Kilrain
.410
So, I've recently turned my hobby time back to firearms after an extended hiatus spending money on high performance autos, motorcycles, Jeeps, photography, etc. I suppose I like all things mechanical which means I usually take a beating on my "investment."
I've traditionally been a Remington guy, owning close to 10(?) or so, and am particularly fond of the 870. I built a nice 870 Marine Magnum in the late 90s after taking a shotgun instructor course from Bill Jeans. I carried that thing for many years at work and although I never fired it in the line of duty, it always worked when I needed it, mostly by sight alone.
My shotgun taste wandered to the Ithaca 37 and I owned several, later giving a couple of them away for Christmas presents. I still believe that no other pump gun is as slick as a well worn 37. I still have two and love them.
Then one day I said to myself, self, why don't you try a Mossberg, you've never owned one. My memory then wandered back to my summers in Oklahoma as a youth and shooting a family member's model 500. I remembered it being pretty "jinky" for lack of a better word. It worked, no doubt, but just seemed flimsy, cheap and downright funky. So I did some research and decided, based on all the good 590A1 reviews I'd seen, to give one a shot(HA!), since the worst that could happen was I'd sell it.
So I picked up my 590A1, stock #51663, brought it home and checked it out. Firstly, what the hell is up with the ridiculously long stock? Did they use NBA players as the standard for stock fitment? Secondly, although I know for a fact it has an aluminum receiver, I have a hard time believing it based on the weight and perceived rigidity of the gun. Thirdly, are these things (over)built in Russia cause they remind of Cold War era, extra heavy duty, behind the Iron Curtain style Soviet tanks. Stout is an apt term to describe a 590A1. My 870 Marine Magnum feels much more refined but almost dainty by comparison, which is hard to resolve based on the steel vs. aluminum receiver.
I was pleasantly surprised with the action itself. While it wasn't glass smooth, it wasn't bad and I reckon' it will be better after I detail strip this thing, clean it and properly lube it.
So there's my short Mossberg story. My initial inspection of the 590A1 says money well spent. Now I have to see how this pig will shoot............
I've traditionally been a Remington guy, owning close to 10(?) or so, and am particularly fond of the 870. I built a nice 870 Marine Magnum in the late 90s after taking a shotgun instructor course from Bill Jeans. I carried that thing for many years at work and although I never fired it in the line of duty, it always worked when I needed it, mostly by sight alone.
My shotgun taste wandered to the Ithaca 37 and I owned several, later giving a couple of them away for Christmas presents. I still believe that no other pump gun is as slick as a well worn 37. I still have two and love them.
Then one day I said to myself, self, why don't you try a Mossberg, you've never owned one. My memory then wandered back to my summers in Oklahoma as a youth and shooting a family member's model 500. I remembered it being pretty "jinky" for lack of a better word. It worked, no doubt, but just seemed flimsy, cheap and downright funky. So I did some research and decided, based on all the good 590A1 reviews I'd seen, to give one a shot(HA!), since the worst that could happen was I'd sell it.
So I picked up my 590A1, stock #51663, brought it home and checked it out. Firstly, what the hell is up with the ridiculously long stock? Did they use NBA players as the standard for stock fitment? Secondly, although I know for a fact it has an aluminum receiver, I have a hard time believing it based on the weight and perceived rigidity of the gun. Thirdly, are these things (over)built in Russia cause they remind of Cold War era, extra heavy duty, behind the Iron Curtain style Soviet tanks. Stout is an apt term to describe a 590A1. My 870 Marine Magnum feels much more refined but almost dainty by comparison, which is hard to resolve based on the steel vs. aluminum receiver.
I was pleasantly surprised with the action itself. While it wasn't glass smooth, it wasn't bad and I reckon' it will be better after I detail strip this thing, clean it and properly lube it.
So there's my short Mossberg story. My initial inspection of the 590A1 says money well spent. Now I have to see how this pig will shoot............
I have no clue who test fit guy/ape was....
