One of Mossberg’s calling cards has always been the tang safety. The tang safety is ambidextrous, well-placed, easy to use, and well-suited for shotgun work.
However, its major flaw was its compatibility with pistol-grip-style stocks; in those configurations, it is difficult to reach. For those who prefer a pistol-grip stock, Mossberg finally has a product for you: the 590R.
The 590R changes the Mossberg 590 DNA to accommodate an AR-like safety on both sides of the receiver. It’s insanely easy to reach and activate with your thumb without breaking your firing position.
Mossberg went about this in a reasonably clever way: they designed a stock system that incorporates a shield and standoff device that overlaps the safety.
This prevents accidental engagement with gear, field items, or anything else that could get in your way. The stock is a Mossberg M4-style design with a hefty recoil pad. You can also swap it for any other M4-style stock you might prefer.
The stock’s various positions allow for quick adjustment of the length of pull (LOP). The LOP can be as short as 12 inches or as long as 15.25 inches for any “Yeti” shotgun enthusiasts. The included pistol grip comes from Magpul. If you decide you want to swap it, the process is easy: toss on a standard AR-15 pistol grip, and you are on your way!
The 590R: More Than a Stock and Safety
The 590R series features several notable changes beyond the stock and safety. It features a heat shield that lacks the “rattle trap” feel most heat shields offer. It’s held to the barrel by a set screw and sits off the barrel a fair bit. This allows air to pass between the barrel and the shield, creating a more effective barrier that resists heat better.
The pump is also a little different. It’s much smaller than older pumps—more trim and slim—and has integrated humps to keep your hand from sliding off. It’s specifically designed to work with the new shield, and I’m not sure whether other pumps would be compatible without removing the heat shield and potentially swapping the action bar to the old-style Mossberg 500/590.
At the end of the barrel is an M-LOK barrel and magazine tube clamp with a slot that’s perfect for a sling point, aligning well with the stock’s rear sling point. Like all 590s, the gun is optics-ready and comes with the optic plate pre-installed. The gun also comes with a pair of flip-up Magpul sights. Interestingly, the front sight is mounted to a small section of rail attached to the barrel.
What Else?
The trigger is now a flat-faced design. I suspect Mossberg wanted to reduce the length needed to reach it. What you’ll notice is that Mossberg built this gun from the ground up to use a pistol grip, making it one of the few shotguns specifically engineered for that design.
The pump release is redesigned to be easy ot hit with the thumb of your firing hand. It’s extended a fair bit and sits right above the thumb. A little upward pressure and the pump’s free to move around the cabin.
The 590R features an 18.5-inch barrel and a six-round magazine tube. Mossberg also offers the 590RM, which uses the Mossberg magazine system and holds 5–20 rounds. There is another model that comes without sights and a breacher’s barrel, if that’s your thing.
To The Range With the 590R
A benefit of the design is the creation of an in-line stock system. Shotguns rarely have inline stocks. The advantage is that the recoil impulse goes directly rearward into your shoulder with less upward muzzle flip. You can feel the difference shooting this 590R beside a standard 590. It’s a bit more direct on the shoulder, but the thick recoil pad does a lot of work to soak it up and make it fairly pleasant to shoot.
The heat shield keeps your hands from touching the barrel, which is especially useful on long-range trips. The downside is that I often found my fingers scraping it when running the pump at high speed. It’s manageable, but after a couple of 25-round boxes of birdshot, it becomes a little irritating.
I could engage in a rock-solid “push/pull” with this gun, which helps cut that recoil down through tension. However, I could never get two rounds of buckshot on target at 10 yards in less than a second. I think this comes down to the sights; they aren’t as fast or as intuitive for this platform.
So, I mounted a red dot. Bam—I nailed two on the target in less than a second immediately. AR sights on shotguns just aren’t for me. They’d be great for slug use, I’m sure, but I’m a buckshot man through and through.
The Sights
Speaking of sights, there is admittedly a reason why shotguns typically don’t have inline stocks: it places the sights higher and further off the bore.
When you’re shooting at objects in flight, raised sights aren’t beneficial. For tactical and home defense needs, it’s a much smaller problem. When you do run into issues, it is usually “height over bore” at close ranges. With regular buckshot, it’s not really an issue—buckshot “covereth a multitude of sins” regarding sight alignment.
However, it becomes noticeable when using Federal Flitecontrol or slugs. I wouldn’t be using slugs at a range where height over bore is a major issue, but it’s worth noting. The minor appearance of hitting a little low isn’t a dealbreaker, but it’s something to keep in mind if you’re a Flitecontrol enthusiast.
The AR-style sights aren’t perfectly suited to shotgun use. A shotgun at close range is all about speed. The small peep sights on the Magpul set aren’t the best for rapid target acquisition. It didn’t take long for me to fold the rear sight and rely on the front sight alone. A red dot would be the best option for the 590R.
Running Ragged With the 590R
So, how is the safety? It’s fantastic. It’s easy to reach and pivots between “fire” and “safe” effortlessly. It’s downright satisfying how easy it is to use. Your thumb is already sitting right there, just like on an AR. In fact, if you’re an AR enthusiast looking for a shotgun, here it is.
The 590R is like any other 590: it runs. It chews through 2.75 and 3-inch shells with ease. Quality doesn’t matter; it handles my expensive Flitecontrol the same way it handles my uber-cheap Monarch birdshot. It fires, ejects, and fires again. The 590 series is extremely rugged, and they didn’t change any of the components required for reliability.
The downside is that this new series carries a heftier price point. We are seeing them at around $900, which puts you in semi-automatic territory. In fact, the 940 Pro Tactical can often be purchased for slightly less. That makes it a tough sell for a lot of folks, which is understandable.
Specs
- Barrel Length: 18.5 inches
- Overall Length: 36.25 inches
- Weight: 7.1 pounds
- Caliber: 12 gauge (3-inch chamber)
- Capacity: 6+1
- MSRP: $980.00
Ratings (Out of Five Stars)
Accuracy: ****
It’s a shotgun that does shotgun things with shotgun accuracy. I took a point off for height over bore issues, which we want to avoid at shotgun ranges even more than at rifle ranges.
Ergonomics: ****
It’s fantastic overall; they built a shotgun based around a pistol grip configuration. However, it loses a point for my hands rubbing on the heat shield.
Reliability: *****
It’s a 590; it runs as reliably as all 590s do.
Overall: ****
The price will drag its popularity down. At semi-auto prices, the 590R might have trouble being a massive success. However, it does a great job of scratching the itch for a pistol-grip shotgun from a brand well-known for quality.
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