When it comes to NFA shotguns, Mossberg has historically been one of the few shotgun companies that actually will sell NFA guns. Or in some cases AOWs. They’ve recently announced the new 590RM Chisel series. The one that caught my eye was the model with the 11.5-inch barrel.
What is the best shotgun barrel length for home defense? Put the NFA aside, and what would you pick? I’ve always thought that 14 inches was the right compromise. The barrel length makes the gun maneuverable, and the magazine tube can still hold five rounds or so of 2.75-inch rounds. We’re always balancing barrel length with magazine capacity, unless the gun uses a box magazine…
The 590RM – Short and Fat
The 590RM series are magazine-fed guns that use Mossy’s newest safety, which replaces the venerable tang safety with an ambidextrous pair of AR-like levers on the receiver. They make a few variants of this design and the newest model comes in an SBS format with the Chisel stock setup. Shorter is always better. An 11.5-inch barrel with a box magazine means capacity isn’t reduced due to the shorter barrel. With magazine capacities up to 20 rounds, the 590RM won’t be outgunned.
This smoothbore with a 10-round magazine will be absolutely beastly. Yes, box magazines can have their issues, it’s true. Polymer shotgun hulls tend to deform when stored in box magazines for long periods, leading to feeding issues. It’s a compromise to shove anywhere from 5 to 20 rounds in a shotgun with an 11.5-inch barrel.
If you’re willing to alternate your ammo every couple of months, you’ll have an ultra-small shotgun with plenty of rounds. I’m also a nut for short-barreled shotguns, so please excuse my bias.
The Chisel stock is also a noteworthy addition.
The Chisel Stock – A Worth Addition
Chisel makes stocks that often cost as much or more than the shotguns I’d attach them to. They hit the idea of over-engineering with a hammer. Folding stocks on shotguns are fun, but shotguns are plagued by some fairly hefty recoil. A lot of folding shotgun stocks are crappy. They tend to break and break often.
With that said, the Chisel stock isn’t going to do that. The hinge is extremely well-made and machined from metal. It’s topped off with an adjustable M4-style stock. When folded, the gun becomes superbly small overall.
This gun comes with a bead sight that would seemingly be useless with the stock open since it’s now an inline design. I guess it’s useful with the stock folded or if you remove it entirely. However, the gun comes with an integrated optics rail and that’s where your money will best be spent with this gun.
The pump is a Mossberg ultra short design, a must for a gun this small. It comes with an integrated handguard and a few M-LOK slots for accessories. A foregrip might be an awesome addition here.
One feature that caught my eye and surprised me was the presence of the Accu-Choke cut. Sure, chokes are great, but let’s be real, this gun is perfectly suited for a suppressor. It’s already crazy short, so add a suppressor, and it gets longer, but quieter. You still aren’t sacrificing capacity for a short, quiet, defensive shotgun. A couple of stamps later, and you have one of the most interesting pump shotguns ever produced.
But, But, But
Yeah, this thing isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. I understand that and Mossberg does, too. They didn’t leave those slightly more traditional shotgunners out. They are also producing a 590R with a tubular magazine and an 18.5-inch barrel with the R series safety, Accu-Choke system, and Chisel stock. This one isn’t as exciting to me, but we couldn’t leave a good gun out.
What do you think? I’ve shot the R configuration a lot, and it works well. If you have to have a pistol grip AR-style stock on a pump-shotgun this is by far the best one to get. It’s built from the ground up to use a pistol grip stock with changes to the safety and pump release, making it effortless to use.
Mossy needs to build one with a can on it…