Written by Norman
Gray
POMA Member
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| The 590A1's rail is ready for any optics you choose |
Growing up in Delaware hunters were restricted by state law on
the use of rifles and handguns for hunting, mainly because Delaware is so flat
and densely populated. Bows, muzzle loaders and shotguns are the choice for many
hunters because their projectiles don't travel over a great distances like a rifle bullet. But what I loved most wasn’t just
hunting, it was those lazy summer days cooking hamburgers and hot dogs, drinking
lemonade and then retiring to the back 40 and shooting clay pigeons. They were
simple times, but those memories have stuck with me all these many years and I
often wish I could return to those days even if for a little while. The shotgun
that was used in my family was the Mossberg 500. For over 50 years Mossberg has
been producing shotguns like the 500 series that has been putting dinner on
America’s tables and providing hours of recreational shooting for the whole
family.
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| The barrel and magazine tube is designed for battle |
Since 1919 Mossberg has strived to make each firearm better
than the generation before utilizing ever changing technologies in firearms
manufacturing. This is why today Mossberg carries an ISO 9001 Certification for
manufacturing assuring you the highest standards for your money. Following this
line of thinking, it’s no wonder the Mossberg 590 was the shotgun the United
States Military picked to equip our soldiers. Since testing began the 590 series
was the only shotgun that met and/or exceeded Mil-S-3443 specifications winning
them a coveted government contract. Debates do rage between which shotguns are
better and looking at facts not speculation is a good rule of thumb. Being in the
firearms business for 92 years and winning a government contract is proof you make
a battle worthy shotgun. Even after all those years of kicking out hulls my
father’s Mossberg 500 still performs like the day he bought it and I know It
will be passed on to my sons one day.
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| The bayonet lug will accept any AR-15/M-16 Bayonet |
When I received my Mossberg 590A1 Blackwater Edition, I
removed it from the box and I was impressed with what I saw. The Mossberg 590A1
is not your daddy’s shotgun; it’s a breed apart from the hunting models, yet
built to the same exacting standards. This shotgun is built for battle and would
be highly effective in other areas such as executive protection, private
security, police and home defense. The shotgun has always carried a deep respect
and instilled fear upon anyone who has heard the racking of a shell into the
chamber. Even the sight of the shotgun makes some criminals drop whatever their
holding and place their hands in the air. The Mossberg 590A1 commands respect
and an adversary would be very wise to give it that respect because it can
deliver its payload of pellets fast with up to nine rounds and four in reserve.
I have been asked many times if I could only have three firearms what they
would be; I’ll tell you one would be a trustworthy pump action shotgun like the
590A1.
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| The fore end has three hard points for your accessories |
Since the 590A1 is designed from the ground up as a military
grade shotgun it has many features that also appeal to tactical shooters. The polymer
stock of the 590A1 Blackwater Edition is a speed feed design, holding up to
four extra rounds of your favorite fodder, I prefer slugs or a less lethal
combination and since you’re dealing with a pump shotgun it will cycle anything
you feed it. A recoil pad comes standard and the stock grip has a pebble grain
finish for extra control in wet conditions. My sample had a slightly untrimmed
recoil pad that overhung the stock by about 1/16 of an inch and while purely
cosmetic, did not affect the performance at all. Some shooters also reported
they had problems with the shells falling out of the stock during heavy recoil
although I never experienced this during my testing. The springs in the stock are
strong and unless they were not inserted correctly and didn’t catch the lip of
the shell they won’t fall out.
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| The receiver is built to take punishment and still function |
The 20 inch barrel is a heavy walled cylinder bore, designed
to handle up to three inch magnum loads of whatever you feed it. It has two
rings attached to the barrel, both stabilize the magazine tube but the rear
ring holds the bayonet lug. Yea, you heard right, bayonet lug! Rifles have
them, so why not shotguns. You can only carry so much ammunition and if you do
run out at least you can keep your aggressor at arm’s length with some steel, after
all that’s why the military still teaches bayonet fighting techniques and it is
better than nothing! The front sight is
an elevated design with what Mossberg calls an AR-style white stripe front
sight and is easy to see in daylight conditions. The magazine tube holds up to eight
rounds of 2.75 or seven three inch with one in the chamber with a possible load
of 9 rounds, 13 if you count the speed feed stock, that’s not a bad load out. The
magazine cap serves to hold the muzzle ring of the bayonet and has threads for
a sling stud which is easily removed. A
word of caution, the sling stud if not thread locked (Lock-Tite) or used with a
sling can vibrate out and get lost. The magazine cap can be unscrewed to reveal
the magazine spring which can be removed for cleaning and you reserve the
option of adding a magazine extension.
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| No polymers need apply, all parts are made of metal here |
The forend or forearm is a tri-rail design having a 5 inch Picatinny
rail molded into the bottom and two smaller 1.75 inch rails on the left and
right side. This makes shooting the 590A1 with a plain foregrip or one with a
laser/light combination possible and gives you better control while pumping out
the empty hulls. The left and right rails allow you to mount a light and laser
separately if you choose to use the forearm as is. I did find it painful to
have your thumb behind the left rail while shooting 3 inch magnums; during recoil
it tends to jam your thumb pretty good. Just make sure you use a fore grip or
keep your thumb under or on the rail or remove it altogether. You may remove both
of these rails if not in use and it becomes somewhat flush. The forend is
connected to the bolt by twin rails for strength and dependability. Since
Mossberg shotguns are so popular, if you don’t like the hardware they provided,
the aftermarket parts are easy to find and plentiful for your own custom setup.
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| XS Ghost ring sights provide a military sight picture |
The receiver, trigger guard, safety and action lock lever are
all metal for durability. On top of the receiver a Picatinny rail with a XS
ghost ring rear sight installed, which is adjustable for windage and elevation.
One of the features I like about Mossberg shotguns is the position of the
safety; it’s located on the rear of the receiver and is easily accessible with
your thumb for either left or right shooters. The receiver also wears the
Blackwater bear paw logo on the right ejection port side and the words 590A1
engraved on the left side. The Mossberg
590A1 series comes equipped with an anti-jam shell elevator and duel extractors
for positive hull extraction, so you can be sure when you pull the trigger the
next sound you hear will be a good one. All these features give you a shotgun
with an overall length of 40.75” and an unloaded weight of about 8 lbs. Add
some 2.75” No# 4 Buck and four slugs in the stock and you get a combined weight
of 9.25lbs which is about the same weight as a fully loaded 20” Colt AR-15A2
heavy barrel. The weight will come in handy during recoil and should you need to
use the butt stock against an aggressor or to help you with a stubborn door, this
shotgun is solid enough to handle it.
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| Mossbergs famous ambidextrous thumb safety |
At the range I fired everything I could get my hands on from
Remington premier target loads in No# 8 shot to Winchester PDX1 12 gauge and
everything in between. There is no shortage of names and shot sizes the 590A1
will not digest, so whatever you want or need there is fodder for it close by.
The market is flooded with high end specialty loads designed to optimize your
shotguns full potential, but my first stop was my local Wal-Mart. I purchased
over the counter 12 gauge ammunition like Winchesters 3” 00 Buck (15 Pellet)
loads and some Remington Slugger 2.75” 1 oz Rifled Slugs. Ammunition for all
firearms has made amazing leaps forward in the last few years and the shotgun
is no different. I wanted to test as much as I could and I was not disappointed
with the results. I shot most all loads at seven yards out to 25 yards and all
the shot landed multiple hits, but what I was most impressed with was the
slugs. I fired three rounds of Remington Sluggers at 100 yards and achieved a
three shot group of four inches. I was told by a few observers that that was
impossible with an un-rifled barrel; I’m guessing that myth was laid to rest
fairly quickly.
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| The front sight is easy to see and hard to miss |
The major benefit to a pump action shotgun is the feeling
that whatever you need to shoot in it will function. You just can’t be sure
about semi automatic shotguns functioning properly with all rounds and would
you bet your life on it? But whether shooting flares, bean bag or door
breaching rounds, you have but to rack the slide and you are back in action. It
does take some effort to learn the mechanics of a pump gun, but like everything
else it just takes time and practice. I own a semi automatic shotgun and I
wouldn’t get rid of it for anything, but I believe there are tools best fit for
the job. There are more than a few police officers who bet their lives on the
pump shoguns they carry every day. If you ask them they will tell you it’s
because they know it will work when they need it to and the Mossberg 590A1 was
designed to deliver time and time again. If pump shotguns are really not your
style and you must have a tactical semi-automatic shotgun that follows along
the same lines as the 590A1, give the Mossberg 930 SPX Blackwater Series a try.
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| The speed feed stock hold four extra rounds of fodder |
I could not find any faults with the 590A1 other than the few
I described; it is a well built shotgun that will serve you for many years. If
I could make a few changes in production I would definitely add a speed feed
pistol grip stock for greater control. As
far as aftermarket additions, I would add a side saddle and a lighted forend most
likely Surefire’s 323LM forend or possibly the Crimson Trace MVF-515 Modular
Vertical Foregrip with the green laser. Either way you are just making a great
shotgun even more versatile and you can customize your 590 to whatever job or
mission you need it to perform. I know this 590A1 Blackwater Edition is not
going back to Mossberg; I’m having way too much fun with it. Whatever you buy
from Mossberg whether it is a 590A1 Blackwater Edition, Varmint MVP, MMR Hunter
or Tactical or the humble 500 series, you can bet it will be a trusted friend and
you will pass it on.
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| Buckshot is great, but Walmart rifled slugs at 100 yards says it all |
Sources:
Mossberg: www.mossberg.com
EOTech: www.eotech-inc.com
Norman
Gray © 2011