Mossberg 990 SPX Magpul—A Tactical Semi-Auto Pitbull

Spotted at SHOT, and later at the NRA’s Great American Outdoor Show—Mossberg’s 990-series tactical shotguns.

These 990 SPX (Mossberg shorthand for Special Purpose Extreme) scatterguns are semi-auto 12-gauge platforms available in either eight or six-shot formats and designed expressly for tactical or self-defense use.

The standard shotgun has a 18.5-inch barrel and eight-shot capacity. The one that caught our eye, though, is the NFA Class 3 example, with a shorter 14.75-inch barrel and six-shot capacity (one shell in the chamber, five in the tube). With it, Mossberg seems to cater to those who want to take advantage of the recent resetting of the NFA tax stamp to zero dollars for items like short-barrel shotguns (SBSs).

The “Magpul” tag designates what you’d expect: Magpul Industries polymer at the front and rear ends. Each SPX features an ergonomic yet aggressively drawn forend with integrated heat shield and M-LOK accessory slots up front, and a Magpul SGA stock that’s adjustable for length of pull.

Multiple QD ports are also present on both the stock and the forend, and the shotguns feature what Mossberg calls a “smooth-running gas-vent system” to not only add to the function, but also the SPX’s aesthetic badassery.

The SPX also has an oversized safety and bolt-release button, which allows for quick-empty reloading.

If that weren’t enough to sell you on one, the SPX also features a streamlined and almost-unnoticeable optic slot cut directly into the back of the receiver—no rails here to raise your line of sight—that allows for the direct mounting of micro red dots running an RMSc footprint. Adapter plates are also included for mounting larger RMR, Docter, and Leupold optics.

For those who prefer an abbreviated profile and even smaller footprint, there’s also an SPX AfterShock with the bird’s head grip taken from Mossberg’s famed Shockwave platform. We’d still opt for the traditional stock, which features a very nicely shaped pistol grip element and gives you added shoulder-fired stability when running aggressive loads like double-ought or slugs. To each his own, though.

Mossberg
990 SPX Magpul
MSRP: $1,309
URL: mossberg.com