Mossberg Model 190 – A Shotgun that can Kick Chuck Norris’ Ass
It’s not often that a product comes along that is completely ground-breaking in its technology, and when it does, it draws attention. Sort of like everyone admiring an iPhone5, hunters constantly point towards my shotgun and say, “What the heck is that thing?”
“Why, it’s a Mossberg model 190,” I answer. “Thank you for asking.”
It’s hard to decide where to begin describing the many innovative features of the Mossberg model 190. From muzzle to butt, it screams “1950.” Actually, it was made from 1950 to 1955.
Let’s start at the butt. The butt of the beautifully matte-finished genuine walnut Monte Carlo one-piece pistol grip stock of this beauty is capped with a non-recoil-absorbing piece of the hardest plastic I’ve ever seen; quite possibly that 1950’s miracle of polymerization, Bakelite.
The stock itself has such a plain finish that even dings, chips, or scratches do not diminish it. They only add to the gun’s individuality.
Then there’s the action. The engineers at Mossberg thought long and hard about how to improve a hunter’s marksmanship before they decided that a bolt-action was the ticket. After all, since a bolt-action is so slow there’s no chance for a second shot, you bet a hunter’s going to try his best to make the first shot count. Now that’s innovation. However, just in case you are hunting three-toed sloth, and do have time for a follow-up shot, the Model 190 comes with a two-round box magazine.
The gun comes chambered for the awesomely powerful 16 gauge 2 3/4″ shot shells, or if the hunter wants even less power, it will accept 2″ or 2 1/4 inch ammunition.
At the other end of the 26″ barrel is the variable C-Lect-Choke that allows the hunter to change the choke from Improved Cylinder to Full Choke with just a few twists of the wrist (or vice-grips if you’re not Chuck Norris). This adjustable choke is so far ahead of its time there isn’t another gun manufacturer that uses it. Well, actually, Mossberg stopped using it sometime in the 1960s, too, I think.
But perhaps the most innovative feature of this gun is its weight. While original company advertising materials claim it weighs a mere 6 1/4 lbs., that is at the beginning of the day. This gun has the amazing ability to get heavier as the day goes on. This feature is especially handy (pardon the pun) to hunters with freakishly short arms, as after carrying this gun a couple days, their arms will be measureably longer. Normal hunters, however, may need to buy shoes with thicker soles to keep their knuckles from dragging.
All in all, I’m not sure there’s a better gun out there for the $65 value estimated by Gun Buyer Almanac.
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