Mossberg 590A1, thoughts?

[Grim Jackal]

Ok, who's got them and what do you think of them.

Background: I used one about ten years ago in the Marine Corps but I think it was the 500 model? Anyways, we also used the Remington 870's and we had an old Winchester Trench gun. Needless to say I don't remember the Mossbergs all that much since we didn't get many chances to use the shotguns. I have a couple of Remington 870's and use one at work. I've been thinking lately about picking up a Mossberg 590A1 with the heat shield but was looking for others opinions.

Any thoughts, coments would be appreciated, good or bad.

[Dalton Wayne]

I don't have the A-1 but I have the 590, parkerized, with the heat shield and bayonet lug, I keep it next to my bed with eight rnds. of 00 buck ready to go.

[Vigilant]

I have a friend who just got back from a year in the Sandbox with the USMC Reserves, and I respect him immensely. He seemed to think the 590s have less recoil with heavy loads than an 870, but I have heard the opposite as well. I asked him if he saw any downsides to the 590, and he gave me two: First, he said the magazine springs are garbage, and lose tension. Also, he mentioned something about the tubular magazines not being sealed well, and water leaking into the tube. He said if you used cheap ammo like the government, you could count on your ammo going bad if you left it in and spent some time in the rain.

I have heard of some people buying heavy duty 590 mag springs.

Vig

[rgregoryb]

I have a 590a1 heavy bbl. with a folding stock..it is my trunk long gun. it is a tough shotgun.. steel trigger assembly, steel safety. I also have a 870 both are real good guns can't go wrong with either. (during the last few years of my leo duty I carried a Benelli M1 super 90 now thats one hell of a scatter gun.)

[Leigh]

Mossy 590 accepts the heat shield, the 590A1 will not due to the heavy-walled barrel. IMO, both good shotguns. I've owned one of each and actually preferrred the 590 over the 590A1 as the 590A1 definitely felt muzzle heavy and probably a little overbuilt for own non-military HD needs.
Some people do not like the plastic trigger guards/safeties found on the 590. The 590A1's have these parts made of metal.
All in all, a sturdy pump gun.

[CAcop]

I am planning on getting a 590A1 with 18.5" barrel. The hard part is finding a dealer who knows what I am asking for. Most just get the plastic parted 590s. I called Mossberg and they said that you can get it through non LEO suppliers but it is considered LEO so it get separated from the rest of the line. They do use RSR as a distributor and I know my local gunstore uses them.

I am picking it up to get my PD to allow sgotguns rather than ARs. It sounds backwards but the way they issue them as pool guns I can get more out of a shotgun with good ammo and sights than I can the ARs. Step one, buy gun. Step two, put together proposal.

[Grim Jackal]

The reason I was thinking about the 590A1 is because I wanted the metal trigger guard and safety, the same reason why I spent the extra for a Remington 870 Police model. Thanks for everyones opinions and insight, it has helped me along in the buying process.

[salvo]

I have a 590A1 with ghost ring sites and Speed Feed stock that holds 4 additional rounds, I keep slugs in the stock.
I don't think you could wear the 590A1 out in 3 life times.
I have 870's and a few Ithacas but the 590 protects the homestead.

[chance3290]

Originally posted by CAcop
I am planning on getting a 590A1 with 18.5" barrel. The hard part is finding a dealer who knows what I am asking for. Most just get the plastic parted 590s. I called Mossberg and they said that you can get it through non LEO suppliers but it is considered LEO so it get separated from the rest of the line. They do use RSR as a distributor and I know my local gunstore uses them.


I picked up an 18 1/2 590 a couple of years ago. I twicked it a bit by adding a +1 adapter from VangComp. Being left handed, I like the tang safety much better than the 870. I've put everything thru this gun and it hasn't hiccuped once. Nothing against the 870s.

[DAVE RICHARDS]

Yes. It's my home defense shotgun of choice. Mine has been excellent. It has always given me excellent service at a fraction of the price of some of the other expensive shotguns I've seen. I like the tang mounted safety better than those around the trigger. And it just flat out works. Why pay more and get no better performance and maybe less in some ways?

[ret_marine2003]

I like mine, dont use it much anymore, but I still have it.

Between both the 590 and the 590A1, I prefer the 590.

It really doesnt make a lot of difference.

I have never broke a trigger gaurd, I dont even know how you would do that.

I have heard of springs wearing out if left in the elements, but I have always taken care of mine, and when I was active duty, took care of what I had to work with.

I used and own an 870 too.

My 870 has a 28" bird barrel and I have used it to drop preditory birds at amazing distances.

The 870's I used while inlisted were well used but dependable.

Get the one that fits you the best.

The real hang up for me is safety locations.

[One Ragged Hole]

My 590A1 has the heat shield and Bayonet lug, Parkerized finish, 9 shot mag and speedfeed stock. Reliable as a rock, a great shotgun if you ask me.
O-R-H

[gsbell]

I like mine, 20" with ghost rings


http://home.comcast.net/~greg.bell/images/mossberg590a1_ammo_sm.jpg

[Squid699]

I have the A1. While you can't have the heat shield, the heavy barrel makes up for it. I think the Mossy is much better than the Remy (esp the 590 vs 500)

[digitspaw]

Originally posted by Squid699
I have the A1. While you can't have the heat shield, the heavy barrel makes up for it. I think the Mossy is much better than the Remy (esp the 590 vs 500)

why?

I'm shopping for one now. Either be a straight out 590 or 870 Express.

[Cali-Glock]

Originally posted by gsbell
I like mine, 20" with ghost rings


http://home.comcast.net/~greg.bell/images/mossberg590a1_ammo_sm.jpg

My favorite weapon. Period. :)

[Squid699]

Originally posted by digitspaw
why?

I'm shopping for one now. Either be a straight out 590 or 870 Express.

the mossy has the elevator riding flush with the bolt when closed so that you don't have to fight a spring loaded elevator to load the magazine tube and the release for the action is much more easily actuated on the mossy vs the remy.

[CAcop]

Anyone who has a 590A1 where did you get them? I have been calling all the local gunstores and even the Mossberg dealers in the area and they can't figure it out. The local police dealer can't even firgure it out. Mossberg insists they are as easy to find as their commercial lines. Since I last posted in this thread I have called a dozen places and gotten nowhere. The closeest was KY Imports and they had sold out of every Mossberg except one.

[Squid699]

I ran across mine at at a gun show. local dealer had it out on display.

[dissthis]

I just got me a Mossberg 500a

I will try and post a pic:upeyes:

[gsbell]

CAcop,
Get the model number from the Mossy site then get your dealer to order one. That's what I did only took about a week.

http://mossberg.com/pcatalog/lawprc.htm

[Mwinter]

I bought my A1 when I left a 'Remington department' and could once again make my home defense shottie a Mossberg.

I looked up the part # online, located a Mossberg dealer, spent a fair amount of time convincing them that the guns are NOT restricted, then ordered it.

I competed with it in 3-Gun matches, and practiced an awful lot with it.

Since then, I'm back in LE, and that 590A1 (18.5" barrel, GRS, SideSaddle, SureFire foreend) has ridden with me for the last 3 years. I like it well enough to carry it instead of the department issue standard 9-shot 590 Mariner (also a good gun).

I had only one problem with it, during TCLEOSE Firearms Instructor school....for some reason when I racked a shell, it went out the bottom of the gun onto the ground. No clue what was causing it, but one day later a smith had it fixed and I'll be danged if I know what he did....just about all of the 40 or so guns I've owned have had one sort of problem or another (including Glocks, 870s, and many other 'bombproof' designs ;) )

If the 590 series guns appeal to you, I'd go for the A1 variant. It absolutely does weigh more, though...when I hafta go to a high-round count school, I take both my A1 and a PD-issued 590 standard (I go to the standard 590 when my arms get tired lol)

[CAcop]

Originally posted by gsbell
CAcop,
Get the model number from the Mossy site then get your dealer to order one. That's what I did only took about a week.

http://mossberg.com/pcatalog/lawprc.htm

I did that and still they can't order it. Maybe they are just looking in their books and saying they can't get it. Their books go to the 590 series but they don't go to 590A1. My local store even has a Mossberg catalogue in the store with the model listed but they can't get it from their distributors. I think they want me just to give and buy one of the guns on the shelves because ordering a gun does nothing for them. I need to get the phone number of an old as dirt FFL dealer in town who has taken care of officers in the past.

[CAcop]

Gunstore dorks at work. I got one guy on the phone a few minutes ago claiming that he can get me the 20" 590A1 of course he changed one digit on the model number halfway through so it could also be the 590 in its plastic glory.

The real topper was when he claimed that the 590A1 was made because the Marines in Fallujah were breaking the plastic parts. Okie dokie. So Marines were in Fallujah a decade or more ago?

I see that Impact Guns and Craig's firearms have the 51517 on their websites but at least Impact says they are out. How are these two guys in dealing with people?

[gsbell]

Looks like KY Imports has them as well.

http://www.kyimports.com/rifle3.htm#Mossberg

[CAcop]

Originally posted by gsbell
Looks like KY Imports has them as well.

http://www.kyimports.com/rifle3.htm#Mossberg

Not anymore. Sold out. Down to the last Mossberg when I called and I think it was a 500. So if you aren't picky they have good deals.

I called Mossberg again and they told me they shipped out a bunch the second week of March. They gave me a list of distributors and so far GT Distributors is willing to sell me one for $409 but it will take a month to get. Davidson's had them but they are gone. Keeslers and Gerry's got a lot but I couldn't find their websites anybody know who they are and how to get a hold of them?

This has become an internet death march to find this thing.

[gsbell]

http://www.kiesler.com :supergrin:

[CAcop]

Originally posted by gsbell
http://www.kiesler.com :supergrin:

That's why I couldn't find it online. I misspelled it. I feel stupid. Thanks for the assist!

I got an email from my local police supplies store and they said they would be checking on price and avaiblity. They are more of a Remington place because I don't know of an agency that uses Mossberg around here. Even Remingtons are getting scarce in patrol cars. Everybody is going AR crazy.

[gsbell]

No problem, hopefully they can get one for you.