Mossberg 590 help!

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Panzerschwein

Panzerschwein

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Hey guys! Well I done did it this time... was up at the gun shop and on the wall was a NIB Mossberg 590 with the 20" barrel, 9 shot capacity with heat shield, matte blue finish. The price was excellent. Here's the model:

http://www.mossberg.com/product/sho...cial-purpose-590-special-purpose-9-shot/50660

I really love the looks of this gun, what I'm going for is a "modern trench gun" type setup, with the same features as the old U.S. military M1987 and M1912 shotguns. That means I want it to be a basic bead sight pump shotgun with traditional style stock, heat shield, bayonet attachment, and sling swivels... just like the originals. But, of course, this one is a more modern design and it's in a tactical black finish with polymer furniture. :cool: Purposes would be for primary home defense long gun, run and gun, range fun, plinking, and just plain shootin' fun.

BUT... what about the M590A1?

I've heard this is a better gun than the 590, and that the military uses the M590A1 so it's obviously superior for combat right? The M590A1 has the heavy barrel, parkerized finish, and metal trigger guard and safety lever. The Model 590 I'm looking at has standard barrel, matte blued finish, and plastic trigger guard and safety lever.

Do you think the Model 590 is inferior to the M590A1 for combat purposes? I like how this Model 590 already comes with heat shield, and I've heard you really can't get one for the M590A1 due to the thicker barrel. Is the matte blued finish going to rust on me, vs. the parkerizing on the M590A1? Which is the superior finish for corrosion resistance? Will the plastic control on the Model 590 break on me vs. the metal ones on the M590A1?

So basically I just need to know if I'm buying an inferior shotgun to the military issued M590A1. I want this particular Model 590 quite badly... but not if it's a low close choice.

Thanks guys! :)
 
You will be fine. You will not be able to wear it out. There is absolutely no need to do anything to it unless you want ghost rings, etc. I have a Mossberg 500 that I shoot a lot for trap. I've got over 6,000 rounds through it and it is nowhere near wearing out and it has the same parts as most of your shotgun.
 
In my opinion, the heat shield is kind of pointless. But then that's just my opinion. If you like the "tacticool" look of it, go for it.

If it would be of interest to you, the 20" 590A1 can attach a bayonet. It looks cool and serves a valid purpose.

I don't think any of them would wear out on you, but personally I always get the most durable tool I can, regardless of how hard I'll be on it. People don't buy cars with airbags that would probably be sufficient for most people, they buy the most heavy-duty safety features and hope they'll never have to use them or wear them out. That's just the way I look at things, firearms included.

The 590A1 is a beast. Don't get me wrong, I have a Mossberg 500 for shooting clays and I doubt it'll ever wear out in my lifetime. But I like knowing that I couldn't wear out the 590A1 if I tried.
 
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Thanks, I want the heatshield so it will be like the old M1987 and M1912 trench guns in terms of look and feel.
 
Yeah there's a creek behind my house, and I'm planning on setting up some targets down there for some Iwo Jima style run and gun with the Model 590... just not sure if it will hold up to that.
 
If you would be more satisfied with the A1, then that's the one you should have.
But the standard one will probably outlast you.
The only part you might want to change, if it even has one, is the plastic safety.
It might already be metal, though.
You're more likely to trip and drop it in the creek than break anything on it.
 
Thanks! I'll do that, Midways has the metal safety buttons for under $10. But what about the plastic trigger guard? I wonder if it will fail? And is the matte blue a poor finish for corrosion resistance?
 
As much as I hate plastic on my shotguns, the plastic trigger guard is more indestructible than the aluminum one.
 
Cooldill said:
But is it inferior compared to the .mil M590A1? Will it not be as durable under heavy use?
Click to expand...
It is not inferior and will hold up to heavy use just fine.

Shotguns run under low pressure. I saw a calculation once on the duration of peak pressure in a shotgun. For 100,000 rounds it amounts to holding the peak pressure for all of six minutes. Both are very durable. Take the money difference between the two and invest in in a stock market index fund. When the 590 wears out from daily use over three generations your great grandchildren, can buy the plasma laser rifle they were dreaming of owning with million dollars they will have from your index fund.

I dare you to try wearing it out. I'm guessing it would be no less than 100,000 rounds and no more than 1,000,000 rounds. Assume 25 cents a shell and tell me how much ammo cost that will be? Even if you shoot 5,000 rounds a year, you will likely be on your third new vehicle before you get even close to wearing it out.

Also, Mossberg has a 10 year warranty on it and awesome no BS customer service. Pretty much anything that breaks they will fix fix for free. I've called for little parts here and there and they always send them for free.

You have absolutely nothing to worry about. Take the money you are thinking to spend on it now and go buy the midway USA estate buck that has the best price I have seen in a decade and stock up.
 
rule303 said:
As much as I hate plastic on my shotguns, the plastic trigger guard is more indestructible than the aluminum one.
Click to expand...

:confused:

No offense, but I find that hard to believe considering the U.S. military demands a metal trigger guard for their combat shotguns, hence why the mil spec M590A1 has one. Do you mind explaining why you think the plastic one is stronger than the aluminum one?
 
I like how this Model 590 already comes with heat shield, and I've heard you really can't get one for the M590A1 due to the thicker barrel.
Click to expand...
You can, and I did, although I had to work for it! Mossberg kept sending me the wrong unit, despite the fact we were using the correct part number.
I think it took them 3 tries to finally send the correct shield.

There was also mass confusion from 3rd party vendors when reading the descriptions of the heat shields - I was never sure which one they really had / were advertising, so I gave up and ordered directly from Mossberg.

2-5-14: Parkerized Heat Shield for 590A1 (part # 16335p) from Mossberg was $38 + $6.95 shipping = $44.95 delivered.

Wanting my first shotgun, I got tired of waiting over 2 years to get my hands on a KSG (not that I would have bought), I gave up and bought a 590A1.

After buying and building one like I wanted, I found that I think I could have bought what I built (and no doubt saved some money) by buying from Mossberg's LE line (saw it in their downloaded catalog), but my dealer didn't have access to the LE line.

I've added a few goodies, one of my favorite being the XS Big Dot Tritium Front Bead Sight.

The gunsmith had to install the front sight before we could install the heat shield, as it would be tricky / impossible to add the shield after installing the sight.

I opted for bead sights - just wasn't that impressed with the ghost ring sight model.
 
Does adding a heat shield make the M590A1 too heavy up front since it already has a heavy wall barrel? Will the heat shield work with the standard bead sight? Thanks!
 
Does adding a heat shield make the M590A1 too heavy up front since it already has a heavy wall barrel?
Click to expand...
I guess that's a subjective 'thang, ain't it?
I think the extra weight makes little / no difference, but I also added an EOTech Integrated Fore-end light, so I'd already added a bit of weight before installing the heat shield.

Will the heat shield work with the standard bead sight?
Click to expand...
I'm flying on memory here, but I think:
1. The Mossberg front sight is not threaded (as a Remington 870)?
2. That means you can't just screw it out, install the heat shield, and screw it back in.
3. I'm pretty sure I remember repeatedly reading warnings from Mossberg stating you could not install the heat shield if you had the bead sight, but I think some folks on various boards were spreading the heat shield to allow them to install over the bead site - they then squeezed it back together and let the supplied nuts / bolts do the rest AFA squeezing it back to shape. (yur takin' your chances here).

I think my gunsmith:
1. Removed the stock bead.
2. Drilled / tapped the barrel to accept a Remington 870 type bead (it comes with the XS Tritium front sight).
3. Installed the heat shield.
4. Installed the threaded Remington 870 style sight.
5. Installed the Tritium front site, but note that he used an epoxy (JB Weld?) between the front sight bead and the XS Tritium dot (per XS instructions).
The XS front sight has a hole in it for the beaded front sight to fit into, but you have to epoxy it onto the bead.

Iff'n I ever want to remove the heat shield, guess I'm kinda screwed - going to have to apply heat to remove the Tritium sight, then I guess I could screw the bead out?
 
I'm looking to get the 20" barreled model M590A1.

I know the normal 590 I was looking at in the gun shop had a heat shield and bead sight from the factory. If I call Mossberg and order the heat shield for the M590A1 heavy barrel, will it not also work with an M590A1 that has a bead sight? If not, why?

If I can get a Model 590A1 with bead sight and a heat shield, I'm thinking I'll go that route. I just don't trust the standard 590 plastic controls as I've heard they can crack and render the gun useless. Also I would greatly prefer the parkerized finish as I've heard it's much more corrosion resistant than the matte blue finish.
 
I'm looking to get the 20" barreled model M590A1.
Click to expand...
That's what I have (conventional stock).

If I call Mossberg and order the heat shield for the M590A1 heavy barrel, will it not also work with an M590A1 that has a bead sight? If not, why?
Click to expand...
Answered in previous post - Mossberg will tell you it can't be done, folks online are spreading the heat shield to clear (actually, to avoid completely) the bead sight, then squeezing / clamping back into shape. You're on your own if you decide to chance it and spread the heat shield.

If I can get a Model 590A1 with bead sight and a heat shield, I'm thinking I'll go that route.
Click to expand...
Well, you only have 2 choices:
1. Go the route I did, leaving off the final step of installing the Tritium front sight.
2. Take a chance on getting the heat shield and spreading it to clear / avoid the front bead, and squeeze back together after you've got it in place.

I thought you might be able to get what you were looking for from the LE catalog, but I just downloaded the newest one and it looks like there is no such animal as a 590A1 with a heat shield? I could have sworn there was a 20" 590A1 with heat shield in last year's LE catalog?
I see the 590 with a heat shield, but no 590A1.

You can view / download PDF of the LE catalog @ http://catalogs.mossberg.com/2014_Law_Enforcement/

Here's what you are going to run into if you try to install the correct (any?) heat shield on a 590A1:
1. Look at a picture of an installed heat shield.
2. You're going to be able to slide it (front to back, OR just drop the rear over the barrel) over the bead sight, but as you get to the very end (see the two bolts at the front), you are going to have to lower the heat shield so the semi-circular clamp at the front will slide ALONG the barrel, and the bead sight is not going to let you lower the shield enough for the clamps to do so.
3. My understanding is some folks are spreading the very front of the heat shield (where the clamp is) in order to slide the shield DOWN over the barrel, instead of sliding it from the front to rear, ALONG the barrel.
4. Doing so means you have spread the front clamp - you're now going to have to squeeze it back together once you drop it DOWN over the barrel.
5. You better get some type of protection for the barrel finish when you try to slide the front clamp over the barrel, as I'm sure you want to spread the clamp as little as possible.

Hope that makes sense?

BTW - quickest way to determine if you have the correct heat shield is to:
1. Turn it around (and listen to folks at the gun store tell you you're putting it on backwards!) :D
2. Butt it up against the end of the barrel to see if the clamp will clear the barrel.

You're not going to clear the bead, BUT if you have the 590 and not the 590A1 heat shield, the clamp won't even clear the end of your (thicker) barrel.
 
basicblur said:
I guess that's a subjective 'thang, ain't it?
I think the extra weight makes little / no difference, but I also added an EOTech Integrated Fore-end light, so I'd already added a bit of weight before installing the heat shield.


I'm flying on memory here, but I think:
1. The Mossberg front sight is not threaded (as a Remington 870)?
2. That means you can't just screw it out, install the heat shield, and screw it back in.
3. I'm pretty sure I remember repeatedly reading warnings from Mossberg stating you could not install the heat shield if you had the bead sight, but I think some folks on various boards were spreading the heat shield to allow them to install over the bead site - they then squeezed it back together and let the supplied nuts / bolts do the rest AFA squeezing it back to shape. (yur takin' your chances here).

I think my gunsmith:
1. Removed the stock bead.
2. Drilled / tapped the barrel to accept a Remington 870 type bead (it comes with the XS Tritium front sight).
3. Installed the heat shield.
4. Installed the threaded Remington 870 style sight.
5. Installed the Tritium front site, but note that he used an epoxy (JB Weld?) between the front sight bead and the XS Tritium dot (per XS instructions).
The XS front sight has a hole in it for the beaded front sight to fit into, but you have to epoxy it onto the bead.

Iff'n I ever want to remove the heat shield, guess I'm kinda screwed - going to have to apply heat to remove the Tritium sight, then I guess I could screw the bead out?
Click to expand...
Front bead sight- threaded
 
Holy crap! What a PITA. :mad:

I've heard also that Mossberg made M590A1s with bead sights and heat shields, well how the heck did they get them on there? Did Mossberg not offer this for the M590A1?

Check this video out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrTzidWYEk8

The guy uses a small wrench to just remove the bead sight on his standard 590. Can this too be done with the bead sight on the M590A1? Wouldn't the M590A1 specific heatshield install the same way?
 
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My example Model 590 BBL 20" Cyl Bore - 9 Shot Capacity - Accessory Lug Includes Heat Shield and Studs.

Modifications made replaced OEM safety button with after market metal one, replace OEM (stamped) magazine follower with after market stainless steel follower, replaced OEM bead sight with after market night sight bead, The dual extractors OEM retaining pins replaced with drill rod stock, and added a shell saddle.
 
Front bead sight- threaded
Click to expand...
Mebbe so - I'm flyin' on memory - did the research when I had the XS front sight installed. I know the gunsmith had to thread the barrel, but he might have simply threaded it for a different pattern since the XS sight comes with a Remington bead.

If the front bead on the 590A1 is threaded, I don't know what all the discussion on the 'Net about spreading the heat shield was?

Anywho...he'll have to do his own research, not forgetting that a lot of folks will get cornfused when they talk 590 / 590A1 and the fact that there are two different heat shields.

I don't doubt there are a number of 590 heat shields mounted on 590A1's (based on 'Net confusion back when I was doing my research), but I don't know exactly how neat the front clamp would look if one tried to do so?
 
Well on Monday I plan on calling Mossberg and asking them if the M590A1 has a threaded bead, if they will sell me an M590A1 parkerized heat shield for the heavy barreled gun, and IF the heatshield will work with a bead front sight.

If I get good results, I think I'll be buying this:

http://www.galleryofguns.com/genie/...+Pump+Action&cal=12+Gauge&fin=&sit=&pid=&inv=

And installing the factory OEM M590A1 parkerized heat shield... if it's possible. If you look on the Wikipedia article on the Mossberg 500, currently it has a picture of an M590A1 with heat shield and bead sight. Interesting.

If none of this is possible, I don't know what I'm going to do. :(
 
Holy crap! What a PITA.
Click to expand...
Apparently my bad (should have known better than fly on memory).

I dug up my notes on the front sight mod - apparently you should be OK with a bead site - the warnings from Mossberg are for those trying to install the heat shield with a Ghost Ring sight!

The folks on the 'Net that were discussing spreading the heat shield were apparently doing so to install over a Ghost Ring sight.

Sorry about that! :eek:
 
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