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.
Ex-Arctic Ranger. Competitive practical shooter and hunter with a European focus. Always ready to increase my collection of modern semi-automatics, optics, thermals and suppressors. TCCC Certified. Occasionaly seen in a 6x6 Bug Out Vehicle, always with a big smile.
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Didn’t take long to wear off that blued finish on receivers. Look at the pictures. Couldn’t they put on some more durable finish? I bet there will be rust on various parts of those shotguns in no time at all.
And the alternate use for “less than lethal” strikes me as just stupid.
Used the 590 back in my old MP days. Don't care how thick parkerizing is, military shotties are abused and the finish is gonna come off purely out of wear. They're not armory queens, and the "abuse" they take is something you will never understand unless you're in that environment. It's not some stupid "1000 round abuse" test the civilians are fond of reading. This is tens of thousands of rounds thru that same frame by soldiers told to burn a PALLET or more of ammo at a time while banging doorframes or other obstacles to try and get the platform to fail. This is a true soldier's weapon and lots of us swear by not AT them. It explains why I have 4 Mossberg 500's in the safe and the daughter has 3, but two in 20 gauge. Never a jammed or malfunction if you do your part. Thanks O.F Mossberg and Sons for your service to this nation!!