prevent the action from cycling properly,
while it is easily serviceable if there is a bigger problem.
Mossberg made bolt-action shotguns all the way up to 2005. The bolt guns were popular because they were relatively inexpensive yet high-quality and reliable, making the action a good value for hunters and farmers. The cost savings came primarily from softer, less expensive steel and fewer precision-machined parts.
The model 190D was built from 1950 to 1955, while the 190D was built from ’55 to ’58. Don’t ask me the difference between a 190 and a 190D because I couldn’t find the answer. I suspect it has to do with the variable choke, as two distinctively different versions were manufactured.
The rear of the bolt features a red cocking indicator, while the simple left-to-right thumb safety
is easy to manipulate in a hurry. The ‘safe’ indicator is missing on Brent’s gun!
The most commonly seen C-Lect variable choke model is bulkier and features a twisting jacket that crimps down steel fingers inside to restrict the barrel diameter in 3 different settings. Some versions also sported ports in the barrel, while fewer had ports on the muzzle end of the choke. My gun uses simple screw-on steel choke tubes for Full, Modified and Improved. They were obviously much cheaper to manufacture and assemble, making for further cost savings for Mossberg on these “price point” guns.
The 190D features a nice maple Monte Carlo stock, side-to-side thumb safety and a 2-shell removable magazine with tip-up follower. The 2-piece bolt comes out with a press of the trigger and is easily taken apart for cleaning by just giving it a twist.
Gun Love
Overall, the design is robust and simple, the gun is well-made and it always performs as promised. The bolt action would have to be exceptionally dirty to not function, and the only problem I’ve had over the years is occasional failure to feed, likely due to too much oil-soaked crud in the magazine or dirty shotshells. My particular gun can also be argumentative when trying to remove the magazine. While releasing the spring-steel retainer and sliding the mag off the steel guide rail, I’ve torn a couple of fingernails in the process.
Millions of bolt-action shotguns of all species were made, and on the used market, most were considered $50 guns—at least until the craziness of two years ago. Now, the online average cost for a Mossberg 190D is somewhere in the $200-300 range, though you can still find parts guns for $50-100 bucks.
This is a more recent version of the Mossberg variable choke. Earlier C-Lect chokes were mechanically elaborate
and more expensive to produce, while the later chokes were simple screw-on tubes. Both worked relatively well.
While it may not be your cup of tea, these bolt guns are a good buy, especially if you’re looking for a cheap but robust firearm to keep around the farm or in your vehicle. Bolt-action shotguns for deer and turkey are still quite popular, and the Mossberg 185-190-195 makes great base material for a custom hunting gun project. The only downside is scope/optic mounting can be dicey as there isn’t a lot of steel on top of the receiver — drilling and tapping for mounts will need to be done very carefully.
I haven’t fired my 16-gauge in years because it’s virtually impossible to find 16-gauge shells anymore. Maybe, as a practicing gun writer, I should start the whole “I just rediscovered the BEST shotgun of all time!” -trend and push the 16-gauge to new popularity. Or not.
The Mossberg 190D isn’t the fastest or most high-capacity shotgun, but if you want an inexpensive shotty that’ll shoot every single time you pull the trigger, regardless of where or how long it’s been sitting, the Mossberg models 185, 190 and 195 are great choices to consider.
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