The Mossberg 500 shotgun is a great starter weapon if you’ve never used a Mossberg shotgun before. But there are a few differences between the Mossberg 500 and the Mossberg 590 and 590A1 that you should be aware of in case you want to upgrade at a later date. Now although each of the three shotguns (basic models) has a 20-inch barrel (you can get one with different lenght of the barrel), they don’t all have the same ammo capacity. The Mossberg 500 has an 8-round shell capacity while the 590 and 590A1 has a 9-round capacity. This extra round in the 590 and 590A1 can be attributed to a differently designed magazine tube and cap. Since the tube was designed to be about 2 ¾ inches longer, it is able to hold one more round than the magazine tube of a Mossberg 500.
Mossberg 590A1 Shotgun
The Mossberg 500 and 590 can each be purchased with a matte black finish. The only way you can tell them apart is by looking at the different looking bayonet lug and magazine caps that they have. Plus, the Mossberg 500 has three different versions of it whereas the 500 and 590A1 are the only versions of that model. The Mossberg 500 has the 500 Hunting, the 500 Tactical, and the 500 FLEX. This allows people to do more than just use the shotgun for military or law enforcement purposes. They can go hunting or target shooting with them as well.
There are fewer differences between the 590 and 590A1 than there are between either of these weapons and the 500. Both the 590 and 590A1 contain a longer magazine tube, but the 590A1 has other kinds of changes that meet stricter military standards. The biggest changes include a metal trigger guard, safety button, and a heavy wall barrel. The Mossberg 590A1 is the only one of the three to have these features. You’ll also notice that the receiver of the 590A1 has “M590A1” stamped on the left side of it. The other two weapons have a different stamp on them.
Finally, the three shotguns have difference prices to them. The Mossberg 500 typically retails for about $329.99. The other two shotguns are a little more expensive. The Mossberg 590 retails for about $550 and the Mossberg 590A1 retails for around $600. That is why if you are a beginner then you’d be better off with the Mossberg 500 because it is cheaper and it can accommodate more uses besides self-defense.
