U.S. Army Places New Order for Mossberg 590A1 Shotguns

O.F. Mossberg & Sons has been awarded an additional U.S. Army contract valued at roughly $11.6 million for more 590A1 pump-action shotguns. The 590-series has been in U.S. military service since 1987, when the original Mossberg 590 completed the full MIL-Spec 3443E endurance and environmental testing protocol. Its performance in that evaluation led to widespread adoption across multiple branches.

Military demand for a more robust, sustainment-ready variant eventually produced the 590A1 — a strengthened evolution of the 590 designed specifically for high-volume use in harsh operational environments.

The 590A1 incorporates a heavy-walled barrel, metal trigger guard, metal safety selector, and parkerized finish while maintaining the core 500-series action. Features include non-binding twin action bars, steel-to-steel lock-up, dual extractors, an anti-jam elevator, and the ambidextrous top-tang safety common to Mossberg’s pump-action lineup.

“Mossberg is honored to receive an additional contract from the U.S. Department of Defense for the battle-proven 590A1 shotgun,” said John MacLellan, Mossberg’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “This award reflects our long commitment to supplying rugged, mission-capable firearms built to exacting standards — and reinforces our pledge to provide timely solutions that support the safety and effectiveness of U.S. service members.”

The specific configuration purchased by the Department of Defense is not a commercial catalog model. To the best of my knowledge, the contract guns are essentially a standard 590A1 equipped with a 17-inch barrel, 6+1 capacity, corn-cob forend, and a brass bead front sight. The closest commercially available option for civilians would be the Mossberg 590A1 (SKU 50766), pictured above, which is available for $770.