The Mossberg Shockwave has both revived and created an entirely new portion of the firearms industry. While the Shockwave wasn’t the first company to produce a not a shotgun firearm, but they were the first major company to produce an NFA defying 12 gauge. The Shockwave spread like wildfire, quickly becoming one of the top selling guns in the world, and now we have a 20 and 410 version of these guns. The Shockwave family has expanded significantly, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
The Mossberg Shockwave 590 reinvigorated the shotgun industry, and in 2018 we saw even more innovative shotguns hit the market. Both Remington and Mossberg introduced mag fed pump action shotguns this year. The Mossberg version stood out by offering a double stack magazine with a multitude of different capacities. The 590M offers users 5, 10, 15, and 20 round capacities. Initially, we saw two models of the 590M, a standard model, and a tactical model.
Now we are seeing something entirely new. Both the 590M series and the Shockwave series are getting a new member to their respective families. The Mossberg Shockwave 590M is a combination of two of Mossberg’s most innovative products. It’s a Shockwave that accommodates a 10 round magazine. It’s, of course, compatible with the other capacity magazines as well.
Your normal Shockwave carries 5 rounds, the 590M comes with a 10 round magazine which doubles your firepower. The biggest problem with this system is the fact the Shockwave is a light and compact weapon. Tossing a magazine in the bottom makes it significantly bulkier than the normal svelte Shockwave. Toss in the 20 round magazine and you have a magazine that is half the length of the gun itself. That 20 round magazine also weighs 1.7 pounds empty, which is more than a third of the weight of the Shockwave itself.
I’d also imaged swapping magazines without the gun pressed to your should has to be pretty difficult. Especially with the bulkier, heavier magazines. It’s an interesting design, but I’m not sure if it improves on either the 590M or the Shockwave platforms in anyway.
The Shockwave 590M is not technically a shotgun. Since it lacks a stock and never had a stock in the first place it’s actually considered just a firearm. This allows it to have the 14-inch barrel without being an AOW or short-barreled shotgun. The addition of a magazine does not affect the classification in any way.
From Mossberg
Unique to the Shockwave platform, and providing its novel moniker, is the Shockwave Technologies Raptor pistol grip.
This well-designed pistol grip features an enhanced textured finish and has a “bird’s head” shaped-profile, allowing for maximum control while minimizing felt recoil. The grip is constructed of durable, glass-filled polymer with non-reflective, black finish and has an overall length of 5.25 inches. Completing the furniture package for the 590M Shockwave is the cob-styled, tactical forend which is strapped for greater control and smoother operation.
As a first for mag-fed shotguns, the 590M design features a patented double-stack magazine constructed with hardened-steel feed lips, over-molded steel shell ramps and an anti-cant, rounded follower to ensure reliable feeding. Additional features include an easy-grip, molded external shell; proprietary self-lubricating polymer magazine body; heavy-duty ASTM-A-228 music-wire magazine spring for prolonged service life; removable floor plate for ease of cleaning; and durable black oxide finish on the steel components. This proprietary double-stack magazine design provides greater capacity in less magazine length versus competitor’s single stack magazines.
One Way to Fix It
I’m not a big fan of this gun personally, but I see one way to make it a little bit better. Toss on a brace. The braces from companies like Gear Head Works and SB Tactical tend to make unwieldy firearms a little easier to handle. I have one on my standard TAC 14 and I’m a big fan of it.
The addition of a brace would solve a lot of issues I have with this gun and make it a short, powerful, and high capacity home defense option. The addition of an arm brace also doesn’t change the classification of the Shockwave. If you ask me a stabilized, 12 gauge pump action with a 10 round capacity is one mighty good home defense shotgun.