mossberg 590

Mossberg 590a1 For Sale | Mossberg 590a1 Tactical

The specific model we are reviewing today is the 590A1 nine-shot model, complete with bayonet lug, ghost ring sights, and a Speed Feed stock that holds four extra rounds. This shotgun has an 8+1 capacity, as well as a heavy-walled 20-inch barrel. The gun can handle both 2.75 and 3-inch shells. Its length is 41 inches, and weighs 7.25 pounds when unloaded. This is not a compact, lightweight, bird gun. It’s a fighting shotgun and is designed as such.

One thing that makes this shotgun such a good fighting weapon is its sights. Those ghost ring sights give the gun a good degree of precision and allow you to milk extra yards out of your buckshot loads. Combine the sights with buckshot loads, like Federal FliteControl, and you’d be amazed at what a shotgun can do. It also gives you rifle-like precision with slugs and allows you to place precision shots at close to moderate ranges.

The Combat Prowess of the 590A1

While the day of the bayonet has passed, the 590A1 retains the ability to mount one, should you need a spear and a shotgun. With the shotgun’s effective range in mind, if there was a gun that could use a bayonet, it is a shotgun. Additionally, the heavier barrel profile and the weight of the weapon do make it an effective club.

590A1 Ergonomics

The Mossberg 590A1 also features a tang mounted safety that allows activation without changing your grip in any way. Simply push it up or down with your thumb. It’s ambidextrous, and easily the best safety ever placed on a shotgun. The pump release is placed behind the trigger and again is easy to reach for both righties and lefties.

This particular 590A1 stock is very long and has a 14.5-inch length of pull. That’s a crazy long stock and honestly trimming an inch off would make the gun more accessible to different sized shooters.

This is a pump with an integrated weapon light that is absolutely fantastic. It’s easy to activate and adds a certain degree of low light domination to the shotgun. Shotguns do excel in low light conditions, so a light is a must-have for any tactical use, including home defense.

Reliability Of Mossberg 590 Tactical

Reliability with pump-action shotguns is almost always through the roof, and there is no difference here. The 590A1 is as reliable as the shooter handing it. The 590 was the only shotgun to pass the military’s Mil-Spec 3443E test, which involved 3,000 full powered rounds of buckshot. The gun could not have more than three malfunctions and no part breakages. The Mossberg passed with flying colors.

Mossberg 590A1 Tactical Range Time

This is a heavier shotgun, and with modern tactical loads, the Mossberg 590A1 is as soft shooting as a pump-action shotgun can get. It will still beat you up if you don’t know how to handle a shotgun, but that’s part of the shotgun life.

Muzzle rise is surprisingly reduced, especially when working the gun fast. The heavy-walled barrel and 8 round tube make the gun a little front heavy, but that tends to be a benefit for it.

The pump of the 590A1 isn’t as smooth as an old Ithaca 37, but it’s completely serviceable. The 590A1 doesn’t require you to be a gorilla to work the action, but running it hard and fast is advised. This helps prevent short strokes.

With buckshot, the spread is predictable, which means it varies greatly between loads. Mil-Spec buckshot creates a group that spreads about 10 inches at 15 yards. With Flite Control, it’s half that. At 10 yards and closer, the Flite Control loads look like slugs. I found that with the ghost ring sights, the Flite Control buckshot is a perfect choice. It gives excellent performance beyond normal buckshot ranges.

If you need a shotgun designed for combat, then the 590A1 is an affordable and robust option