Mossberg is one of the pioneers of the class of “Shockwave” guns—firearms with a smooth bore but not designed for use with a shoulder stock, which precluded their legal classification as “shotguns.” This allowed for them to have a barrel shorter than 18” and not fall afoul of the limitations of the National Firearms Act (NFA), resulting in powerful, yet compact defensive firearms. This category of stockless scatterguns, relegated to a category labeled as “Other” on the company’s website, has flourished and expanded over the years. New for 2025, Mossberg is adding another “Other” to its catalog with the 990 Aftershock.
The Mossberg 990 Aftershock is a gas-operated, semi-automatic firearm chambered in 12 gauge with a 3” chamber. Its action is based on the company’s 940 Pro series of shotguns, with nickel-boron coated internals, an enlarged and beveled loading port, an oversized top-mounted safety, a knurled charging handle, and an oversized, paddle-style bolt release. Its furniture consists of a newly designed Aftershock rear grip with a QD swivel cup and a fore-end with a hand strap. The clamp that connects the barrel to the five-shot tube magazine has M-Lok slots in the 3-, 6- and 9-o’clock positions. Sights are a front post with a fiber-optic insert.
The Aftershock is available in three configurations. Two models have 14.75” barrels, one of which comes with a factory installed Crimson Trace Lasersaddle laser sight. These models have an overall length of 27.13” and weigh just at 6 lbs. They have an MSRP of $1,120 for the standard model and $1,302 for the Lasersaddle-equipped version. The third model has an 18.5” barrel for an overall length of 30.88” and weighs 6 lbs., 5 ozs. It has an MSRP of $1,120. For more information, see the company’s website.
