Mossberg 590A1 Tactical Shotgun

In the world of law enforcement, military applications, and personal defense, the name Mossberg takes on a special meaning. Proponents of handguns, both pistols, and revolvers, acknowledge that no hand-held weapon has the intimidation factor, the firepower, and the situation-solving power of a shotgun.
Mossberg offers sporting models of many of its shotguns as well and remains a strong competitor on the waterfowl and upland game bird markets, but in tactical situations, they are a leader, and the 590A1 is a premier self-defense shotgun.
Available in a dozen different models, with magazine capacities of six to nine rounds of 12-gauge shells, this is a formidable pump shotgun with a reputation that many other models can only dream of obtaining.
The 590A1 is only available in 12-gauge, but in a situation where firepower is of the utmost importance, and recoil, gun weight, barrel length, and all the other parameters surrounding a shotgun take the back seat, this gun will deliver heavy rounds of buckshot or any other style of shot you prefer in three-inch shells.
While not quite as fast as a semi-automatic shotgun, many prefer the safety and control of a pump-action shotgun in desperate, self-defense situations.
Basic Specifications of the Mossberg 590A1 12-gauge
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Mossberg 590A1 Tactical Styles/Configurations
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Price:$509-$799
Mossberg 590A1 Retrograde

There’s nothing basic or retro about the Retrograde version of the 590A1. This shotgun has all the features you could ask for in a personal defense weapon. A large eight-round magazine, with a quick 13.87 inch length of pull makes this a formidable gun to face for any would be attacker. The design follows the well establish line of Mossberg sporting shotguns, but with a very different, very deadly purpose.
With a weight of just seven pounds and a barrel length of 20 inches, this shotgun could fit well into the sporting world but is designed exclusively for personal or home defense.
590A1 Retrograde Specs:
Attribute | Spec |
---|---|
Gauge: | 12 |
Action: | Pump |
Chamber Size: | 3 Inch |
Barrel Style: | Heat shield, Heavy wall |
Barrel Length: | 20 inches |
Finish: | Parkerized |
Choke: | Cylinder |
Capacity: | Nine rounds |
Overall length: | 41 inches |
Length of Pull: | 13.87 inches |
Sights: | Ghost Ring |
Stock material: | Walnut |
Weight: | 7 pounds |
Popular variations:
Browse all Mossberg 590a1 models
Mossberg 590A1 9-Shot Tactical

The futuristic design of this tactical shotgun might have you thinking of images from the Terminator, but don’t let the style fool you, this is a very functional shotgun. Whether you fire it with the detachable lightweight stock, or fire it holding just the pistol grip, this is a formidable 12-gauge platform. The nine-round capacity, (one in the chamber, eight in the magazine) provides more than enough firepower in virtually any situation.
The design may be modern, but the functionality comes from years of research, along with extensive field, and trial and error studies by the engineers at Mossberg.
590A1 9-Shot Tactical Specs:
Attribute | Spec |
---|---|
Gauge: | 12 |
Action: | Pump |
Chamber Size: | 3 Inch |
Barrel Style: | Heavy wall |
Barrel Length: | 20 inches |
Finish: | Parkerized |
Choke: | Cylinder |
Capacity: | Nine rounds |
Overall length: | 36.12 inches |
Length of Pull: | 10.5 to 14.25 inches |
Sights: | XS Ghost Ring |
Stock material: | Six-piece adjustable synthetic |
Weight: | 7.75 pounds |
Browse: Mossbergy 590a1 Tactical shotguns
Mossberg 590A1 9-Shot Traditional

The only appreciable difference between the 9-Shot Tactical and the 9-Shot Traditional versions of the Mossberg 590A1 is the stock. With a fixed stock, the length of pull is also a standard metric, not variable as it is with the six-position stock of the Tactical version.
The same Mossberg quality permeates this shotgun, identical three-inch chamber, eight-round magazine, and 20-inch barrel length all deliver the same specifications as the Tactical version, only in a traditional style. Many self-defense shotgun enthusiasts prefer the classic lines of a traditional stock and this one delivers on their passion.
590A1 9-Shot Traditional Specs:
Attribute | Spec |
---|---|
Gauge: | 12 |
Action: | Pump |
Chamber Size: | 3 Inch |
Barrel Style: | Heavy wall |
Barrel Length: | 20 inches |
Finish: | Parkerized |
Choke: | Cylinder |
Capacity: | Nine rounds |
Overall length: | 41 inches |
Length of Pull: | 13.87 inches |
Sights: | XS Ghost Ring |
Stock material: | Synthetic with four-shot storage |
Weight: | 7 pounds |
Popular variations:
Browse: Mossberg 590a1 9-shot shotguns
Mossberg 590A1 7-Shot

If firepower and magazine capacity were the only metrics to worry about, you’d probably never see anyone even look at a 7-shot, pump-action shotgun, when a 9-shot variety was right next to it on the dealer’s shelf. The truth is that sometimes all those shells can be too much for some shooters.
A 3-inch, 12-gauge shell weighs almost two ounces. Multiply that by nine and you’re packing a little over an extra pound of weight above the listed weight of your shotgun when it’s empty. That seemingly small amount of added heft can make a big difference in performance. The 7-shot variety of the 590A1 arrives in an attractive Marinecote finish. It’s not stainless steel, but it performs in similar fashion at a reduced price, or a traditional Parkerized finish. It comes in three different sight varieties with other features identical.
590A1 7-Shot Specs:
Attribute | Spec |
---|---|
Gauge: | 12 |
Action: | Pump |
Chamber Size: | 3 Inch |
Barrel Style: | Heavy wall |
Barrel Length: | 18.5 inches |
Finish: | Marinecote |
Choke: | Cylinder |
Capacity: | Seven rounds |
Overall length: | 39.5 inches |
Length of Pull: | 13.87 inches |
Sights: | Bead |
Stock material: | Synthetic |
Weight: | 7 pounds |
Browse: Mossberg 590a1 7-shot shotguns
Mossberg 590A1 SPX 9-Shot

This version of the 590A1 bridges the gap between tactical and traditional with a unique, eye-catching style. The shotgun features raised front and rear sights, an attractive Parkerized finish and a bayonet mounting bracket, a feature you won’t find many places on the civilian market. It even comes with an optional bayonet.
Inside all that design is a finely tuned semi-action, 12-gauge shotgun filled with the features, reliability and performance Mossberg is known for. This shotgun has a little “attitude,” but if that’s what you’re after you can’t many other models that deliver on that image.
590A1 SPX 9-Shot Specs:
Attribute | Spec |
---|---|
Gauge: | 12 |
Action: | Pump |
Chamber Size: | 3 Inch |
Barrel Style: | Heavy wall |
Barrel Length: | 20 inches |
Finish: | Parkerized |
Choke: | Cylinder |
Capacity: | Nine rounds |
Overall length: | 41 inches |
Length of Pull: | 13.87 inches |
Sights: | Ghost Ring |
Stock material: | Synthetic |
Weight: | 7 pounds |
Browse: Mossberg 590a1 SPX shotguns
Mossberg 590A1 MAGPUL 9-Shot

Compact, easy to cycle, easy to aim, and deadly effective at close to moderate range, the MAGPUL is a tactical shotgun with a bite. The adjustable stop, allows an adjustable length of pull that can adapt to the needs of any shooter, no matter how tall, or how long their arms may be.
The eight-round magazine, with one shell in the chamber offers ample reserves of ammunition if an encounter gets hot and requires additional rounds. While the style is decidedly tactical, the performance remans at the high quality level Mossberg is renowned for in its security style shotguns.
590A1 MAGPUL 9-Shot Specs:
Attribute | Spec |
---|---|
Gauge: | 12 |
Action: | Pump |
Chamber Size: | 3 Inch |
Barrel Style: | Heavy wall |
Barrel Length: | 20 inches |
Finish: | Parkerized |
Choke: | Cylinder |
Capacity: | Nine rounds |
Overall length: | 39.5 inches |
Length of Pull: | 12.25 to 14.25 inches |
Sights: | XS Ghost Ring |
Stock material: | Synthetic with four-shot storage |
Weight: | 7.25 pounds |
Popular variations:
Browse: Mossberg 590a1 Magpul shotguns
Mossberg 590A1 Class M-LOK

If you’re looking for durability in a self-defense, 12-gauge shotgun, look no further than the 590A1 M-Lok. This beauty is built to stand heavy use in a wide variety of hostile climates. Mossberg rates this as their most durable pump-action shotgun, and when a manufacturer renowned for high-quality pump-action shotguns makes that statement, you know you have something special.
Offering a heavy-walled barrel, metal trigger guard, and easy clean-out magazine tube, this model features what Mossberg describes as “hearty” construction. A Parkerized finish completes a classic look, with long-term potential in the worst weather conditions you can throw at it.
Mossberg 590A1 Class M-LOK Specs:
Attribute | Spec |
---|---|
Gauge: | 12 |
Action: | Pump |
Chamber Size: | 3 Inch |
Barrel Style: | Heavy wall |
Barrel Length: | 18.5 inches |
Finish: | Parkerized |
Choke: | Cylinder |
Capacity: | Seven rounds |
Overall length: | 39.5 inches |
Length of Pull: | 13.87 inches |
Sights: | Ghost Ring |
Stock material: | Synthetic |
Weight: | 7 pounds |
Popular variations:
- Mossberg 590A1 M-LOK Black 12 Gauge 3in Pump Action Shotgun - 18.5in
- Mossberg 590A1 M-LOK Marinecote/Black 12 Gauge 3in Pump Action Shotgun - 18.5in
- Mossberg 590A1 M-LOK Adjustable Stock 12 Gauge 3in Pump Action Shotgun - 20in
- Mossberg 590A1 M-LOK XS Ghost Ring Black 12 Gauge 3in Pump Action Shotgun - 20in
Browse: Mossberg 590a1 M-LOK shotguns
Mossberg 590A1 Mariner 7-Shot

The “Mariner” is nearly identical to the M-Lok aside from one key feature, the Silver Marinecote finish. Not stainless steel construction, but as close as it gets in resistance to salt water, salt spray, sand and other grit than can destroy the action and finish of a traditional shotgun.
The Mariner features a six-round magazine, with one in the chamber for seven total shots. It is a preferred shotgun for military and law enforcement use in saltwater settings.
Mossberg 590A1 Mariner 7-Shot Specs:
Attribute | Spec |
---|---|
Gauge: | 12 |
Action: | Pump |
Chamber Size: | 3 Inch |
Barrel Style: | Heavy wall |
Barrel Length: | 18.5 inches |
Finish: | Parkerized |
Choke: | Cylinder |
Capacity: | Seven rounds |
Overall length: | 39.5 inches |
Length of Pull: | 13.87 inches |
Sights: | Ghost Ring |
Stock material: | Synthetic |
Weight: | 7 pounds |
Browse: Mossberg 590a1 Mariner shotguns