With Modern Sporting Rifles (MSR) becoming the most popular form of centerfire rifle in this country, much effort has been placed on making other firearms, from .22 rimfires to precision rifles, to both have the ergonomics and controls of MSRs and be compatible with many of their most popular parts and accessories. Mossberg is extending this familiarity and compatibility to their 590 pump-action shotguns with the new for 2025 590R and 590RM.
The Mossberg 590 R series of shotguns replaces the traditional tang-mounted safety of the 500/590 series with a biltaeral rotary safety lever. Image courtesy of Mossberg.com.
The “R” in the new models designation stands for “rotary safety selector”. The Mossberg 500/590 design has traditionally had a sliding thumb safety selector mounted on the top and rear of the receiver. While this safety is intuitive to use with a traditional-styled shotgun stock, many firearms owners have spent countless hours practicing and training with a rotary safety placed above the pistol grip on their MSR. The rotary safety on the new 590 models is bilateral and can be actuated without breaking the firing grip. It works in conjunction with a newly-designed flat-face trigger and an elongated bolt release.
Mossberg 590 shotguns with the new rotary safety are available in both tube fed (pictured) and detachable box-magazine fed models. Image courtesy of Mossberg.com.
Additional new features of the new models are a Mossberg-designed, M4-styled telescoping stock, which adjusts to five lengths-of-pull, an adapter that allows the use of AR-15-type grips (a Magpul MOE+ grip is supplied), a re-designed fore-end, an integrated barrel heat shield and an M-Lok adapter on the end of the magazine tube. Along with other standard 590 features, the new models have an 18.5” barrel and a Picatinny rail mounted on the receiver for attaching iron sights and optics.
Both models of 590 rotary safety shotguns can be had with either an AccuChoke-compatible barrel or a barrel with a muzzle-mounted standoff device (pictured). Image courtesy of Mossberg.com.
Rotary safety 590 shotguns come in two basics formats — the tube magazine-fed 590R and detachable box magazine-fed 590RM. The 590R is based on the standard model 590 and has an under barrel tube magazine with a six round capacity. To enable smoother reloads, the receiver features a newly re-designed elongated, beveled loading gate with an exposed follower. The 590R is offered in two models. One has a AccuChoke-compatible barrel and comes with Magpul MBUS sights installed. The second has a fixed cylinder choke barrel with a standoff device on the muzzle.
Like other 590M models, the 590RM has an ambidextrous lever magazine release and receiver guides to aid in inserting the new magazine. Image courtesy of Mossberg.com.
The 590RM is based on the detachable box magazine 590M. This model has an ambidextrous magazine release lever and magazine mounting guides on the lower receiver to aid with magazine insertion. It is supplied with a 10-round magazine, with five, 10, 15 and 20-round magazines available as accessories. Like the 590R, the 590RM is available in two models, with a AccuChoke barrel or with a standoff device on the muzzle.
Like the 590R, the 590RM is available in configurations with either an AccuChoke-compatible barrel (pictured) or a barrel with a standoff device mounted on the muzzle. Image courtesy of Mossberg.
Both models of Mossberg 590R have an MSRP of $1,085, while both 590RMs have an MSRP of $1,190. For more information, see the company’s website.
Mossberg 590 models with the new rotary safety bring MSR familiarity and parts compatibility to the pump shotgun world. Image courtesy of Mossberg.
