Anyone have a 930 spx?
- Thread starter BudW
- Start date
I don't, but when I finally move back to the states I will be grabbing one I think. There's a very solid review here: http://www.weaponevolution.com/forum/showthread.php?167-Mossberg-930-SPX-Review
m24shooter's posts on the 930 are over 3 years old now, and the 930 has only gotten better since then. Mossberg seems to have incorporated some of the changes - for instance, their bolt handle has gotten larger - it more closely resembles a cross between "The Knob" and the ETA Bolt Handle
And Mossberg added a magazine tube clamp.
There are also articles out on the web for shortening the LOP - it can be done by about an inch if that makes a differenxe to you - but not by much more than that...
http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=58&t=211354
And Mossberg added a magazine tube clamp.
There are also articles out on the web for shortening the LOP - it can be done by about an inch if that makes a differenxe to you - but not by much more than that...
http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=58&t=211354
While I have absolutely no use for anything but blue and wood on my guns, I did research the 930 heavily due to my hesitance as I have little auto experience and most of that was a Winchester (from 70's or 80's) that I in-affectionately called the "Jam-o-Matic as it never fired 3 shells without issue except one loading of HOT 2 3/4 rounds.
The 930 is getting excellent reviews far out weighing the negatives which can be hard to find verified gun issues to blame.
Brent
The 930 is getting excellent reviews far out weighing the negatives which can be hard to find verified gun issues to blame.
Brent
Slugthrower
New member
I happen to have one and it is a good semi-auto. It does have it's problems but overall it is better IMO than the 500 Persuader it replaces in my arsenal.
Mine has seen almost 1300 rounds of mostly promo field loads in the last year and a half. It runs fine on Federal, 1 1/8 oz @ 1200 fps. 3 dram low brass loads. It needs to be cleaned about every 200-300 rounds. For some that may be a problem, to me it is a fair trade for what it offers me. It has been flawless with buck and slug loads and for the most part dove loads as well.
There are other problems which you will read about on the net. Be aware that there are some SPXs that have canted front sights, stripped reciever screws in the picatinny rails, and/or bent magazine tubes. The rail is going to be hard to discern, the others will be obvious to the eye. The easiest way to check the front sight isn't to mount it and look down the sights.
What you will want to do is to take the shotgun and turn it onto it's back and let the frontsight rest on a flat surface, such as a table or counter, additionally the rear sight will rest there as well. Now look it see if the front and/or back sights are not completely flat on the table. If both protective wings on the front and rear sights are true then look to see if the butt stock is verticle. You will want to step back a few feet and get low to see if it is at 90 degrees relative to the surface it is resting upon. This will help you "see" if the front is canted. I knew next to nothing about these probems until after I bought the shotgun. I was glad to find none of them on my particular example.
In regards to function I have found a few problems as well, though they have never presented themselves in normal operation ( live fire ), I believe them to be operator errors. The follower in the magazine tube would become stuck in the tube when I attemtpted to load 2 3/4 Wolf 00 buck shotgun shells. They are closer to a 3 inch shell in OAL and you cannot fit 7 in the tube. This would "wedge" the follower and spring inducing the malfunction. So long as I never loaded more than 6 of them it worked fine. Seems as if that wolf ammo makes it misbehave as well in my particular case.
It appears that many extended mag shotguns run into this problem as well. Just that not many discuss it , or it has been solved with an aftermarket follower on their 870, 500 or other extended mag shotguns. So it is moot and still up for examination in circles of discussion out there.
Federal, Winchester, and Remington in all loadings have functioned 99+%. Only issue with them was a single shell in 00 Buck Winchester and maybe 2 or3 in the Federal dove loads. A simple stove pipe in every case. I'd say it has been less problematic than my 500 SP Persuader overall so far. All of those malfunctions are attributable to the gun being dirty save the 00 load and that one may have been do to the newness of the shotgun as it occured in it's first field test and never thereafter.
The magazine extention appears to be a weak spot on this firearm and I'd advise anyone who expects hard use to invest in a barrel clamp to strenghten that area, otherwise it works fine. Be aware there is no sling mounting points on the front end of this shotgun. You will need to buy an aftermarket sling plate or similar to use a sling.
For the price it does a fine job as a SD/HD firearm. If you do find yours has a canted front sight, Mossberg will replace the entire barrel as I understand it. Also take note that some folks have a problem with slugs hitting high for them and it has been blamed on the front sight tower being too short. The newer models and replacment barrels are 1/4" taller from what I know of. Never had that problem on mine. However I did adjust the front up abut 1/8 inch and left the rear as it was from the factory. It is dead on at 50 yards and groups in the 5-6 inch range for me shooting offhand standing. Take that for what it is. I would reccomend it, but also caution you that you really need to shoot it a good bit to be sure of it as a HD gun.
The 930SPX is a good deal at around $650 or so, but some would argue the Field/Security 930 combo for around $500 is a better one. If you are looking at it as primarily a fighting gun and less as a hunter the SPX is the way, otherwise I'd go for the combo personally. Just a thought. Another consideration is that there is not much in after market accessories for it.
Good luck with your decison.
Mine has seen almost 1300 rounds of mostly promo field loads in the last year and a half. It runs fine on Federal, 1 1/8 oz @ 1200 fps. 3 dram low brass loads. It needs to be cleaned about every 200-300 rounds. For some that may be a problem, to me it is a fair trade for what it offers me. It has been flawless with buck and slug loads and for the most part dove loads as well.
There are other problems which you will read about on the net. Be aware that there are some SPXs that have canted front sights, stripped reciever screws in the picatinny rails, and/or bent magazine tubes. The rail is going to be hard to discern, the others will be obvious to the eye. The easiest way to check the front sight isn't to mount it and look down the sights.
What you will want to do is to take the shotgun and turn it onto it's back and let the frontsight rest on a flat surface, such as a table or counter, additionally the rear sight will rest there as well. Now look it see if the front and/or back sights are not completely flat on the table. If both protective wings on the front and rear sights are true then look to see if the butt stock is verticle. You will want to step back a few feet and get low to see if it is at 90 degrees relative to the surface it is resting upon. This will help you "see" if the front is canted. I knew next to nothing about these probems until after I bought the shotgun. I was glad to find none of them on my particular example.
In regards to function I have found a few problems as well, though they have never presented themselves in normal operation ( live fire ), I believe them to be operator errors. The follower in the magazine tube would become stuck in the tube when I attemtpted to load 2 3/4 Wolf 00 buck shotgun shells. They are closer to a 3 inch shell in OAL and you cannot fit 7 in the tube. This would "wedge" the follower and spring inducing the malfunction. So long as I never loaded more than 6 of them it worked fine. Seems as if that wolf ammo makes it misbehave as well in my particular case.
It appears that many extended mag shotguns run into this problem as well. Just that not many discuss it , or it has been solved with an aftermarket follower on their 870, 500 or other extended mag shotguns. So it is moot and still up for examination in circles of discussion out there.
Federal, Winchester, and Remington in all loadings have functioned 99+%. Only issue with them was a single shell in 00 Buck Winchester and maybe 2 or3 in the Federal dove loads. A simple stove pipe in every case. I'd say it has been less problematic than my 500 SP Persuader overall so far. All of those malfunctions are attributable to the gun being dirty save the 00 load and that one may have been do to the newness of the shotgun as it occured in it's first field test and never thereafter.
The magazine extention appears to be a weak spot on this firearm and I'd advise anyone who expects hard use to invest in a barrel clamp to strenghten that area, otherwise it works fine. Be aware there is no sling mounting points on the front end of this shotgun. You will need to buy an aftermarket sling plate or similar to use a sling.
For the price it does a fine job as a SD/HD firearm. If you do find yours has a canted front sight, Mossberg will replace the entire barrel as I understand it. Also take note that some folks have a problem with slugs hitting high for them and it has been blamed on the front sight tower being too short. The newer models and replacment barrels are 1/4" taller from what I know of. Never had that problem on mine. However I did adjust the front up abut 1/8 inch and left the rear as it was from the factory. It is dead on at 50 yards and groups in the 5-6 inch range for me shooting offhand standing. Take that for what it is. I would reccomend it, but also caution you that you really need to shoot it a good bit to be sure of it as a HD gun.
The 930SPX is a good deal at around $650 or so, but some would argue the Field/Security 930 combo for around $500 is a better one. If you are looking at it as primarily a fighting gun and less as a hunter the SPX is the way, otherwise I'd go for the combo personally. Just a thought. Another consideration is that there is not much in after market accessories for it.
Good luck with your decison.
I absolutely love mine. If I would have had a crystal ball years ago, I never would have spent money on my 590 pump gun - it has been collecting dust ever since I picked up my 930SPX. Mine has been reliable - I've never had an issue with full power ammo, but low recoil buckshot wouldn't cycle when I first bought it. A few cases of buckshot later, the 930SPX runs low recoil and anything else I feed it all day long. For the money, it's a solid shotgun and loads of fun.
Carne Frio
New member
I have a 500, 590 and recently a 930SPX. I prefer the 930SPX.
You can contact Mossberg about the longer barrel.
http://www.mossberg.com/content.asp?ID=502§ion=service
You can contact Mossberg about the longer barrel.
http://www.mossberg.com/content.asp?ID=502§ion=service
Slugthrower
New member
C0untZer0
A regular 930 barrel will work on the SPX. The problem you are going to run into is that the picatinny rail is going to obstruct your view of the bead sight. It is also possible that if you were to attempt to use a cantilevered slug barrel that the rail would be in the way again as well. You could cure that with a red dot sight or removal of the rail.
The SPX is a special purpose version of a general purpose semi-auto shotgun. The field/security combo is more versatile in that you can go with more options. Understand that when you begin to mount lights, lasers, ghost rings, mag extensions, etc. you are not increasing general capability, all you are doing is enhancing it in one area at the expense of others. There is never a free lunch. My suggestion is to have a seperate hunting shotgun and a fighting shotgun and a range shotgun for skeet and trap. this way you will get optimal perfomance in those areas of useage.
For me the SPX is my HD/SD shotgun and will throw buck out to 25yds and slugs to 75 with confidence. I don't need the extra accuracy of sabot slugs, nor the tighter patterns of stricter chokes for my uses.
A regular 930 barrel will work on the SPX. The problem you are going to run into is that the picatinny rail is going to obstruct your view of the bead sight. It is also possible that if you were to attempt to use a cantilevered slug barrel that the rail would be in the way again as well. You could cure that with a red dot sight or removal of the rail.
The SPX is a special purpose version of a general purpose semi-auto shotgun. The field/security combo is more versatile in that you can go with more options. Understand that when you begin to mount lights, lasers, ghost rings, mag extensions, etc. you are not increasing general capability, all you are doing is enhancing it in one area at the expense of others. There is never a free lunch. My suggestion is to have a seperate hunting shotgun and a fighting shotgun and a range shotgun for skeet and trap. this way you will get optimal perfomance in those areas of useage.
For me the SPX is my HD/SD shotgun and will throw buck out to 25yds and slugs to 75 with confidence. I don't need the extra accuracy of sabot slugs, nor the tighter patterns of stricter chokes for my uses.
ONe of these days I'm gonna get one of the 24" Mossberg field barrels, they come in two diff camo's and black/blued too.... IMHO it's perfect for an add-on/extra bbl , long enough for general hunting and gaming but not tooooo long (which I dont like, Im not a a big dude and i had a 24" Supernova and it was pretty big) .. .the 24" come with adjustable fiber optics sights.
I am wondering, what do you think about adding a camo bbl to the SPX as an addon? Not as an everyday bbl. I am that type of dude that kind of regularly carries out crazy stuff like that so understand I realize it doesn't "match" but what do you think?
I am wondering, what do you think about adding a camo bbl to the SPX as an addon? Not as an everyday bbl. I am that type of dude that kind of regularly carries out crazy stuff like that so understand I realize it doesn't "match" but what do you think?
I think that for a cool third gun to play with and fix up I think that this the Mossberg 930 tactical is a great gun, but as with all semi autos for the real world I find them wanting. Everything from SPAS, Fabarm sat8, Saiga 12, and this Mossberg 930spx are just too impractical. They require quite alot of maintenence to keep them going in the field. I had a customer come into my store with a Maverick Model 88 that he had for 15+ years and fired over 10000 rounds without one failure and needed it cleaned, after every use he sprayed the whole gun, chamber and all with WD40 and put it in his closet. Apart from the chamber and action being slightly gummed up it worked fine. no semi auto I have ever come across will ever do that.
Stevie-Ray
New member
Have had one since Christmas. Love it, no problems whatsoever.