For some time now, Mossberg has been one of the few gun companies to take defensive .410 bore shotguns seriously. Over the years they have offered various configurations of the Model 500 pump-action with its overall dimensions scaled down to fit the notably slimmer .410 shell. Options have included the pistol gripped Cruiser, the HS Home Security with its forward pistol grip and compensator choke, the 18.5" barrel Persuader and various Bantam models (formerly known as “Youth” Models) which can be pressed into defensive service due to their 20" barrels and compact stocks.
The shoulder stocked .410 bore Mossberg 590 7-Shot (top) shown with the pistol-gripped Shockwave configuration (bottom).
In 2017, Mossberg set the defensive shotgun market on its ear with the release of the Shockwave configuration of the company's Model 590 pump-action combat shotgun. This exceptionally compact version of the 590 was a big hit, to say the least. Soon the company was cranking out multiple variations of the platform including a 20-gauge version by 2018 followed by a .410 Bore in 2019. To the best of my knowledge, this was the first time that a 590 had been made available in either of these gauges. With the .410 Shockwave in production, it was a relatively simple matter to offer the same 590 action outfitted with a shoulder stock and a longer barrel. When launched, it was simply named the 590 7-Shot (#50700). Not long after, Mossberg's 500 series of defensive .410s were discontinued.
The shoulder stock sports a vented rubber recoil pad.
As of this writing, just the .410 bore 590 Shockwave and the 590 7-shot are currently in production. This evaluation takes a closer look at the 18.5" barrel, shoulder stocked model. I have no qualms about working with the older 500 series models that I've tested in the past. But the 590 7-shot offers some useful upgrades which make it one of the top options available amongst the reduced-recoil personal protection shotguns on the market today.
The tang-mounted safety slider is oversized and textured.
This version of the 590 pump-action shares many of the same external dimensions of the previous 500 .410 models. The barrel, magazine, fore-end, receiver and shoulder stock have all been scaled down to fit the .410 bore shell. This makes the gun noticeably slimmer and reduces its unloaded weight from around 7 lbs. to 5 lbs. 7.3 oz.
This model is fitted with a heavy-walled 18.5" barrel featuring a 3” chamber, a fixed full choke and a brass bead front sight. The aluminum receiver is drilled and tapped for an optics rail. This is a good thing since the use of micro red dot optics with defensive shotguns continues to gain in popularity. But for close range to across-the-room distances, the brass bead sight works just as effectively now as it has for decades.
This shotgun’s 590 style aluminum receiver is drilled and tapped for an optics rail.
The barrel's support ring slides over a magazine tube which provides a 6+1 ammunition capacity, when loaded with 2.5” long shells, or a 5+1 capacity when using 3” shells. The barrel is secured to the magazine by a twist-off cap that can be removed without the need for tools. This is a handy feature when disassembling the gun for routine cleaning or in those situations in which dirt, mud or water need to be cleaned out of the magazine tube. The cap sports this shotgun's forward sling swivel stud with the rear stud set into the polymer shoulder stock. The ridged polymer pump grip is fitted with dual action bars just like most other modern pump actions.
The sliding polymer fore-end has deep ridges for improved purchase.
The larger caliber versions of the 590 have no polymer parts in the action or controls. In this case, Mossberg opted to keep the shotgun's weight down by installing a polymer trigger housing and safety slider. The tang-mounted slider is oversized with checkered touch points for improved purchase. The curved, steel trigger exhibited a short arc of travel, a smooth feel and a clean break with 5 lbs. 8 oz., which is right in line with many of the popular polymer-framed, 9 mm pistol triggers in circulation these days. The shoulder stock is capped off with a vented rubber recoil pad and provides a 14" length-of-pull (LOP).
Just about every time I write about using .410 Bore shotguns in a defensive role, I can count on someone to point out that 12-gauge and 20-gauge shotguns are more powerful options for personal protection. That's true, and I don't contest it. Large shotgun shells throw more lead than smaller ones but with the trade-off of a heavier shotgun which generates significantly higher levels of felt recoil.
This model has a 5+1 capacity with 3” shells, or 6+1 with 2.5” shells.
Then someone will go on to say that .410 bores are ineffective for self-defense. In that regard it depends on the ammunition used. A few years ago, I conducted some gel block testing by firing a variety of defense-grade .410 loads from an 18.5" barrel, fixed-full choke Mossberg shotgun. Follow the link above for a full set of results. But the short answer is that some loads were not a good fit for defensive use, such as birdshot and some hunting slugs. Others loads, including buckshot and mixed-payload rounds designed for .45 Colt/.410 handguns perform quite well. They easily meet or exceed FBI penetration depth standards while creating multiple wound channels with each pull of the trigger.
IDPA targets were used to pattern various defensive loads at 7 yards.
With this in mind, the 590 was tested by firing individual rounds into Official IDPA Practice Targets set at 7 yards using the central 8" ring as the aiming point. The ammunition used included three of the defensive loads currently available. Hornady's Critical Defense 2.5" Triple Threat cartridge launches a mixed payload consisting of a 115-grain FTX lead slug up front followed by two 65-gr., .35-cal. lead balls at a listed handgun velocity of 750 f.p.s. (which means it leaves shotgun-length barrels traveling at a higher velocity). In this case, the three projectiles formed a 1.91" pattern with the polymer wad punching a relatively clean hole off to the left side of the grouping.
The 2.5" Winchester PDX1 Defender round fires an uncommon 310-grain mixed payload at a listed handgun velocity of 750 f.p.s. It consists of three pre-flattened, copper plated “defense disks” followed by a dozen pieces of BB-size lead pellets. When fired from the 590 at this distance, 14 of the projectiles formed a 3.80" pattern with one of the BB pellets landing above and outside of the 8" circle.
Among the more commonly used defensive options for shotguns of all gauges are the buckshot loads. The buckshot rounds for the .410 tend to be packed with three, four or five pellets of 000 buckshot which is a .36-cal. lead ball weighing in at around 73 grains each. This category was covered by Remington's 3" long, four-pellet HD Ultimate Home Defense load with a listed shotgun velocity of 1225-f.p.s. The pattern was 2.82" through this barrel's fixed full choke.
Mossberg's 590 7-Shot is carrying on this company's tradition of providing customers with defensive .410s quite nicely. It's well made, reliable and handy for those looking for a personal protection shotgun with reduced levels of felt recoil. The selection of models is not as diverse as it once was, but quite frankly, this version is one of the best so far. Its light weight, capacity and caliber also make it an ideal utility gun for around the farm or campsite. With the right ammunition it can be used to dispatch feral pigs, snakes, rodents or other pests. This model is currently listed for a suggested retail price of $581. For more information, visit mossberg.com.
