Mossberg 590 with SpeedFeed Stock: left handed fail
So I got a Mossberg 590 (with a stock SpeedFeed stock) as a gift recently...
....and brought it to the range to fire off a few rounds of (extra) high brass slugs (Remmington 1oz Sluggers, on right)...
....on a day I was pretty busy, but I still wanted to fire it because I was excited about it.
After about 35 rounds, I decided I would quit because my cheek was sore and my shoulder was pretty sore as well. This is somewhat normal for me, but usually it happens after a lot more rounds. That is because I don't normally shoot slugs, and as you can see, these pack quite a bit of powder in them.
My shoulder is also a little weak from surgery years ago, and a motorcycle accident last year. So when it gets a little sore, I ease off it. No big deal. Gun action worked great, it shot where I pointed it, I liked the angles, etc.
My cheek, though, was REALLY sore. Again, when I hold a shotgun, I pull it tight against my shoulder, and I put cheekbone hard against the stock, so the whole thing is tight against me. The problem was the SpeedFeed stock, which apparently was designed for right handers, had a big hole and a sharp edge right where my face is supposed to be, when I shot the gun left handed.
At first I just ignored the pain, but by the time I got home my face had swollen up like a bee had stung it. I thought I might have actually chipped a bone. 6 days later the swelling has gone down to the point where only I notice it when I smile, but I'm not ready to go back to the range yet, even if I find a new stock for the gun, which apparently what I need to do, since they don't offer a 'plug' to fill that hole in.
Anyway, in my search to find an aftermarket plug, I saw (here and other places) where other left hand shooters experienced the same thing, except no one had a solution, other than replace the stock. I found this quite annoying since the gun was billed as friendly to lefties and decided I would fire off a complaint to Mossberg so they knew there was a fairly serious issue with the gun right out of the box that required an additional purchase to solve it.
It read the following:
...granted that may be a little harsh, but I'm now faced with buying a new stock... and my face is seriously swollen, which is preventing me from going back to the range.
A few days later I finally got the following reply:
...now, I don't know about you, but when someone tells you they possibly broke a bone using your product, you should ask them how they are now, first... not ask them to confirm their injury in the past. There should be some sort of compassion involved, even if it doesn't confirm or deny anything. That's just normal customer relations. I have no intentions of filing suit, I just wanted them to know what happened, why it happened, and how they might fix it.
The second part, though, that they do 'not produce any left-hand models and [they] do not proclaim to manufacture left-handed models' is complete nonsense, in my opinion, so I wrote them back...
...now, in retrospect, I don't know if Mil-Spec 3443 actually said it needs to be able to be fired left handed, but I thought that was part of the write up. If that is the case, then that means they are saying this gun meets the specs, when it actually doesn't, when its sold in its stock configuration.
But either way, they DEFINITELY show a guy shooting THAT gun left handed. And while a right hander might not notice something like that, a left hander does. And that image... along with "Ambidextrous, thumb-operated safety", and "The receiver-mounted safety is convenient for right or left-handed shooters" (which is written in the copy on other extremely similar weapons).... basically says, this gun was both designed and marketed explicitly to left handed shooters, and it was the deciding factor on buying this gun over other comparable guns, which were never billed as being lefty friendly.
...so I'm anxiously awaiting their reply, and thought others might want to listen in on this as well.
So I got a Mossberg 590 (with a stock SpeedFeed stock) as a gift recently...
....and brought it to the range to fire off a few rounds of (extra) high brass slugs (Remmington 1oz Sluggers, on right)...
....on a day I was pretty busy, but I still wanted to fire it because I was excited about it.
After about 35 rounds, I decided I would quit because my cheek was sore and my shoulder was pretty sore as well. This is somewhat normal for me, but usually it happens after a lot more rounds. That is because I don't normally shoot slugs, and as you can see, these pack quite a bit of powder in them.
My shoulder is also a little weak from surgery years ago, and a motorcycle accident last year. So when it gets a little sore, I ease off it. No big deal. Gun action worked great, it shot where I pointed it, I liked the angles, etc.
My cheek, though, was REALLY sore. Again, when I hold a shotgun, I pull it tight against my shoulder, and I put cheekbone hard against the stock, so the whole thing is tight against me. The problem was the SpeedFeed stock, which apparently was designed for right handers, had a big hole and a sharp edge right where my face is supposed to be, when I shot the gun left handed.
At first I just ignored the pain, but by the time I got home my face had swollen up like a bee had stung it. I thought I might have actually chipped a bone. 6 days later the swelling has gone down to the point where only I notice it when I smile, but I'm not ready to go back to the range yet, even if I find a new stock for the gun, which apparently what I need to do, since they don't offer a 'plug' to fill that hole in.
Anyway, in my search to find an aftermarket plug, I saw (here and other places) where other left hand shooters experienced the same thing, except no one had a solution, other than replace the stock. I found this quite annoying since the gun was billed as friendly to lefties and decided I would fire off a complaint to Mossberg so they knew there was a fairly serious issue with the gun right out of the box that required an additional purchase to solve it.
It read the following:
...granted that may be a little harsh, but I'm now faced with buying a new stock... and my face is seriously swollen, which is preventing me from going back to the range.
A few days later I finally got the following reply:
...now, I don't know about you, but when someone tells you they possibly broke a bone using your product, you should ask them how they are now, first... not ask them to confirm their injury in the past. There should be some sort of compassion involved, even if it doesn't confirm or deny anything. That's just normal customer relations. I have no intentions of filing suit, I just wanted them to know what happened, why it happened, and how they might fix it.
The second part, though, that they do 'not produce any left-hand models and [they] do not proclaim to manufacture left-handed models' is complete nonsense, in my opinion, so I wrote them back...
----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Rob
To: [email protected]
Sent: Thu, May 5, 2011 2:08:51 PM
Subject: I just shot my brand new Mossberg 590.
Hello XXXXX,
>Please verify for me if there was physical harm done to you
5 days later, it is now only sore if I touch it. The swelling has gone down to the point that I can only tell if I smile....and then it feels a little stiff. So there was aparently no PERMANENT physical harm done... but yes, originally after shooting 35 slugs (gun held tight, cheek tight to the stock) I walked out of the range early (after 20mins) because my cheek had already started to swell like a bee stung it, and I was genuinely concerned I may have actually broken something.
As far as what you said about not producing, nor claiming to produce left handed models, this is completely untrue.
On page: http://www.mossberg.com/products/default.asp?id=5&display=feat
...under 'Features', you will see: "Ambidextrous, thumb-operated safety".... which is repeatedly referenced in the copy of other pages such as: http://www.mossberg.com/products/default.asp?id=32
...by saying "The receiver-mounted safety is convenient for right or left-handed shooters", which unquestionably implies this gun was intended and marketed as a left handed gun.
And if there is any doubt whatsoever, then I will point to the picture on the 590 product page of a man shooting the 590 left handed with his cheek pressed to the gun...
Page: http://www.mossberg.com/products/default.asp?id=5
In addition, on your 'Selecting the right shotgun page' located here:
http://www.mossberg.com/content.asp?id=528§ion=safety
...You will read: "In fact, our 500® and 590® model military shotguns are the only pump-actuated shotguns ever to pass all stringent U.S. military Mil-Spec 3443 requirements" ...and as far as I know, one of the Mil-Spec 3443 requirements is that the shotgun can be used left or right handed.
...so please do me the favor of not adding insult to injury, and tell me this gun is not clearly marketed to left handers.
Anxiously awaiting your response.
Rob V
...now, in retrospect, I don't know if Mil-Spec 3443 actually said it needs to be able to be fired left handed, but I thought that was part of the write up. If that is the case, then that means they are saying this gun meets the specs, when it actually doesn't, when its sold in its stock configuration.
But either way, they DEFINITELY show a guy shooting THAT gun left handed. And while a right hander might not notice something like that, a left hander does. And that image... along with "Ambidextrous, thumb-operated safety", and "The receiver-mounted safety is convenient for right or left-handed shooters" (which is written in the copy on other extremely similar weapons).... basically says, this gun was both designed and marketed explicitly to left handed shooters, and it was the deciding factor on buying this gun over other comparable guns, which were never billed as being lefty friendly.
...so I'm anxiously awaiting their reply, and thought others might want to listen in on this as well.
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