The Time Is Ripe
Then 2 or 3 years ago, the Mossberg family moved it once again to the front burner with the growing, sporting consumer market in mind. The result is impressive as will be its marketing through major dealers. There are currently 11 12-gauge models being offered in the FLEX system format and 16 complementing accessories with more becoming available based on consumer interest and demand. The models can be sorted out into three groups—all-purpose, hunting and tactical.
The key to the FLEX system is its “Tool-less Locking System,” actually systems. Mossberg brands it their “TLS.” What the TLS offers did to shoot it loose with magnum slug loads and muscle it around, that joint didn’t even creak.
Buttstocks include the infamous Mossberg “Cruiser” pistol grip, three standard, black or camo, synthetic stocks with length-of-pulls of 12-1/2″, 13-1/2″ and 14-1/2″; a 4-position hunting stock adjustable from 12-3/4″ to 14-5/8″ LOPs and two comb heights; and a 6-position, adjustable tactical stock offering LOPs from 11″ to 14-1/4″.
The second part of the TLS is a pushbutton system at the toe of the buttstock. Pushing it in permits you to pop off the existing recoil pad and pop on another size. There are three pad thicknesses available—3/4″, 1-1/4″ and 1-1/2″—allowing you to switch out LOPs for seasonal clothing or for different size shooters.
The third switch in the TLS is located under the fore-end. Pressing it allows you to detach the fore-end from the action bars by simply pushing the fore-end forward and rotating it down. The system sure beats fussing with an ornery magazine cap screw and gives you a choice of standard black or camo fore-ends and a tactical fore-end featuring three Picatinny rails and two protected recesses for mounting pressure switches.
The final, intriguing component to this ensemble is Mossberg’s new adjustable shotgun trigger—the LPA or “Lightning Pump Action” trigger—adjustable from 3 to 7 pounds without creep. Similar in design to the earlier Savage Accutrigger, the center blade of the LPA has to be fully depressed to fire the gun. To me, a fully adjustable trigger on a modestly priced shotgun is a miracle come true. I can’t tell you how much a light, crisp trigger can mean to all your shotgunning activities.