Review: 2016 Mossberg 930 Pro-Series Sporting Shotgun Part One

Review: 2016 Mossberg 930 Pro-Series Sporting Shotgun Part One

Mossberg continues to expand their successful and affordable 930 series shotgun line, this time in a “sporting” version designed with the help of Vicki and Gil Ash. Mossberg has added some refinements. Mossberg states, “Boron nitride coated gas piston, piston rings, magazine tube, hammer and sear prevents corrosion, and facilitates cleaning. The shell stop, bolt slide and elevator receive additional finishing to reduce friction for faster follow-up shots.”

Along with upgraded internal finishing and coating, the Mossberg 930 features a Cerakote finished receiver, a beveled loading gate, a wide “sporting” rib, light-pipe front sights (thankfully no center bead), three Briley extended choke tubes, and special attention paid to the stock design.

SPECIFICATIONS
Gauge	12
Capacity	5
Chamber	3
Barrel Type	Vent Rib, Ported
Barrel Length	28"
Sight	HiViz TriComp
Choke	Accu-Set (by Briley)
LOP Type	Fixed
LOP	14"
Barrel Finish	Blued
Stock Finish	Walnut
Weight	7.75
Length	48.5"
UPC	015813851398

The tested example weighs 7 lbs., 15 oz., with a trigger that breaks after initial take-up at 4 lbs. 14 oz. The stock has stippling as opposed to cut checkering and yes, for whatever mysterious reason, the 28 inch barrel has ports. The walnut is straight grain, with little figure, and the buttstock is finished off with a decent one inch non-vented rubber recoil pad.

The 930 Sporting weighs about the same as the 930 walnut hunting model I tested in 2011 and also the 930 Duck Commander Pro reviewed in 2015. The boron nitride coatings are also featured on the DC Pro model. One niggle that I have is the retention of the drilled and tapped receiver, ostensibly for adding optics, which does not make sense on a clays gun. Not only does it not make sense, the front two filler screws reside slightly elevated from the receiver, making them a distraction albeit a minor one.

Although the safety is not important for clays use, the tang safety on the 930 Sporting is smoother and easier to operate than on the DC Pro version, a good thing. The Mossberg 930 models are invariably a very good value, running in the area of $520 for a walnut field, $600 or so for a basic camo Duck Commander model, and somewhere around $800 for this Sporting model. The upgraded extended choke tubes, the extra finishing and internal coatings, the expanded adjustment range, and the Cerakote receiver easily justify this.

Gil Ash writes, “This stock out of the box fits right and left-handed shooters from 5'4" to 6' plus and they were all amazed at how well it performed. This is the first gun on the market that has drop shims that allows for a true flat shooting gun as well as a gun that shoots high for trap. All other guns in the market today can be adjusted to shoot as many as 3-4 patterns high but cannot be adjusted to shoot flat. Also you will find the dimensions more like 1-½ DAC - 2-1/2 DAH with a thinner comb.”

That's a lot to digest there from Gil Ash, comments that I've tried to translate from his native tongue. There is a lot of adjustment available with the 930 Sporting and there is a bottle of Hi-Viz light-pipes included, a grand total of nine, as well. Also included is a trial subscription to Gil and Vicki's “Knowledge Vault” collection of instructional videos and articles.

Gil has often made the comment that many imported shotguns come with too much comb for American shooters, meaning too wide and fat of a comb. I certainly agree and have had the oral surgery for removal of scar tissue to prove it. One of the reasons you see rubber cheek pieces on shotguns is an attempt to alleviate face slap and face abrasion, something not necessary at all with a stock that fits properly in the first place. The Mossberg 930 Sporting will not fit all shooters perfectly, no shotgun does, but it does fit most shooters. There are a couple of limitations, for shims can only change the angle the buttstock protrudes from the receiver and there is nothing included to change the stock length: if needed, you'll need to grind a pad, add spacers, the usual. But, out of the box, it is an easy gun to swing and shoot, which is about all that can be hoped for in a relatively economical mass-produced gun.

The chokes supplied are “Skeet, Improved Cylinder, and Modified.” Although Gil Ash is a proponent of “Modified” for sporting clays, the lack of a .035 inch “Full” choke tube is a minor oversight, as Gil mentions the 930 can easily be set up for trap. At the moment, the 930 Sporting comes solely in a 28 inch barrel length. As the 930 is a fairly slow, smooth, stable gun to shoot, the 28 inch barrel is a very good choice. More barrel length would make this gun a bit too front heavy as far as I'm concerned.

The Mossberg family takes pride in their ability to offer immensely affordable, yet durable firearms. The Made in the USA Mossberg defines a “lot of shotgun” for the money. Most anyone can have a lot of fun with the 930. Regardless of the model it is gas-operated and an 8 lb. gun, a sure-fire prescription for a very pleasant gun to shoot. The walnut field was pleasant to shoot, the non-ported Duck Commander Pro-Series version was as well, and quite unsurprisingly this 930 Sporting is as well. To be an all-around gun, this 930 Sporting needs just a couple of tweaks. The barrel porting needs to go, as does the drilled and tapped receiver, and the addition of a Full choke would make it usable for all typical clay target games right out of the box.

More to follow in Part Two.

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