Re: Mossberg 590A1

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Lasers add a trivial amount of weight. The light would be heavier due to its larger battery. The cheap rig on my 500 is probably less than six ounces or so. A little laser like the Crimson Trace Railmaster, not one I would recommend for a shotgun, is less than an ounce, I bet.
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Re: Mossberg 590A1

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If we're going to talk about alternatives to the Mossberg 590A1, why not mention the Benelli Nova/SuperNova? I compared the Mossberg to the Benelli at the store, and not to put too fine a point on it, I went with the Benelli mostly because I liked the sights more. Even more so when I could replace them with Meprolight tritium inserts, and get a Nordic Components extended mag tube to which I could mount a Streamlight light.

That said, Benelli SuperNovas seem to have become a lot pricier since I bought mine in 2008. Sometimes I hate being an early adopter but at other times it's saved me $200 at least.
Sergeant Colon had had a broad education. He'd been to the School of My Dad Always Said, the College of It Stands To Reason, and was now a post-graduate student of the University of What Some Bloke In The Pub Told Me. -- Terry Pratchett, Jingo

Re: Mossberg 590A1

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ErikO wrote:
Carl_Spackler wrote:
Bucolic wrote:Hickok45 has a video on YouTube featuring the 590 and an 870. Worth a look.

Edit: I just searched and he did two videos on the 590A1 and another with the 870.
Just watched the video. Looks like the Mossberg beats the Remington by several factors, position of safety, durability & price. I looked at Remington's Wilson combat shotgun and it's priced @ well over $1000, while I could get the Mossberg for $500.

@ ErikO, what kind of reputation does rock island armory have? Any technical issues with the M5?


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So far I have yet to hear a bad thing about their shotguns. It's one of the few that I have held still in the packing oil that you can hold the barrel towards the ceiling and release the action where the slide just falls open. Plus, it's under $250.

I have a nickel-plated M5 and I love it. Wouldn't want to go skeet-shooting with it, but that's not what you buy this one for. Gotta clear up some misinformation, though.

1) They really are made in the Philippines. Their US HQ is in NV. They are imported. That said, the company has been around like, a century and they are a major international arms producer- just not much activity here in the US, but as likely as not, if you bought a fancy boutique-brand 1911, major parts were probably made by Armscor and you just weren't told. They are high quality- they got ISO 9001 certification in 1997 (Colt got theirs in 2005).

2) The M5 is a true clone of the old Hi Standard Flite King 12 Gauge, not any Mossberg, Remington or Winchester.

3) I haven't seen it on this site, but lots of sites have questions and concerns about the lack of aftermarket add-ons. In fact that almost kept me from buying mine. But here's one tip that would certainly make the difference for me: The company sells a pistol grip. They do not advertise it at all, anywhere and in fact seem embarrassed by it because it has mounting holes for a folding stock it can't import, does not come with the common 1/4" carriage bolt it needs and is open where the bolt goes so it ain't real purdy. But when I ordered mine, it was less than $25 delivered. It, of course, fits perfectly without any need to grind-down a Mossberg pistol grip to make it (maybe) fit. So, if you buy an M5, call Armscor in NV customer service and make them sell you a pistol grip. Then go get a Stainless carriage bolt and washer set at any hardware store (I think 3" to 3 1/2 " long will work with the right washers- you might do fine with a 1" bolt if you have a really skinny extended ratchet-head that can get into a tight spot.) It would seem to be SAE sized.

This is a heavy gun- all steel, no light alloys, no synthetics save for the furniture. In that respect it reminds me of the old Winchester model 1897 I inherited from my grandfather. And like the 1897, it's murder on your shoulder to shoot, especially with heavy loads. Don't let anyone tell you a heavy shotgun has less kick. If you want to shoot from the shoulder, you will need a recoil pad. Mine is for self defense, so the pistol-grip and a mounted flashlight (a laser on a shotgun? For shame.) and it's a sweet machine.

There are screws on the original synthetic stock that have a somewhat cheesy-appearing fit and finish. They look like something of an afterthought that they ran down to the hardware store to get. I am told that the pistols are the same. They work as they are supposed to, though. Of course, the back of the pistol grip is capped by the head of the carriage bolt. I kind of like that appearance and can imagine using it someday to mount a lanyard. The main part of the gun has no issues in my book with fit and finish. Some fault it for tool-marks on the non-articulated surfaces of the receiver. Meh, I can hardly tell; where metal meets metal, it's better than fine.

Re: Mossberg 590A1

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Late to this party, but I'll comment anyways...

A disclaimer first - my first shotgun was a Winchester 1300, to which I killed many pheasant, spring gobbler, and even some grouse. I even competed with for many years in "junior" matches. I won many, much to the chagrin of many a rich teenager and their fathers. I have since owned dozens of shotguns and have roughly a dozen now (if you include the SxS's that I only take out once a year for dove hunts). My current HD gun is also the gun I use for 3-Gun - a Benelli M4 with extended tube and field stock.
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Here's a pic of my 590A1 - a gun that I got on the cheap and use as a backup for hunting, camping, range work, etc. No chokes and cylinder bore and I can still hit a 12" target at 100-yards with the ghost-rings and Remington Slugger's.

There are pros and cons to both the guns in question. I currently have both an 870 (two actually - one with a 28" bird barrel/20" Rifle barrel combo and the other that is being turned into a "He-Man" gun for 3-Gun competitions), a 590A1, and a 590. Each gun has its benefits but I prefer the Mossberg for HD (and also for someone getting into 3G). The 590/590A1, though very heavy will mitigate recoil better than the 870. This is very "general" and model dependent, but I'm a big guy with a lot of shotgunning experience and I can notice a difference in muzzle rise between the "base" models. A heavier shotgun will indeed have less recoil. Thousands of shotgunners and F-Class shooters around the world add weight to stocks and forends for this reason. However, "perceived" recoil is person dependent and for those that have noticed heavier guns beat them up more, it is likely due to fitment issues - not weight. Everyone at one point in time should have a shotgun stock fitted to them. This can make a 10-gauge feel like you're shooting a 20-ga and makes high-volume shotgunning much more enjoyable.

The ambidextrous safety of the 500/590 is a big selling point as well, particularly if you're a southpaw shooter like I am. Another advantage of the Mossberg is the loading gate stays "up" and out of the way during reloads. Anyone who has loaded a Remington or Benelli quickly and ended up in a bloody mess can appreciate this feature. The capacity of a 20" Mossberg is also greater than a similarly sized Remington and disassembly of the Mossberg is truly "tool-less". The Remington with extension will have a magazine clamp and requires an extra step plus a screwdriver to remove the barrel.

Another benefit, though probably not important to everyone, is that the heavy barrel of the 590A1 can easily be tapped for chokes, where the 18.5/20" Remington barrels cannot. The reason that the Wilson guns and others are so expensive are from both the "Wilson" engraving on the side and from the amount of work put into the barrel. IIRC, Wilson cuts down 28" barrels, removes the vent, back-bores, installs chokes, etc. This will run you about $175-200 for a good smith to do this work.

The Remington has the advantage of being able to be made into "multiple" guns quite quickly. I can take my 28" bird barrel off, put the 20" rifle-sighted barrel on, add a +3 extension, and have a trusty and reliable HD or hunting gun in less than 2 minutes. The 590, due to the barrel retention design, will always be a 590. The 500 is more "adaptable" but the design limits the ability to easily add a magazine extension. You could turn a 500 into a viable HD gun, but converting back to a gun for hunting requires a lot of work.

As always, YMMV and you should pick the gun that appeals to you the most. If this gun will be mostly a HD gun, then be sure to pick options and models appropriately. You don't need ghost-rings to shoot slugs accurately to 50-yards (3-Gun guys do it all the time with a bead sight). A pistol grip, saddle mount, etc. are all good to have if they work for you and are appropriate (though a pistol grip on a 590 makes using the safety a challenge). FWIW, I picked up the 28"/20" combo mentioned above for $300 and it UNFIRED in the original box with wrapping (see below for a pic on its first dove hunt). This is an older "Express" model that still had the steel extractor and metal trigger guard. I picked up another older Express (no MIM or plastic... not that it matters really) in great condition for $265 (the gun that I'm turning into a He-Man gun).
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Alternatively, you can just say f&$% it and get a Benelli M4 :thumbup:
“Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad” -Miles Kington

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