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My humble & newbie experience

Spanky

.410
First off, I'll start with pictures (who doesn't like pictures? :D)
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/464376/guns/Mossberg 590/Pictures/2015-08-05 10.58.59.jpg
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/464376/guns/Mossberg 590/Pictures/2015-08-05 11.02.17.jpg

Now, onto a few things I'd like to say;
This is the first gun I've purchased, I went with the 590 (50669) after shooting a friend's 500 and having done research, it just seemed like the best option. 8+1 capacity, ghost ring sights, Magpul furniture and parkerized finish for $430? Heck yes! Even though it's not a high end expensive autoloader, I still had to save up a bit for it.

While I gathered funds, I researched about upgrades. Currently, I have the following parts installed:
TacStar 1081159 Side Saddle, Wolff 17905 magazine tube spring, ProMag PM262 Safety, GG&G front sling mount GGG-1084-2, Magpul M-Lok forend MAG494 (more about this later), GG&G GGG-1439 Magazine Follower, Limbsaver 10100 recoil pad with Magpul 870 MAG318 adapter, and a cheap Butler Creek 80073 sling.


Firstly, I've read about a lot of concerns with Mossberg quality control. I was worried about having crooked sights or feeding issues. I'm happy to report that the gun works flawlessly out of the box. My 2 biggest issues, and they're not bad really, are that on the front sight, it looked like it rusted where the front sight is soldered/brazed on. Looking closer and working it with a toothbrush, it looks like excessive flux that hadn't been cleaned off. I got maybe half off with a toothbrush and some CLP, the rest will wear off eventually. I do actually have some rust in the barrel but only in the chamber where the round feeds in and it's surface stuff that will come out with a few hundred rounds and CLP. My more irritating issue though is that the elevator is a bit off. It's not bent perfectly straight and sits crooked to the point where it was rubbing against the receiver. It didn't cause malfunctions but it quickly rubbed off the parkerized finish. I may call Mossberg about this but it's more aesthetic than anything else. All that said, I feel like I got what I paid for and I have no real deal-breaking complaints.


Some info on the accessories;
- The Magpul forend that comes with any of the Mossberg shotguns is an outdated forend. Magpul introduced a new version of their M-Lok system that has wider slots with sharper corners. You can go look at their website and see the old version is heavily discounted. When I saw this, I contacted Mossberg and they said that they have no plans to change the forend, they'll keep selling the old one. Knowing this, I went and bought a new one so I could sell the old without it being used. Did I need to do this? No. I'm not sure I'll use the M-Lok system but if I do, I have the newer standard.
- One thing to note about the Magpul stock that I've seen pretty common and experienced myself, the stock length of pull is way too long. I removed all the spacers and it feels comfortable. I'm not a small person, 6'2" last I checked, with big arms and hands. With all the spacers in, it was quite a bit of a reach way out there for the forend. I may put one spacer back in, the rear ghost ring is a bit closer than I'd like but maybe I just need to get used to it. I also dremeled out the slot for the trigger to come out without having to remove the stock bolt. I see why Magpul opted to leave it the way they did, there's now a hole in the stock but it's necessary for the trigger. They could have done some more design on it but oh well. I definitely do not want to have to remove the stock each time to break the gun out so I'm glad I took some material away.
- The Wolff spring & GG&G follower feel soooo nice. I'm really happy with them. The rounds slide in smooth and easy and pop out with quite a bit of force. There's a problem with the follower though. It doesn't stick out as far as the factory one does, into the receiver. Because of this, it doesn't push the round rearward enough. There's a lip on the receiver that the round will get caught on and you can't cycle the pump. Typically this only happens if you're tilting the gun down, I haven't had it happen while the gun is level. It is something to note, especially in a stressful situation. I may see if I can bevel the edge or something. It looks like the magazine tube would have to come out for that though.
*UPDATE* The only round that can get jammed/stuck is the last round out of the magazine. The shells stick out of the tube further than the follower and prevent the shell being loaded from catching on the lip of the receiver. To me, this eliminates the issue as a safety concern as the first 7 shells out of the magazine are 100% reliable.
- The TacStar side saddle is nice, good for a budget unit. Only downsides I see right now are that the rounds on either end are looser than the ones in the middle. The mounting plate also covers up the serial number of the gun. Not horrible issues, especially for the price.
- The Limbsaver pad & Magpul adapter are HIGHLY recommended. When I first pulled the gun out, I liked the feel of the Magpul recoil pad, it felt like tough silicone. However, the first few rounds I shot (which were cheap birdshot), I really almost regretted getting the gun. It kicked hard and hurt my shoulder. Keep in mind, I had shot a 80's vintage 500 many times with the factory pad, that gun only beat me up with some Remington 12-pellet Magnum Buckshot, regular birdshot was fine. I shot a full magazine of rounds with the Magpul pad and swapped over the Limbsaver. Wow, what a difference. I'd honestly pay double for the Limbsaver. I've shot for the last 3 days, running over 100 rounds through the gun including some 3" slugs and various magnum rounds. My shoulder feels fine, not bruised even. For anyone on the fence about a Limbsaver... GET IT. The factory Mossberg & Magpul pads suck in comparison. I don't care how macho you are, it's nice to know that a 3" slug won't beat you up.
- The ProMag safety is really nice. It's not super fancy and it doesn't change the gun a lot but it's just nice having a super secure safety that is firm and easy to activate.


All in all, I'm happy with it and impressed with the performance and features. I'm still learning and the accessories may change but for a starter gun, I'm very pleased.

Since I only had 2 pictures of the gun, here's one of a 7/8oz Remington 2 3/4" high velocity slug I shot at a piece of wood. It penetrated about 5" before splitting the chunk in half. This is definitely adequate for woods & defensive carry :D
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/464376/guns/Mossberg 590/Pictures/2015-08-06 15.19.34.jpg


If you have any questions about the gun or the setup I have, feel free to ask!
 
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While admiring the gun earlier, I learned something about the GG&G follower issue; it only happens on the last round out of the magazine. When there's a shell in the magazine, it sticks out further than the follower and eliminates the feeding issue. My concern about reliable feeding only applies on the last round out of the magazine, all the other rounds are 100% reliable.
 
I don't have one of those, so I can't help you with that particular question.

But I wanted to say I liked the setup you have.
 
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