Mossberg 590A1 Retrograde thoughts

[steelholder]

I have the 590a1 in retro. I waited many months to find it, I over paid but I don't care one bit. I love it and would never sell it, it's my favorite shotgun by far, the wood weighs it down and it absorbs recoil amazingly.

[k1dude]

The -1.5" loses -2 in mag capacity going from the 20" to the 18.5". That's a pretty stiff penalty for 1.5 inches.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I am all about rifle sights on a Combat Shotgun. I prefer open sights with a green fiberoptic on the front sight. The reason for the sights is for accurate shooting of slugs. The reason for "open sights" is they are faster to pick up. The reason for the Green FO Front Sight is that it is impossible to miss. Just put the front sight on or close to the target and let fly.

That bright green bulb on the barrel is so easy to pick up you won't go back.



Randy

[bohoki]

The -1.5" loses -2 in mag capacity going from the 20" to the 18.5". That's a pretty stiff penalty for 1.5 inches.

yea might as well just buy a maverick 88

[elSquid]

The -1.5" loses -2 in mag capacity going from the 20" to the 18.5". That's a pretty stiff penalty for 1.5 inches.

[SandHill]

The -1.5" loses -2 in mag capacity going from the 20" to the 18.5". That's a pretty stiff penalty for 1.5 inches.

I was wondering the same thing. An unfired 2.75 inch shell is around 2.25 inches. How come losing 1.5 inches on the barrel casues you to lose two shells in magazine capacity? Can anyone expalain that?

The 18.5" 590 is 6+1, but the 18.5" 500 is only 5+1. That may be because the 500 is imported and the 590 is made in the USA and doesn't have to comply with "sporting" import restrictions. But the difference in 20" 590 and 18.5" 590 can't be explained that way.

And finally, before someone else says it, it's not he length of the barrel that counts but how you use it. That's what she said.

[Tere_Hanges]

I am all about rifle sights on a Combat Shotgun. I prefer open sights with a green fiberoptic on the front sight. The reason for the sights is for accurate shooting of slugs. The reason for "open sights" is they are faster to pick up. The reason for the Green FO Front Sight is that it is impossible to miss. Just put the front sight on or close to the target and let fly.

That bright green bulb on the barrel is so easy to pick up you won't go back.



Randy

I think I'm going to have to put a fiberoptic front sight on my 870 with open sights. I agree that the open sights are quicker to use than the "ghost ring" aperture sights. I've had both and I prefer the open sights.

[Tere_Hanges]

The -1.5" loses -2 in mag capacity going from the 20" to the 18.5". That's a pretty stiff penalty for 1.5 inches.

My 870 express only holds 4rds and I dont feel undergunned at all. Learn how to reload quickly.

If you are that worried about capacity, get an AR or AK. I wouldnt pick a shotgun to defend against multiple assailants anyway.

Theres also 12ga minishells as well.

But a shotgun is not my go to home defense weapon, my glock22 is. If I'm ever in a situation where I need to defend myself from a home invasion, I may not have the luxury of knowing how many badguys there are so Im just going to grab something that holds at least 10 rds and that I can reload quickly. And also something I can move around my house with easily and shoot with one hand if I have to. For me, that is a semiautomatic pistol in 40 or 45. I cant really think of a situation where i would instinctively choose a shotgun over a pistol. I guess if there was an alert on tv saying some crackhead was loose and they started kicking in my front door then I'd probably grab the shotgun.

[W.R.Buchanan]

I think I'm going to have to put a fiberoptic front sight on my 870 with open sights. I agree that the open sights are quicker to use than the "ghost ring" aperture sights. I've had both and I prefer the open sights.

Look at Williams Sights they have sight blades that slide right into your existing sight base. Brownell's has a jillion of them.

Randy

[elSquid]

I was wondering the same thing. An unfired 2.75 inch shell is around 2.25 inches. How come losing 1.5 inches on the barrel casues you to lose two shells in magazine capacity? Can anyone expalain that?

https://www.mossberg.com/product/590-retrograde-52150/

https://www.mossberg.com/product/590-retrograde-52151/

[SandHill]

https://www.mossberg.com/product/590-retrograde-52150/

https://www.mossberg.com/product/590-retrograde-52151/

[brazil]

It's me "brazil" the OP. Just wanted to let you all know I'm enjoying all the feedback. Thx

[200Apples]

The mag tube on the 20 runs out to the muzzle, mag tube on the 18.5 doesn’t.

https://www.mossberg.com/product/590-retrograde-52150/ [8 + 1]

https://www.mossberg.com/product/590-retrograde-52151/ [6 + 1]

These are wicked cool pump guns.

I have added to your quote their advertised magazine capacity for each configuration, then there's the 5 + 1 500 Retrograde, 18.5" barrel, no heat shield.

I have two 1980 walnut and blued steel 18.5" Wingmasters so equipped (as the 500 Retrograde). One has a bead-sight, blued barrel and sling swivels, the other has a Parkerized, rifle-sights w/ Tritium inserts MOD choked barrel (but no sling swivels).

I have "retro"-fitted both shotguns with FlexTab conversion kits and newer Supercell recoil pads... thanks to J.D. Maguire of AI&P Tactical.

[rromeo]

I did some playing with my gun. It's a 590A1, 18.5" barrel, 6 +1. I guess they could have made it hold 7+1 2 3/4" shells by running the mag extension all the way to the end of the barrel. Maybe they didn't want to have it split like that.
Now, I'm thinking I need to make an extension for my extension

[elSquid]

Thanks. Looks to be spot on. Which begs the question: WHY?

"Because it sells."

The counter is: "why have two version of the same shotgun differentiated only by an extra 1.5 inches of barrel and 1 extra shot in the tube?"

If you really, really want a 7 shot 18.5 590 nothing stops you from...

https://www.mossberg.com/store/590-magazine-extension-plus-one-marinecote-103363m.html

Mossberg offered a 7+1 590 marine recently ( using the above extension ), though it's not in the catalog currently. It seems that generally people either prefer the capacity of the 20 or the handiness of the stock 18.5, not many people in the middle.



-- Michael