Mossberg 930 Pro Series Sporting Model, A Clay Target Smasher
Just to be honest, I thought you might be getting tired of turkey stories, so I thought I would run a groovy shotgun by you. Now don’t worry, we are not finished with tales of adventure with turkeys this spring. I just thought we would talk about shotguns a little.
Spring is here and it’s time to get on the sporting clay, skeet, trap, or 5 stand range, burn some powder and break some targets. Who doesn’t want to look at a new shotgun that you might need to buy? Hide this paper from the wife and remember, if you are going to get a new shotgun you need to find one that will fit you.
Shotgun fit is a lot like the weather, everybody talks about it but nobody does much about it. Most of us know we will shoot better and be a happier person with a properly fitting shotgun. Yet most of us continue to pick up the generic, off the rack shotgun and blast away at the clay target range, usually with disappointing results. Ill-fitting suits and ill-fitting shotguns do not bring out the best in any of us.
Mossberg decided to do something about that.
The Making of a Revolutionary New Sporting Shotgun. Since 1919 O. F. Mossberg has delivered many innovations to the gun world. The Mossberg 500 pump shotgun has reached sales numbers near that of Remington’s legendary 870 and the 500 is seen in numerous configurations used by police and military around the world. In recent years the Mossberg 930 auto loader has appeared in several different models. The latest is the 930 Pro Series Sporting.
“With the success we had developing the JM Pro-Series shotgun for 3-gun competition we knew we had a work-horse semi-auto, one that is extremely reliable, very comfortable to shoot, with a great recoil impulse that makes it easy to get on the next target” said Dave Miles with Mossberg. “We knew if we paid attention to the details and sought out the right advice, we could also develop a gun that would be perfect for clay target shooting.”
For help in developing the 930 Pro Series model Mossberg worked with Gil and Vicki Ash of OSP (Optimum Shotgun Performance) Shooting Schools, (www.ospschool.com) two well-credentialed experts in the art of teaching others how to break clay targets with a shotgun. Gil displays a contagious passion for shooting and uses a “no-bull” approach to get to the essence of his students’ shooting problems and solutions
Mr. Ash has won numerous titles in both skeet and sporting clay competitions and has taught professionally since 1984. He was also an instructor for the Holland & Holland Shooting School of England and has studied with many great shooters and instructors. He has been featured on ESPN, TNN and hosted a regular spot on the television show “Pull–America’s Great Gun Clubs” on the Outdoor Life cable channel. Known worldwide, Gil has six shooting videos currently sold in the United States and two sold in England and Australia. Gil Ash knows a thing or two about shotguns.
With Gil and Vicki’s help, Mossberg developed a new stock and forend for the 930 that ensures that the 930 Pro-Series Sporting points naturally for most shooters right out of the box. The stock also has an adjustable drop spacer system that provides shooters with the ability to fine tune the fit of their shotgun, so shooters that need more or less drop can adjust the stock as needed.
“In 25 years and over 25,000 gun fits that we have done, I have yet to see a shotgun that needs to be raised on the comb, they all need to be lowered,” said Gil Ash. “Also, most production shotguns need to be narrowed at the comb, and this is one thing we did with the 930 Pro Series Sporting model.”
“What was the first shotgun you thought you shot well?” Gil asked me. “Many shooters will say a Remington 1100 or a Browning A5.” (Shooters my age that is) “That is because the 1100 and the A5 had a characteristic lower and narrow comb, after that the manufactures started making stocks on shotguns with a thicker and higher comb.” Gil explained.
“We worked with Mossberg and came up with stock dimensions so that 90% of the shooters out there could shoot well with this shotgun right out of the box,” Gil told me.
Short of having a gun custom fitted for you, this is all you can ask for in a shotgun right off the rack.
On the range, where the rubber meets the road. In the somewhat murky world of testing firearms I have found I like to simply show up on a busy gun club day, hand a shooter the shotgun in question, and say OK, what do you think? Most shooters are brutally honest and I can usually count on them speaking their mind.
The times I trolled the 930 Sporting model around a crowd of clay shooters I heard very few if any complaints.
Mary Ann Roberts from Fayetteville, WV gave me this report on the 930 Sporting. “Yesterday at my local gun club I had the opportunity to shoot the Mossberg 930 Sporting shot gun. We were shooting a round of trap and I was not faring so well with my old 20 gauge. I have been shooting trap for about a year and am ready to graduate to something more suited for the sport. As soon as I held the Mossberg it felt like a good fit. It is not too heavy for me, but it is sturdy enough to feel the power.”
“When I mounted the gun for some test shots, I immediately felt comfortable. The stock is smooth and smaller and it fits me. When I took a few shots, I felt more confident. Also, the recoil is not too over-powering. I was a little uncomfortable with reloading at first, but realized how simple it was with the push button bolt release. We tried several of the chokes and the Improved Cylinder was perfect for shooting trap. I shot other types and brands yesterday, but wanted to pack the Mossberg up in my bag and take it home.” (Mary bought a 930 Sporting model of her own by the way)
Coming unsolicited from a fairly new shooter, I’m not sure I can add much more than that.
The goodies on this gun. The 930 Sporting features a Cerakote finish on the receiver which is almost indestructible, and the beveled loading gate and extra finishing on the elevator facilitates quick and easy reloads in the heat of competition. 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 reducing friction for faster follow-up shots.
The Special Sporting Clays Stock is designed to fit correctly right out of the box and its Stock Drop System provides 5 drop-at-comb adjustments to further perfect fit for any shooter. The shotgun also comes with a set of Briley chokes which is certainly nothing to sneeze at.
With an MSRP of 1,062.00 the 930 may not be the cheapest clay shooting shotgun you will come across but it is not going to break the bank. (www.mossberg.com) Now get out there and break some targets.
Larryocase3@gmail.com
Mossberg 930 Pro Series Sporting Model, A Clay Target Smasher
Just to be honest, I thought you might be getting tired of turkey stories, so I thought I would run a groovy shotgun by you. Now don’t worry, we are not finished with tales of adventure with turkeys this spring. I just thought we would talk about shotguns a little.
Spring is here and it’s time to get on the sporting clay, skeet, trap, or 5 stand range, burn some powder and break some targets. Who doesn’t want to look at a new shotgun that you might need to buy? Hide this paper from the wife and remember, if you are going to get a new shotgun you need to find one that will fit you.
Shotgun fit is a lot like the weather, everybody talks about it but nobody does much about it. Most of us know we will shoot better and be a happier person with a properly fitting shotgun. Yet most of us continue to pick up the generic, off the rack shotgun and blast away at the clay target range, usually with disappointing results. Ill-fitting suits and ill-fitting shotguns do not bring out the best in any of us.
Mossberg decided to do something about that.
The Making of a Revolutionary New Sporting Shotgun. Since 1919 O. F. Mossberg has delivered many innovations to the gun world. The Mossberg 500 pump shotgun has reached sales numbers near that of Remington’s legendary 870 and the 500 is seen in numerous configurations used by police and military around the world. In recent years the Mossberg 930 auto loader has appeared in several different models. The latest is the 930 Pro Series Sporting.
“With the success we had developing the JM Pro-Series shotgun for 3-gun competition we knew we had a work-horse semi-auto, one that is extremely reliable, very comfortable to shoot, with a great recoil impulse that makes it easy to get on the next target” said Dave Miles with Mossberg. “We knew if we paid attention to the details and sought out the right advice, we could also develop a gun that would be perfect for clay target shooting.”
For help in developing the 930 Pro Series model Mossberg worked with Gil and Vicki Ash of OSP (Optimum Shotgun Performance) Shooting Schools, (www.ospschool.com) two well-credentialed experts in the art of teaching others how to break clay targets with a shotgun. Gil displays a contagious passion for shooting and uses a “no-bull” approach to get to the essence of his students’ shooting problems and solutions
Mr. Ash has won numerous titles in both skeet and sporting clay competitions and has taught professionally since 1984. He was also an instructor for the Holland & Holland Shooting School of England and has studied with many great shooters and instructors. He has been featured on ESPN, TNN and hosted a regular spot on the television show “Pull–America’s Great Gun Clubs” on the Outdoor Life cable channel. Known worldwide, Gil has six shooting videos currently sold in the United States and two sold in England and Australia. Gil Ash knows a thing or two about shotguns.
With Gil and Vicki’s help, Mossberg developed a new stock and forend for the 930 that ensures that the 930 Pro-Series Sporting points naturally for most shooters right out of the box. The stock also has an adjustable drop spacer system that provides shooters with the ability to fine tune the fit of their shotgun, so shooters that need more or less drop can adjust the stock as needed.
“In 25 years and over 25,000 gun fits that we have done, I have yet to see a shotgun that needs to be raised on the comb, they all need to be lowered,” said Gil Ash. “Also, most production shotguns need to be narrowed at the comb, and this is one thing we did with the 930 Pro Series Sporting model.”
“What was the first shotgun you thought you shot well?” Gil asked me. “Many shooters will say a Remington 1100 or a Browning A5.” (Shooters my age that is) “That is because the 1100 and the A5 had a characteristic lower and narrow comb, after that the manufactures started making stocks on shotguns with a thicker and higher comb.” Gil explained.
“We worked with Mossberg and came up with stock dimensions so that 90% of the shooters out there could shoot well with this shotgun right out of the box,” Gil told me.
Short of having a gun custom fitted for you, this is all you can ask for in a shotgun right off the rack.
On the range, where the rubber meets the road. In the somewhat murky world of testing firearms I have found I like to simply show up on a busy gun club day, hand a shooter the shotgun in question, and say OK, what do you think? Most shooters are brutally honest and I can usually count on them speaking their mind.
The times I trolled the 930 Sporting model around a crowd of clay shooters I heard very few if any complaints.
Mary Ann Roberts from Fayetteville, WV gave me this report on the 930 Sporting. “Yesterday at my local gun club I had the opportunity to shoot the Mossberg 930 Sporting shot gun. We were shooting a round of trap and I was not faring so well with my old 20 gauge. I have been shooting trap for about a year and am ready to graduate to something more suited for the sport. As soon as I held the Mossberg it felt like a good fit. It is not too heavy for me, but it is sturdy enough to feel the power.”
“When I mounted the gun for some test shots, I immediately felt comfortable. The stock is smooth and smaller and it fits me. When I took a few shots, I felt more confident. Also, the recoil is not too over-powering. I was a little uncomfortable with reloading at first, but realized how simple it was with the push button bolt release. We tried several of the chokes and the Improved Cylinder was perfect for shooting trap. I shot other types and brands yesterday, but wanted to pack the Mossberg up in my bag and take it home.” (Mary bought a 930 Sporting model of her own by the way)
Coming unsolicited from a fairly new shooter, I’m not sure I can add much more than that.
The goodies on this gun. The 930 Sporting features a Cerakote finish on the receiver which is almost indestructible, and the beveled loading gate and extra finishing on the elevator facilitates quick and easy reloads in the heat of competition. 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 reducing friction for faster follow-up shots.
The Special Sporting Clays Stock is designed to fit correctly right out of the box and its Stock Drop System provides 5 drop-at-comb adjustments to further perfect fit for any shooter. The shotgun also comes with a set of Briley chokes which is certainly nothing to sneeze at.
With an MSRP of 1,062.00 the 930 may not be the cheapest clay shooting shotgun you will come across but it is not going to break the bank. (www.mossberg.com) Now get out there and break some targets.
Larryocase3@gmail.com
