Gun Of The Week: Mossberg International Gold Reserve Black

by
posted on March 14, 2025
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **

O.F. Mossberg & Sons is well-known for its extensive line of American-made shotguns, notably for the pump-action 500 series, as well as the more recent semi-automatic offerings in the 940 line. But when Mossberg decided to offer a more traditional line of break-action sporting shotguns, the company looked overseas. In recent years, Turkish gunmakers have turned out a number of quality arms at affordable prices, notably when it comes to over-unders. That’s why Mossberg tapped Kahn Arms to make this International Gold Reserve Model, and for a well-appointed shotgun for field and range use, this 20-gauge ticks all the boxes. Watch our video above to see this over-under shotgun from Mossberg in use on the range.

GUN OF THE WEEK AMERICANRIFLEMAN.ORG text overlay graphic

As with most over-under designs on the market, this Gold Reserve model is based on the legendary Browning Citori receiver design, which is descended from the famous Superposed shotgun designed by John Moses Browning. As such, there’s a traditional and time-tested boxlock action into which the stacked barrel assembly hinges.

Opening the lightweight aluminum receiver involves pushing the top tang lever to the side, which unlocks the action, allowing shooters to break it open and expose the breech end. If there are empty hulls in the action, a pair of automatic ejectors quickly shoots them out. To load, simply insert two fresh shells into the breech, then close the action, and you’re ready to shoot. Just below the tang, there’s a combination safety and barrel selector. Pushing up or down on the selector is what makes the gun safe or ready to fire. Pushing from the left to the right selects the top or bottom barrel for firing.

GUN OF THE WEEK text center mosaic tiles arrangement nine images details of mossberg gold reserve black shotgun 20 gauge man shooting outdoors gun prts

One nice feature about the Mossberg International series is that the guns are outfitted with mechanical triggers, not inertia triggers. This means that you can count on the next shot being ready to fire without worrying whether or not the recoil of the first fired shot properly reset the trigger, adding to the gun’s reliability for field use. The action is also jeweled, which traps lubrication between the barrel monoblock and receiver wall, ensuring that this tight-fitting action operates smoothly when opening and closing.

Mossberg outfits its International Gold Reserve 20-gauge with 30” barrels featuring a ventilated sighting rib, as well as a ventilated center rib, and they swung nicely on the range. A great set of five extended choke tubes comes with each model, and they’re color-coded for easy identification. We also appreciated the aesthetic touches on the receiver, which incorporated scroll engraving and gold inlay that was attractive without being too flashy. Of course, the chrome-lined chambers and bores allowed us to easily extract and load shotshells, and it made cleaning fast and trouble-free, too. A wonderfully finished set of Turkish walnut furniture, outfitted with laser-cut checkering at the fore-end and wrist, completed this great-looking and great-shooting package. Best of all, thanks to Mossberg’s work with international manufacturers, this over-under shotgun is a great do-it-all option that won’t break the bank and is also backed by one of America’s biggest names in gunmaking.

GUN OF THE WEEK text overlay man shooting Mossberg Gold Resereve Black 20-ga. shotgun with walnut stock outdoors

Mossberg International Gold Reserve Black Specifications
Action Type: over-under, boxlock shotgun
Gauge: 20; 3"
Receiver: aluminum
Barrels: 30" steel; polished blued finish
Stock: walnut; satin finish; 14" LOP
Trigger: single-stage; 7-lb. pull
Overall Length: 47"
Weight: 6 lbs., 4 ozs.
MSRP: $1,135

Latest

Making Keltec Pr57 1
Making Keltec Pr57 1

Making The KelTec PR57 In Wyoming

To make its PR57 handgun, KelTec invested in an entirely new manufacturing facility located in Rock Springs, Wyo. "American Rifleman Television" headed out for an inside look at the company's efficient production process.

Taurus 66 Combat: A New "Fighting Revolver"

First introduced in the 1970s, the Taurus 66 Combat is a medium-frame revolver that has seen several evolutions in its lifetime, and the latest update creates what the company considers "the final word in fighting revolvers."

Review: Taurus GX2

From cars to cellphones, as a product gets more sophisticated, it usually also gets more expensive. And, as modern handguns get more modular and optic-ready, their prices tend to go up.

Rifleman Q&A: A Garand Puzzlement

"We are a father-and-son NRA member tandem in search of an answer regarding the branding of an M1 Garand rifle. We own an M1 rifle that has markings indicating it was a “lend lease to England,” and it also has a .308 barrel/sleeve."

$160K Raised For HAVA At SIG Sauer Event

SIG Sauer hosted its 9th Annual Honored American Veterans Afield (HAVA) Charity Golf event early last month and raised more than $160,000 to support disabled veterans.

Scout The Trail To A General Purpose Rifle

The search for a universal longarm—one suitable for both hunting and defensive scenarios—is a trek that involves a bit of doubling back.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.