Best Mossberg Models: Handguns, Rifles & Shotguns
We take a look at a handful of Mossberg guns from pistols to AR-15s to their classic shotgun designs. See what we have on our list!
We review products independently. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission to help support our testing. Learn more.
With hundreds of models boasting their name...what truly is the best Mossberg?
As one of the oldest family-owned firearm manufacturers in the U.S., dating back to 1919, a small, four-shot .22 LR pistol called the Brownie started it all for Mossberg. Since then, the company has evolved to include rifles, semi-auto handguns, and, probably what they're known for, shotguns.
I gathered a few models that I enjoy for hunting, home-defense, and recreational shooting. I chose guns with proven track records, not just in my hands, but in the hands of shooters around the industry, by police and military units, and high-level competition shooters.
With that said, let’s dig into the best Mossberg models on the market.
The Quick List
- Editor's Pick: Mossberg 940 Pro TacticalJump to Details ↓
- Best Budget Mossberg Shotgun: Mossberg Maverick 88Jump to Details ↓
- Biggest Aftermarket: Mossberg 500Jump to Details ↓
- Best Compact Model: Mossberg 990 AftershockJump to Details ↓
- Best Mossberg Rifle: Mossberg MVPJump to Details ↓
- Best Plinking Shotgun: Mossberg Shockwave .410Jump to Details ↓
- Best for Home Defense: Mossberg 590RM ChiselJump to Details ↓
Table of Contents
Trending: Best AR-15s, Best Pistol Red Dots, & Ammo in Stock
How We Tested the Best Mossbergs
The Mossberg shotguns in this article have either had hands-on time with someone here at Pew Pew Tactical, including the main author, Travis Pike, or have been extensively researched.
When testing, our staff uses a testing process that measures reliability, accuracy, handling, durability, and performance.
Reliability & Accuracy
Every Mossberg with a review underwent a minimum of 150 rounds, with most models exceeding 1,000 rounds. Reviewers test across multiple ammo types and log any failures or malfunctions.
We also evaluate overall shooting performance using practical shooting drills to assess how the shotgun performs under various conditions. Shot timers are used for all applicable drills.
Ergonomics
Ergonomics testing involved assessing the shotgun's fit and comfort, as well as its controls and other features that may impact how the gun behaves during shooting. We pay close attention to hot spots that occur while shooting. Recoil impulse, trigger feel/weight, pump ergonomics (for pump-action) and ease of reloading are also assessed.
Value
All of the above is balanced against the cost of the rifle. We compared pricing among top vendors and used average pricing to determine whether the firearm has a good balance of features/performance and price.
Best Mossberg Models
1. Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical - Editor's Pick
Quick Verdict: The Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical offers modern features paired with excellent ergonomics perfect for home defense or recreational shooting.
Pros
- Modular design
- Optics ready
- Huge controls make it easy to use
Cons
- Swapping stocks is a pain
What I Loved
Mossberg’s 930 shotgun was pretty good, but it wasn’t perfect. It needed to be cleaned often, it had tiny little controls, and was getting outclassed by the Italians. To step up their game, Mossberg did a complete rebuild of the 930, creating a gun with huge controls and a more reliable gas system.
They called it the 940 and absolutely went ham with the models produced. Of all those models, the 940 Pro Tactical is my favorite. Mossberg introduced their new receiver optics cut with the 940, allowing you to place an RMSc optic directly onto the receiver, and they produced a series of plates to accommodate other optics.
Mossberg includes a high-visibility iron sight, and it’s connected directly to the barrel, but the barrel is slightly flared. This presses the sight up high enough to correct for the POI/POA problems you get with the typical bead-on-barrel design.
The Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical gives you excellent ergonomics with massive controls. The loading port is beveled for easy and rapid reloads. The stock is adjustable for length of pull via a system of spacers.
They thought out every little part of this thing. It’s an excellent gun, and it’s become my bedside gun for home defense purposes. Mossberg clearly went above and beyond to produce one helluva semi-auto shotgun.
We have reviews on the Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical and the newer 940 Pro Tactical SPX.
2. Mossberg Maverick 88 - Best Budget Mossberg Shotgun
Quick Verdict: The Mossberg Maverick 88 fits nearly everyone's budget and offers a simple-to-use pump-action design.
Pros
- Cheap!
- Versatile
- Reliable
Cons
- Tough to swap forends
- Not red dot ready
- Bead directly on barrel
What I Loved
The first thing I purchased when I got back from my first deployment was a Mossberg Maverick 88. It was my welcome home gift to myself, and to be fair, I just really wanted a pistol-grip-only shotgun, and the Mossberg Maverick offered both a pistol grip and a stock for less than 200 dollars at the time.
Inflation is a real pain, but Mavericks can still be had for less than $250. If you only had a little bit of money to purchase a home defense weapon, then the Maverick would be a tough one to beat. In fact, I can’t think of a better option at $250 than the Mossberg Maverick.
The Maverick series are pump-action shotguns that are simplified to the max. They aren’t optic-ready, the stock doesn’t adjust for LOP, the sights are a beat, and the magazine varies between five and seven rounds with no way to change it.
Mossberg produces models for defensive use and for sporting use. They even make a combination option that combines a 28-inch barrel and an 18.5-inch barrel and a five-round magazine tube. Users can swap the gun’s purpose with just a barrel change.
It’s not fancy, but it’s reliable. It can chew through whatever ammo you toss through it. It just keeps shucking shells and going boom. It’s going to beat any Turkish shotgun on the market with ease in the reliability and longevity department.
The big downside is the bead is placed directly on the barrel. This makes it appear as if you’re shooting high, especially with slugs or a tight-patterning buckshot.
Check out the Mossberg Maverick 88 full review!
3. Mossberg 500/590 Series - Biggest Aftermarket
Quick Verdict: The Mossberg 500 (and its tactical sibling, the 590) provides the most versatility and one of the largest aftermarkets.
Pros
- Versatile for a lot of needs
- Decent on budget
- Modular design
- Reliable
Cons
- Bead directly on barrel
The Best Gun Deals, Coupons and Finds
Subscribe to Pew Pew Tactical's sales and deals email.
What I Loved
If you want a step up from the Mossberg Maverick, you get into the Mossberg 500 series. The Mossberg 500 is Mossberg’s flagship gun, and the 590 is their tactical model. Mossberg does produce some 500 Persuader models, but their tactical focus is really on the 590.
The 500 and 590 have a near-identical design. The difference being the barrel and magazine tube design. 590 magazine tubes have a blowout cap for easy cleaning, and the Mossberg 500 uses a barrel that connects to the magazine tube.
The 500 and 590 series are rugged, reliable pump-action shotguns that offer you a gun for any role. Mossberg 500s have you covered for hunting, trap, and sportsman uses. The 590 series offers you the same rugged reliability for tactical and home defense use.The entire series is optics-ready, modular, easy to use, and tough to beat when it comes to reliability. The modularity ensures you can find one in nearly any configuration you want. The ergonomics are fantastic, with little features like the tang safety and the skeletonized shell lifter that are little touches that make a big difference.
If you shoot shotguns like me, you’ll eventually break one; that happens with any shotgun, but luckily Mossberg 500/590s are super easy to repair. They are simple guns, and simple is good when it comes to shotguns.
You can find Mossberg 500 and 590s at nearly every price point. Mossberg 500s tend to be a little cheaper, with 590s being in the middle of the road, and 590A1s being the premier model with the premium price.
Much like the Maverick bead-sighted models, it puts the bead directly on the barrel.
Read more in the Mossberg 500 and 590 Review!
4. Mossberg 990 - Best Compact Mossberg
Quick Verdict: The 990 series comes as a regular ole shotgun or with a little pizzazz as a short-barreled shotgun. It uses Mossberg 590 furniture and is optics-ready!
Pros
- Mossberg 590 stock compatible
- Optics ready
- Huge controls for easy use
Cons
- Expensive
What I Loved
The 990 started life as a 12-gauge firearm that featured a short barrel and pistol-grip design. Legally, it wasn’t a shotgun, but a firearm, so it didn’t run afoul of the NFA. These were a ton of fun, and with their success, Mossberg turned them into an entire series of firearms.
The 990 comes as a standard tactical shotgun and a short-barreled shotgun. The 990 series is one of the rare semi-auto shotguns that doesn’t rely on any kind of buffer in the stock. This allows it to use Mossberg 590 furniture, which opens it up to a ton of different stock options.
The 990 is a gas-operated gun that learned a lot of modern lessons from shotgun usage. First, the controls are massive. The magazine release, the charging handle, and safety are huge, easy to access, and so easy to use.
Shotgun variants use the SPX handguard and Magpul SGA stock. The combination creates a fantastic shotgun overall.
All models are optics ready, and outside of the original 990 Aftershock, the guns come with optics cut directly into the receiver. This makes it easy to mount an optic low on the gun, ensuring a good cheek weld, and it helps eliminate some of those tolerance stacking problems you get with rails and optics.
The 990 series chews through anything I've put through it. This includes some really light-loaded stuff. The only thing that doesn’t feed reliably is the Hornady TAP load designed for pump-action-only shotguns.
See the full Mossberg 990 review ->
5. Mossberg MVP - Best Mossberg Rifle
Quick Verdict: The MVP is a modern bolt-action rifle that works well suppressed and offers a very smooth shooting experience.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Iron sights and optics ready
- Perfect for suppressors
Cons
- Magazine is finicky
What I Loved
The only gun on this list that doesn’t shoot shotgun shells. The Mossberg MVP series is a bolt-action rifles that use detachable magazines and take a more modern approach over a standard hunting bolt-action.
Mossberg makes MVPs in 5.56, .300 Blackout, and 7.62 NATO. They produce Scout and Patrol variations with slightly different optic mounting options. These guns use detachable magazines and vary between standard AR-15 mags and SR-25 mags.
The MVP series comes with iron sights, which I love. There is something quaint about shooting a bolt-action with iron sights, even if it’s not always the most effective option. The Patrol series has barrel-mounted open sights, and the Scout models have a rear peep sight.
Clambering through the woods is easy thanks to the short 16.25-inch barrels. They are light, handy, and easy to shoot. I’m a big fan of the 5.56 model because it’s fairly affordable to shoot and a lot of fun.
The MVP series doesn’t have the smoothest bolt actions. The forward movement is often rough. Also, while any AR magazine will fit, keep to high-quality magazines. My MVP Patrol 5.56 works best with P-MAGs. With some magazines, the round dives, creating a malfunction.
Our Most Popular Posts
6. Mossberg Shockwave (.410)
Quick Verdict: The .410 Mossberg Shockwave is a great entry gun for those intimidated by shotguns or just a fun plinker at the range.
Pros
- Light recoil
- Lightweight design
- Tons of fun to shoot
Cons
- Not super useful in a practical sense
What I Loved
The Mossberg Shockwave series is one of my favorites. Mossberg was the first major company to identify the fact that they could produce an NFA-free 14-inch barrel 590 without the need for a tax stamp as long as it doesn’t have a stock and has an overall length of at least 26 inches.
The Shockwave comes in 12 gauge, 20 gauge, and .410 bore. They’re all fun, but the .410 by far is the best. It’s so small and so light with super lightweight recoil that it feels like the American version of a wand from Harry Potter.
It’s a blast to shoot and never fails to paste a smile across my face. The pump-action design makes sure it's reliable with whatever I toss in it. It just eats through ammo.
If the Ruger 10/22 is the best plinking rifle, this is the best plinking shotgun…or wait, it’s not a shotgun, it’s a firearm. Even the recoil-averse can shoot this thing without a problem. My shotgun-hating wife has a blast shooting the Shockwave .410.
Like all 590-based variants, it’s red-dot ready, but that's about all the modification you can do to it. There aren't a lot of Mossberg .410 accessories out there, but you won't want to change this thing. It’s just a ton of fun as is, and fun guns are often my favorite.
7. Mossberg 590RM Chisel - Best Home Defense Mossberg
Quick Verdict: The compact design paired with tactical features (like a folding stock and pistol grip) makes the 590RM Chisel a great addition to your home defense arsenal.
Pros
- Super short so it's easy to use in defensive settings
- Optics ready
- Well thought out design
Cons
- Tax stamp required
- No sights are included
- Pricey
What I Loved
I separated this particular 590 from the rest of the pack because it’s radically different. It’s a 590, but it features a Chisel folding stock, an AR-type safety, and uses a magazine. Did I mention it’s a short-barreled shotgun with an 11.5-inch barrel?
If you asked the best barrel length for home defense on an AR, you’d get tons of opinions. With a shotgun, you’re often stuck with 18.5 inches thanks to the NFA. If you don’t mind dealing with the NFA, then you get down to about 14 inches and are left with five rounds
The 590RM Chisel uses an uber short 11.5-inch barrel, but since you aren’t reliant on a magazine tube, the capacity isn’t an issue. You can get up to 20 rounds in the Mossberg M series magazines. The downside being that shotgun shells deform inside of a magazine over a long period of time.
If you can remember to swap your shells every few months, it won’t be a problem and you can have an uber short shotgun with a decent capacity.
The 590RM Chisel uses a pistol grip and a folding stock. Those types of stocks don’t play well with Mossberg tang safeties, so Mossberg redesigned their safety. It’s now mounted to the side of the receiver; it’s ambidextrous, and similar to an AR safety.
The whole package comes together quite well and works well. The downside is that there are no iron sights. You’ll have to bring your own red dot to the optics-ready gun.
FAQs
Final Thoughts
Can you tell Mossberg preaches the gospel of the gauge? It’s pretty evident that they stick to what they know, and they know it well. I guess it’s easy to see why a shotgun nut like me loves the company.
What’s your favorite Mossberg shotgun? Let us know below! For more options, check out our recommendations for the Best Home Defense Shotguns!
Meet the Experts
Pew Pew Tactical author Travis Pike conducted the research, testing, and evaluation of Mossberg models for this article. His experience is based on a lifetime of shooting, both as a kid and an infantryman in the Marine Corps. He has written thousands of articles for a variety of leading publications, including Pew Pew Tactical. In addition to a long history of testing and reviewing guns and gear, Travis is also a concealed carry instructor in Florida.
He has extensive experience with shotguns and Mossbergs in particular. His bedside gun is currently a Mossberg, and some of the guns he hits the range with more often than not are Mossbergs.