Mossberg 930 - Yay,Okay, or Hell Nay?

[ThatNiceBlackGuy]

Considering how low in price the mossberg is (new for around 500) I figured I would pick one up soon, and have a list of what I would add to it. It will also double as a hunting gun,and due to rise of metheads lately possibly home defense for my dad so reliability is a priorty aswell so heres what I had in mind

Base 930 Ventrib with Comped 28 barrel and wood -around 500 to under 490.

RCI Magtube 10 Round - 250

Or3gun Multiuse Space,follower, and forearm retainer -100 bucks

G&GG Mossberg 930 parts (The whole page mostly) - 250.50

Robar NP3 Plus treatmeant for the internals - $115

Airtech pad from Limbsaver - $41

Madblack Microslick coating onexternals and reciver -200

TFO Front sight $60

My Gusseiamate total is $1516 not including shipping on parts and such or sales, deals, and whatever else I can find,The main reason for the coatings is I live in a swampy area, I like easy-to-clean,and since I read a few about how coatings reduce friction and helped people able to turn the gas on thier ARs down and overal improved preformance,I figured it would help with lower powered loads.Plus it looks cool. Everything else is just enlarged controls,boly handle, and scope mount. the monotube is to help the reported feeding issues I've heard with some mossbergs and thier 2 piece extended tube system. Am I missing anything besides ammo,training,and a kitchen sink?

Also is it possible to dovetail the ventrib for 1911 sights? It seems like a good idea with some Kimber Match Tritium sights or XS Big Dot target express sight. My HD plan inclues a TLR-2G With a magtube mount.

Sorry for the wall of text!

[dhill]

If reliability is a priority dont get a mossberg.

[mertbl]

You really don't need 90% of what you listed. Just get the 930 and a Nordic tube. The stoeger m3000 is about the same price as a base 930. I own both and the m3000 is miles ahead of the 930. And my 930 was ultra reliable.

Edited March 9, 2015 by mertbl

[Vlad]

So your plan is to put $1000 of accessories on a $500 gun?

[Therealkoop]

You can get a pretty good shotgun for 1500. Much better than a modded 930.

[IntenseImage]

I'm all for a 930 ... Love mine, but if you are willing to drop that kinda $, look at other options

[Nickoli]

In that price range, you're better off with a benelli or versa max. My 930 has most of what you listed it one form or another, and i still worry about it going to national matches running 100%. Making the switch this year to another platform.

[BobS761]

My Mossberg experience was sadly not very good. If you can put $1500 towards a shotgun, you should spend another $500 and look at getting a Rose Action Sports Benelli all tricked out. JMHO

[ThatNiceBlackGuy]

Thanks for the awnsers guys, The Versamax was my first choice, being able to handle 3 1/2 inch shells down to 2 1/2 really made me want it,But the issues on some Remingtons I've heard they have been having. But it seems like a popular choice here, should I go for that instead?

[P.E. Kelley]

All self-loading shotguns malfunction on occasion. But the most reliable one in the history of 3 gun is the Benelli M1/M2.

If you are going to drop $1500 on a shotgun make it a Benelli.

[darkvibe]

I own two 930's and shoot one of them in 3gun. It runs fine. I've had the shell stop issue often posted about. I replaced the shell stop and it's fixed. I see people with gas system issues. I don't think they clean the carbon off their gas rings. People make a huge deal about their reliability. I think they just need something to complain about or have expectations for a $500 shotgun that are the same as a $1500 shotgun.

I still wouldn't spend $1500 of one. I don't see a need for a 1 piece mag tube. I wouldn't put all of those coatings on a 930. I would just wipe it down after shooting.

I duck hunt with a 935 and take my word for it, that gets wetter than anything you'll be doing. it lays in the bottom of a layout boat with water in it. I dump it out and shoot ducks. It's fine without coating any parts.

[bigfish]

My 930 has been a sub-par gun even for a gun in that price range. I haven't shot it much but it has had FTE, light strikes, and ftf issues. Never had any problems with my M2. Even my old stoeger m2000 has been a much better gun then the 930.

[StealthyBlagga]

For $1500, get a Benelli M2 or a Versa Max Tactical, then do the few mods needed - welded carrier, maybe sights and opened-up loading port, then go out and shoot matches.

[Steve O'Connell]

I have a JM Pro that's fairly new, purchased 2 months ago at a major sporting goods retailer here in Seattle. The box shows a build date of 5/2014. When it runs, it's great but that is the problem, it doesn’t run reliably. I do not care how much you pay for a firearm, it should work, after a reasonable cleaning, right out of the box. Anything less is poor design or poor QC.

Mine immediately had a problem with the stupid mag tube. How in the world does Mossberg expect the sharp-edged follower to jump back and forth over the tube-to-extension joint? The two tubes are very different inside diameters. I have had the follower stop at a match and the spring wrap over itself at a different match. The stock had a flaw that I did not notice until it wore a hole in my hand at a match and I noticed blood all over my pistol.

Unfortunately I recommended the gun to a friend that also bought one. When we tore his down for a cleaning prior to firing it was obvious that the factory had ground away at the mag tube in a poor attempt to fix the mismatch. The resulting taper was sharp as hell and had been partially rolled over into the path of the follower on assembly.

Here’s the kicker, I asked for a JM Pro, paid for a JM Pro, the box says JM Pro, and the gun is all JM Pro, except the receiver says “Mossberg 930” on the side where every other one say “JM Pro” They built my JM Pro on the wrong receiver! It has no bevel on the load part just like a base model duck gun. How does this get out of the factory?

I have repeatedly tried to email questions and pictures to Mossberg but every email bounces with some issue that implies the mailbox is full. I am busy and do not have the time for on-hold eternity.

I will never again buy another Mossberg product or recommend one to a friend. I will have over $900 in this POS for fixes and I truly hope it runs reliably when I am done. Life is too short and opportunities to get away and relax at a match are too few to put up with bad equipment.

Just my 2 cents.

Edited March 9, 2015 by Steve O'Connell

[ThatNiceBlackGuy]

Alright, you guys are pointing to the right diretion. Appriciate it!

Versamax or Benellli are in my future...

[Tuflehundon]

I love my 930. It did have some issues, but they were easily fixed. Mine runs 100% now. That said, if I had $1500 to get a shotgun, I'd go with a Benelli M2.

[logiztix]

I'm in the camp that your list is too long for a $500 gun. If you start with a $630 JM Pro (with its Boron Nitride magazine tube and piston) and coat the barrel (Cerakote, Duracoat) , there is very little left to rust on one. That should eliminate most of the coatings in your list as the receiver is already hardcoat anodized aluminum. Parts of the trigger group are also Boron Nitride treated. I have seen 930s that used to work great cease doing so when the wrong parts were coated for 'reliability' by people that were excellent refinishers, but didn't know much about gas shotguns.

The JM Pro includes the extended Nordic tube (for 9+1) and is really the best value for a 930 once you start adding aftermarket part prices up. Even the ~$40 Nordic clamp is included with the JM Pro. The barrel WILL rust if you put a wet gun in a soft case and leave it for a couple days. I addressed this on all three of my 930s with a single $35 Duracoat kit.

Then, shoot it. A lot.

You will probably find that you don't need a Limbsaver. The 930 is one of the mildest recoiling 12 Gg shotguns you can buy. Spend your next $250 on a variety of ammo and with practice you will discover any other things that may need addressed. You may find a modified loading port or welded lifter is next if you are particularly attached to your thumbs. You may also eventually wonder what all of the spacers in the box are for. Experiment with them early and get the gun properly fitted to you during that first 200 rounds. There is a shotgun fitting article on here somewhere that will show you what you're looking for and how to accomplish it.

You may encounter feed issues from the tube with a new 930. Many 930 shell stops as shipped have a burr on them from the MIM process and hang up soft, aluminum rimmed shells. You can take care of this problem with an india stone. You also may need to alter your spring length if you have feed issues. The OEM follower is fine if your tube transition is good. If it isn't, there are simple ways to address it. Do so BEFORE you change to a new follower so you don't just mask the problem. You may desire a higher visibility follower than the OEM black, but the Mossberg one works fine if your tubes are aligned.

I have less than $800 into each of my 930s now and they run great with the right tweaks. Regardless of what you buy, don't just throw parts at it. Try it before you mess with it. Then, be proactive with the parts and systems that have corrosion potential, fix the individual problems that crop up and you'll be fine. But, don't buy ANY autoloading shotgun and expect to run it at your first 3-Gun match until you've run a bunch of rounds through it. Everyone is a cheerleader for one brand or another, but I've yet to see a single shotgun model perform without flaw in 3-Gun.

Lastly, learn how YOUR gun fully operates inside and out before doing so under the clock. Don't be the guy who's "shotgun is junk" because you are hammering the bolt release with your palm as though it were an AR-15 and jamming it up with the bolt half open (which a 930 will do). Or, even the guy that shows 'clear 'with his $1500 Italian shotgun and pushes a mystery button "wait, I guess there's one more", pushes again "oh, I guess two more", pushes again...

[r7s]

My suggestion would be to buy your Dad an 870 or an SXP pump, (or better yet, a used Win 1300 or FN police pump), then save up to get whatever gas gun you decide on for play.

[fangalang]

Second what logiztix said about the JM Pro. I own one as well and mine runs flawless. The key to keep a Mossberg 930 running is to keep the piston clean. It does build up a lot of carbon so you'll need to make sure that you keep it clean. Jerry Miculek has a Youtube video on how to clean the 930.

I would try and see if you can buy a used one for cheap and then just go from there. I didn't spend a lot of money into the JM Pro because it came with almost everything I needed (extended mag tube, extended bolt release, and enlarged bolt release button). As others stated, you do not need to spend funds on limbsaver. Not unless you plan on shooting a lot of slugs. My JM Pro kicks softer than my Benelli M2.