The 590A1 Compact Cruiser

Estimated studying time: 9 minutes

Ever since I watched Miami Vice reruns with my dad, I’ve had an obsession with extraordinarily brief shotguns. One thing in regards to the varied shotguns utilized by Tubbs captured me. As of this writing, the provision of ultra-short shotguns, or extra precisely AOWs (Any Different Weapons) isn’t excessive, so I think about myself to be fortunate to personal a Mossberg 590A1 Compact Cruiser.

The Compact Cruiser is a little bit of an oddity from Mossberg. It’s an AOW and topic to NFA laws.

There was once a time when Serbu was pumping out ultra-short Remingtons and Mossbergs, Wilson had the Govt Safety shotgun, and varied different pistol-grip solely tremendous brief weapons had been out there. Mossberg rolled out two AOWs: the Mossberg 500 Compact Cruiser and the 590A1 Compact Cruiser. The Mossberg 500 had a 7.5-inch barrel with a two-round capability, and the 590A1 had a ten.25-inch barrel with a three-round capability.

Like every NFA weapon, these require a tax stamp and wait. Fortunately, via the facility of Eforms, the wait is quite a bit much less today. The tax stamp isn’t cheaper, however the wait doesn’t sting so arduous anymore.

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My Mossberg 590A1 Compact Cruiser

This 590A1 Compact Cruiser has had a little bit of a facelift. The gun options an optic, rail, aspect saddle, journal extension, and even a mini shell adapter from Defender Tactical. You continue to should goal a shotgun, even one this small, so an optic was a welcome improve over the bead. The bead sight sits on the barrel, and with how brief the barrel is it gives the look that your gun shoots excessive with principally each load.

I like hitting what I level my gun at, so I tossed on a budget however larger-than-average CTS-1300. Subsequent, I added {a magazine} extension so as to add only one additional spherical. Now, I’ve the identical capability as a Remington 870. 4 2.75-inch rounds isn’t a foul payload for such a small weapon. The aspect saddle is an NC Star possibility. NC Star makes crappy stuff, however aspect saddles are powerful to mess up.

compact cruiser with accessories — I adorned my Compact Cruiser with a pink dot, a aspect saddle, and a Defender Tactical minishell adapter.

Takes Mini Shells

I selected this mannequin as a result of it will probably maintain mini shells resulting from its small measurement, and it makes use of a hook and loop attachment. It mounts to the 590A1 Compact Cruiser with room to spare. The mini shell adapter from Defender Tactical permits me to shoot shells ranging in measurement from 1.75 inches to three inches with no issues.

The ATI grip is sort of good and smooth for absorbing recoil. It does make activating the tang security a bit of trickier.

The Compact Cruiser comes with an ATI T3 grip. It’s large, hand-filling, and rubberized to soak up recoil. The entrance of the gun wears a vertical metallic grip. The motion is just too brief for a correct pump, so the folding vertical grip takes its place. The folding design permits the weapon to stay compact when transported or saved. As talked about, we get a easy bead sight, however like all Mossberg shotguns, including an optic is simple.

Blasting Away With the Compact Cruiser

The Compact Cruiser is a small bundle that packs 12 gauge firepower. As you’d anticipate, it additionally packs 12-gauge recoil. The gun desires to buck and struggle with each set off press, so that you higher maintain on. The excellent news is it’s not all that onerous to hold on to. The previous Push/Pull method is helpful right here and surprisingly simple to do.

front grip on shotgun — The entrance grip makes it simple to do the previous push/pull and mitigate recoil. It’s a hefty all-metal grip that additionally folds out of the best way pretty simply.

The 2 vertical grips make participating the push/pull method simple. Push towards the vertical grip and pull towards the rear grip. With this system, the pink dot and low recoil buckshot, I can put two rounds on the right track in 1.2 seconds. I’m betting that I can drive this quantity even decrease with extra apply.

firing from the hip — You’ll be able to shoot from the hip, but it surely’s not crucial. You’ll be able to goal this gun…however maintain on!

I feel lots of people anticipate the weapon to be harder to manage than it’s. Nevertheless, the tremendous small nature creates a better-balanced gun. With the complete size of the gun virtually sitting between our fingers, there isn’t a lot to get away from you. It’s all centered and simple to manage. Simply maintain on tight.

Accuracy and Patterns

The bead sight sucks for something that’s not a quickly spreading buckshot. With one thing like Federal Flitecontrol, the spherical seems to hit over a foot excessive at 15 yards. This begs for a pink dot or for hip fireplace method. Possibly sooner or later Mossberg received’t place the bead straight on high of the barrel.

The Compact Cruiser includes a cylinder bore choke or lack of choke, and patterns are as you’d anticipate. It’s ammunition-dependent.

man aiming compact cruiser — The Federal Flitecontrol decreased recoil masses are the softest capturing, highest performing choices. It made the gun moderately simple to shoot and held a unbelievable sample.

The FliteControl stuff seems like a slug at 15 yards, and stuff just like the Remington Final Protection unfold between 6.8 and seven.4 inches at 10 yards. My most cost-effective buckshot, the Monarch 00 masses, unfold between 7.5 to 9 inches at 10 yards.

shooting from the hip — I wouldn’t shoot 3-inch magnums from this factor, but it surely’s a strong performer with extra sensible rounds.

The gun’s brief barrel offers off a variety of flash and a loud increase. It’s a correct mixture of thunder and lightning you’d anticipate from such a small cannon.

Getting Small

I feel most minihells are a novelty that’s enjoyable to shoot. In a gun like this, I can solely match 5. I anticipated six, however that sixth spherical doesn’t make the cutoff. The buckshot and birdshot minishells supply much less recoil, making them exceptionally enjoyable to shoot. The slugs aren’t all that completely different from low recoil slugs.

Most of us aren’t breaching doorways, so a gun like this is able to be a enjoyable novelty. For that function, minishells work nicely. They’re enjoyable, simple to shoot, and work and not using a downside with the Defender Tactical Adapter. The slugs are the place it’s at, and it’s a variety of enjoyable to shoot via the pink dot-equipped Compact Cruiser.

aiming compact cruiser — The pink dot is a must have. Mossberg’s bead-on barrel design and the ultra-short barrel actually throw off your POA/POI.

With a correctly zeroed dot, touchdown hits at 50 yards with the slugs is simple when you take your time and use a full-sized IPSC goal. Past 50 yards and a inventory turns into a little bit of a necessity for correct slug throwing.

The 2 vertical grips make aiming simple, however the rear vertical grips make the Mossberg tang security quite a bit harder to achieve and activate. It’s a draw back, however one I can work round. The remainder of the controls are easy and accessible.

The Compact Cruiser holds three rounds in its inventory configuration, however I added a +1 extension.

What’s the Level?

The Compact Cruiser sequence has been discontinued. It’s simple to know why. The weapons should not tremendous helpful for a lot of roles on the earth of the common Joe. With out a inventory, the gun will be powerful to goal and difficult to manage for some. Even with push/pull in place, it’s tougher to shoot than a stocked shotgun. The very fact it’s an NFA weapon turns some away.

For the cool man sorts, it will be a breaching gun most often. It’s compact and moveable. It wouldn’t be all that powerful to hold alongside a rifle in a army or SWAT context. If the NFA didn’t exist and the legal guidelines permitted it, you possibly can have one very small however devastating close-range weapon for private safety, however you’d should be devoted to carrying such a gun.

Compact cruiser on truck — The Mossberg 590A1 compact cruiser wasn’t out there for lengthy, and it’s not going to attraction to the common person. It’s a specialty weapon with out a lot attraction to the common person.

Learn Extra: The Finest Magazine-Fed Shotgun Choices

Inside the house, it’s very moveable and maneuverable, and that’s the place its utility comes into play. My greatest suggestion for this weapon can be for very tight areas. Campers, for instance, can be well-defended. It’s fairly area of interest total; in the end, weapons just like the Compact Cruiser are simply enjoyable.

Final Ideas on the Compact Cruiser

That’s its function. It’s enjoyable. It’s loud, arduous to carry onto, and fairly small. The Compact Cruiser hits the novel and enjoyable button excellent. It’s a disgrace they’re not produced, however I can see why they won’t have been the largest sellers. The close to thousand greenback value level and NFA categorization made them most interesting to followers of Tubbs and Miami Vice, not the on a regular basis Joe. Uncover extra about them right here.

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Travis Pike is a devoted firearms author, a Second Modification Advocate, and a subject fanatic for all issues firearms. He’s an novice competitor with desires of sooner or later not coming in 4th place at an area defensive match. If he’s not placing textual content to phrase processor, he’s possible spending time with household, having fun with Florida’s Nature Coast, or ingesting hipster beer. Because the resident Florida man he has a choice for obscure weapons and calibers.

Expertise

Hunter – Very long time deer and hog hunter within the swamps of Florida Teacher – Volunteers to show fundamental firearm security lessons to children, adults, and cats Wannabe Competitor – Has lately dipped his toes into aggressive capturing and has fortunately found an costly interest. Marine – Served 5 years with the infantry earlier than transferring to the First Civ Div.

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