The elevators on Mossberg 590S models denote shell compatibility (above). While the levels of felt recoil will change with mixed shells, the smooth feel and reliable feeding when cycling the action remains consistent, regardless of shell length. In fact, 1¾", 2¾" and 3" shells can be mixed together and loaded into the magazine in any order the operator prefers. All of the controls operate in typical 590 fashion with no levers, buttons or accessories that have to be adjusted in order to run the gun with short shells. These new modifications have no noticeable impact on the function of the shotgun. A shock-absorbing rubber bumper was also added at the rear of the elevator port. Accommodating 1¾ " shells called for a re-engineered trigger group, a bolt slide with a revised cam surface and a shell elevator with an extended and modified shell guide.
The modifications that allow the 590S series to reliably feed three 12-ga. These models feature black synthetic furniture, and all models come with sling-swivel studs installed at the factory. The tubular magazine is easy to clean, thanks to a removable cap that provides access to the follower spring and interior of the tube. The carbon-steel, round-profile barrel is treated with a matte-blued finish that matches the receiver.
Mossberg modified the slide by adjusting its geometry to ensure that shells of varying lengths are oriented properly to feed into the chamber. (r.) The bolt slide, located underneath the bolt, includes cam surfaces that interact with the elevator assembly. The polymer trigger housing also features an enlarged guard. (l.) Accommodating the shorter 1 3/4" shells required a re-designed trigger group to incorporate a rubber bumper (arrow) at its forward edge that keeps shells oriented forward when ejected from the magazine. The fire-control group is set in a polymer housing with a rounded trigger guard that protects a smooth-faced, steel bow trigger. The shell elevator is paired with an aluminum magazine follower for positive feeding. The bolt sports dual extractors and forms a positive steel-to-steel lockup with the barrel’s chamber. The bolt assembly is cycled manually via a pair of non-binding action bars attached to the sliding fore-end. The top-mounted, sliding polymer safety is intuitively positioned for bilateral operation. The grooved top of the receiver is drilled and tapped for scope mounts. Other small aluminum components are anodized to match. This review takes a closer look at the stocked version outfitted with the 20" barrel.Īt the heart of Mossberg’s 590 is an aluminum receiver treated with a Type II anodized matte-black finish. At launch, the initial 590S series includes two shoulder-stocked long-gun options, with either an 18.5" or 20" barrel, and a pair of Shockwave models featuring 14" or 18.5" barrels. shotshells in addition to traditional 2¾" and 3" shotshells. Its action has been re-designed to accommodate 1¾"-long, 12-ga. The latest version of the 590, called the 590S, takes this platform in a fresh direction. During the past few years, we’ve seen the launch of the FLEX TLX system for quick shotgun furniture swaps, the wildly popular compact 590 Shockwave and the 590M, which uses ruggedly built detachable box magazines. But Mossberg has not been satisfied to let the 590 rest on its laurels. It has since been seen in service around the world.
In 1987, the company debuted the Model 590 series, which was specifically designed for law-enforcement and military applications. Originally configured as wood-stocked sporting guns, the company gave a nod to police officers early on with the Model 500 AT riot gun. Mossberg released what would become one of its most well-recognized product lines in 1961, namely, the Model 500 series of pump-action shotguns. More than a century later, this American gunmaker continues to offer a diverse selection of pistols, rifles and shotguns. Rather than go to work for another company, he decided to team up with his two sons, Iver and Harold, to launch a family-owned-and-operated gun company, which was aptly named O. An immigrant from Sweden, Mossberg already had a couple of decades’ worth of experience in gun manufacturing-along with a few gun-related patents-under his belt. When Marlin-Rockwell ceased its machine gun manufacturing operations in 1919 due to the drop in demand brought about by the end of World War I, Oscar Frederick Mossberg found himself unemployed with a family to feed.