Pumped and ready for action
Charles Smith-Jones admires the rugged capability of the Mossberg 590 Persuader, a model favoured by the US military
This month’s Blast from the Past features a shotgun that is somewhat unusual and most likely unattractive to the traditional field or clay-shooting buyer. It probably sits more comfortably within a US genre aimed at the military, law enforcement and home defence, or perhaps the general-purpose ‘homestead’ gun that could be called upon to harvest a turkey, buck or cottontail for the table.
On this side of the Atlantic it may appear more at home in the Practical Shooting discipline, a growing sport in which a shooter tackles sets of targets in a simulated combat situation against the clock and moving between different shooting positions. The targets, some reactive, are set at varying ranges and differ in size, shape, material and position. Though dynamic, exciting and increasingly popular, it is admittedly not to everyone’s taste.
Range
Mossberg has been manufacturing its 590 range of pump-action shotguns since the 1980s, which have been produced in a number of variations. The name of the Persuader featured leaves little doubt as to its main target audience, though it is the least militaristic of the models and has a barrel length that brings it within the UK legal definition of a Section 2 shotgun. Other 590s commonly feature 20in or shorter barrels.
The Persuader is offered in two magazine capacities: a 2+1 for the shotgun certificate (SGC) holder and an 8+1, which requires a firearms certificate (FAC). It is worth mentioning that should you hold any pump or semi-automatic shotgun with a high-capacity magazine, care should be taken not to exceed the terms of an FAC by being tempted to load an extra cartridge into the magazine when shorter case lengths are used. This is even possible with some shotguns held on a SGC with magazines designed to accommodate two 3½in magnum cartridges, but may still take three 2½in ones.
Construction
You will not be surprised to learn that this gun is strongly constructed, an attribute for which Mossberg enjoys an excellent reputation. The Persuader is virtually a carbon copy of the Mossberg 590 military models, which the company says have the distinction of being the only pump-action shotguns ever to meet the US military’s full Mil-Spec standards. A black synthetic stock with a semi-pistol grip is standard, generally allied with a heat-shielded heavy barrel in a blued or protective Marinecote metal finish. A welcome feature is a safety catch fitted to the top rear portion of the receiver, much as you would expect to find on a conventional side-by-side or over-andunder shotgun. This is a much more instinctive position for disengaging with the thumb than the more usual pump-action position next to the trigger-guard. The action lock-lever, however, is situated at the rear of the trigger-guard and allows the action to be released for inspecting the chamber or unloading.
Dual extractors, positive steel-tosteel lock-up, twin action bars and an anti-jam elevator all contribute towards exceptionally smooth and dependable operation. Also, the pump action is itself short, which enhances the speed of cycling fresh cartridges. Great care has clearly been taken during design to ensure that the 590 is highly ergonomic and easy to handle. Most component parts are machined from steel, an improvement on some earlier Mossberg models, which used plastic components for some functions and tended to have more lightly constructed barrels. There is a wide range of aftermarket options for customisation, including grips, stocks and barrels, and spare parts are also readily available.
Niche
The gun disassembles much as you would expect. Unscrewing the magazine tube cap allows the barrel assembly to be removed.
It is also possible to separate the trigger assembly, if desired, by removing a small retaining pin to the rear of the triggerguard. These actions provide more than enough access for all necessary cleaning and maintenance.
This gun is probably not going to appeal to everyone as it is something of a niche model, has rather restricted applications despite its multichoke options and is unlikely to win any beauty contests. Its most likely market in the UK, outside the specialised requirements of the practical shotgun enthusiast, is probably the pest or vermin controller who wants a high-capacity, unpretentious, rugged and reliable working tool, and in such a role it will undoubtedly perform well.
“The 590 is highly ergonomic and very easy to handle”