Shotgun side saddle

[Roslyn]

Bought a Mossberg 590A1 and looking to add a side saddle. Would prefer not to cover the pins on the receiver if possible, simply out of convenience. My first shotgun, so no experience or preference as to polymer, nylon or other options. Any advice, recommendations, or links to additional sources for research welcome. The shotgun is the 7 shot, 18.5 inch barrel version.

Apart from taking tactical classes to learn now to manage the shotgun, will be using it only occasionally for practice. Primary application is home defense, expect to store it in cruiser ready condition, maybe downloaded one round, if that influences any advice offered. Would not expect to actually need the side saddle in that situation, but rather be prepared than short.

Thank you.

 

[Trigger Monkey]

You'll probably have to use a velcro card system like the one from Esstac if you don't want to cover the pins. I think most of the rigid carriers replace the take down pin with a bolt for mounting.

ETA: There are some good resources on YT but stick to known quantities and search Thunder Ranch and Gunsite shotgun videos.

 

[Dough300]

I've been very pleased with my Mesa Tactical Side Saddle on my Mossberg 590.

 

[Compadre]

i have got a Winchester Pigeon Grade in 12 gauge. It has great looking wood, and it has not giving me any reason to sell, trade or change it and i am not new to the experience of owning shut guns...

 

[cas6969]

Velcro "card" is the best option IMO, because of how fast you can take the cursed thing off. Hate side saddles, hate what they do to the handling qualities of the gun. (make them fat, heavy, off balance and harder to carry) They're good for keeping ammo with the gun like you're looking to do, but suck for everything else.

 

[Halfnutz]

The Hide steered me to the Esstac cards, absolutely the way to go IMO. The Esstac also comes in various sizes as to the amount of rounds, the largest holds 1 or 2 more than a side saddle in the same space.
They fit in a standard mag carrier if you have a belt or chest rig. No modification of the receiver or pinching the action with a side saddle.
Took my side saddle off and put it in a drawer.

 

[Halfnutz]

7rd Shotgun Card 12Gauge

Essential Tactical

esstac.com

 

[Bigfatcock]

I prefer to have a spare shells on the sling.

 

[Halfnutz]

I prefer to have a spare shells on the sling.

Never tried it because I was told/read it had a pendulum effect. Made sense to me so I haven't tried it. Also.thats weight that's not helping.
YMMV, TETO.

 

[pineoak]

velcro cards better than plastic holders that bolt in- had to finagle with one of my installs.

FYI the plastic shell holders... under 12 gauge magnum recoil the shells don't always stay in if rim is down, but rim up is slightly slower to reload

elastic on the cards need to be replaced every 5-7 years as they stretch out and rounds go loose when shooting sometimes - even rim up for me

some people like to carry some up/some down to distinguish between buck & slug; for when bad guy behind cover... but what in a modern house is cover?

Federal #1 buck with Flight Control is a definite defensive round to consider if using buck; put it up against anything else and it'll likely group as good or better; I would not go any smaller than #4; I think 00 is a waste and #1 is better

S&B has a clear shelled 00 buck round that spreads wider/faster than anything else I've ever tested. Like 50% more than the nearest competitor. At 25 yards, holding center mass you might miss them altogether. sharing in case that's your thing (widest spread in short distance)

I know the general wisdom is every long gun needs a sling, but for a bump in the night defensive shotgun, I think it gets in the way. You're not going to be carrying it any distance or using the sling for increased accuracy... just one more thing to snag or get in the way.

Last thing I'd want is a bunch of shells swinging from a sling banging against things giving away my position or possibly falling out of the sling because the elastic is old. For a firefight in the movies with 100s of rounds shot, sure. but for a nightstand gun, that's your decision.

you know the cheap purse like shotshell carriers that skeet shooters use? consider tossing a bunch of your defensive shells into one of those and put it next to your shottie

in the middle of the night at Dark O'thirty... when you are wearing nothing, when your beans and frank are hanging out being their badass dangly selves...

if you grab your shottie, you can toss the bag over your head and have a LOT of ammo without needing anything else

not tactical, but very practical

 

[Bigfatcock]

Never tried it because I was told/read it had a pendulum effect. Made sense to me so I haven't tried it. Also.thats weight that's not helping.
YMMV, TETO.

I’ve never had that problem. The shell carrier is on the sling closest to the buttstock, so no real swinging to cause a pendulum effect.

Guess I’m just used to it if it does exist, plus I train with it and have good upper body strength.

 

[cas6969]

if you grab your shottie, you can toss the bag over your head and have a LOT of ammo without needing anything else

Tactical purse.

I've set up a couple. Set up the shells all facing the same way and I can weak hand load pretty fast and efficiently. Not as fast as stripper caddies of course, but they're not real practical in real life.

Even for the most practiced competition shoots, single loading from loops is dang slow. (not that it's being done much these days)
For average or semi competent folks, no matter where they're located on your person, they're awkward and slow.

I used to put on a pretty large shotgun match every year, with shooters of every skill level and it was always educational to watch the "regular guys". The once a year match shooters and first timers. Nothing against them, I loved having them, but watching them you learned what DOESN'T work well, especially for people not doing it regularly. Watching rounds work their way out of side saddles and fall out. Watching guys fumble with bandoleers, sling loops, or worse, loose rounds dumped in a bag. lol

 

[Trigger Monkey]

I know enough to know that I suck with a shotgun but I do know that trying to quickly gas up a shotgun from loose rounds in a pocket is a fool's errand. I shot my 870 this past weekend with my Dad and it reinforced that I really need to work with my shotguns more, I'm just not as proficient as I wanted to be. Near the end of the range session I was picking up the pace on reloads but I'm still nowhere near as good with it as I am a pistol, rifle, or rimfire.

 

[Roslyn]

Thank you all, great advice. The Esstac looks like a good solution, and appreciate the guidance about #4 and #1 buck and Flight Control. Would prefer a tighter grouping load if possible. I have some #00 nine pellet to get started, but no experience with any of these.

Is over penetration of #00 buck the reason to prefer #4 or #1?

 

[Halfnutz]

Thank you all, great advice. The Esstac looks like a good solution, and appreciate the guidance about #4 and #1 buck and Flight Control. Would prefer a tighter grouping load if possible. I have some #00 nine pellet to get started, but no experience with any of these.

Is over penetration of #00 buck the reason to prefer #4 or #1?

I stick with 00 because #1 & #4 has been difficult for me to find. Federal w flight control out of the shockwave i pictured above held tight enough that I was unable to count individual pellets at 10 yards.

 

[Halfnutz]

Good info shared to me and some of my results.

Sidearms & Scatterguns - Shotgun Course Setup. 590 Style revisited.

I'm looking at a training site a reasonable distance from me that offers a 2 day shotgun course. Esstac cards look popular and are US made. Not sure of the best way to carry multiples. Dillon Blue Press has a belt dispenser for competition. I see a bunch of gimmick looking shit and chest rigs...

www.snipershide.com

 

[Trigger Monkey]

00 Buck has fewer pellets and greater penetration compared to #4 or #1 Buck. However, #4 and #1 have more pellets and less recoil than 00 Buck which could contribute to getting more hits on a target. Ammunition selection is dependent on the circumstances. Living in a crowded suburb with townhouses or cookie cutter homes 8' apart, 00 Buck may not be the wise choice. In rural areas, 00 Buck may be preferred as the risk of over penetration into nearby structures is lower or if confrontations with large fauna could be a factor.

This past Saturday we patterned my Dad's 12ga with some 00 Buck and he's not a gun guy so he thought that if he had to shoot some 00 buck down the hallway, it'd tear up the walls. I was like Dad, it's not like the movies. The length of their hallway to the foyer is about 20' so we stepped it off and I put 9 pellets into about a 5" group on an IPSC target. From their bedroom door, down the hallway, and into the kitchen was about double that distance so I set up at about 13 yards and shot at the cardboard again, this time the group was about 12" in the center of mass. Dad was like, "Well, looks like I won't have to worry about the pictures."

 

[PBWalsh]

The Hide steered me to the Esstac cards, absolutely the way to go IMO. The Esstac also comes in various sizes as to the amount of rounds, the largest holds 1 or 2 more than a side saddle in the same space.
They fit in a standard mag carrier if you have a belt or chest rig. No modification of the receiver or pinching the action with a side saddle.
Took my side saddle off and put it in a drawer.View attachment 7914502

How are you getting your velcro to stick flat? Mine bows up from the side of the receiver like this [](

 

[Halfnutz]

How are you getting your velcro to stick flat? Mine bows up from the side of the receiver like this [](

Can't really say. I am using the velcro from Esstac. The elastic loops are pretty tight so I loaded my cards up to stretch them a bit.
So from top to bottom the shells are keeping it straight. From front to back the velcro is doing its thing.
It does have a little on the ends but not terrible.
If you store them flat and loaded shells down under compression it may straighten them out more.

Esstac shipped mine with the sticky back velcro to put on the reciever but it is not worded like that on thier website. I ordered it extra and ended up with several pieces.

 

[strikeeagle1]

A little long winded. I prefer 4-6 shell max side saddles, Mesa in particular. However their mount replaces the rear trigger group pin with a Chicago styled screw that requires disassembly to remove / clean the trigger group. I modify the sidesaddle by drilling and tapping an 8-40 screw into the receiver forward of the factory trigger guard location and either remove the excess mount or leave it empty to push the trigger group out pin in the usual fashion without any disassembly of sidesaddle fasteners. I have modified my Mossberg 590 Persuader, 590A1 12 ga., 590 20 gauge home defense and 590 .410 in this manner. The 12 ga. 590A1 has the capacity to hold 16 rounds (4-in the stock, 2-forward shell holder, 4-side saddle, 5+1 in magazine / chamber), more than any civilian would require. The 590 20 ga. is perhaps an ideal home defense option, again way too many shotshells than would ever be used; finally, a 590 .410 critter-getter, that can use velcro side cards, veteran company Brown Coats makes a nice product. I modified these mounts / receivers on the mill, however careful drill press, hand drill and Dremel could get the tasks done.

 

[strikeeagle1]

...........The 20 & .410 mods; one of the load out rooms.

 

[Roslyn]

Thanks for these posts. What an education. Appreciate the 00 hallway test, that is what I had in mind for myself, so useful to have that comparison to work with. Also hadn't thought of a hand stop to help manage recoil, great idea. Browncoat looks like another good alternative.

And those are some nice looking rigs.

 

[PBWalsh]

Can't really say. I am using the velcro from Esstac. The elastic loops are pretty tight so I loaded my cards up to stretch them a bit.
So from top to bottom the shells are keeping it straight. From front to back the velcro is doing its thing.
It does have a little on the ends but not terrible.
If you store them flat and loaded shells down under compression it may straighten them out more.

Esstac shipped mine with the sticky back velcro to put on the reciever but it is not worded like that on thier website. I ordered it extra and ended up with several pieces.

Yeah even my sticky side is bowing up. Maybe it doesn’t adhere well to paint.

 

[Halfnutz]

Clean the receiver with alcohol?

 

[PBWalsh]

Who knows, I painted that years ago.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

Either get the Aridus system or ESSTAC cards on Velcro. They’re the two best options.

 

[strikeeagle1]

I use this Extreme Duty velcro product and it retains its adherence quite well.

 

[Maverick3009]

I've got the vang comp shell carrier, probably a little overpriced for what it is but it does work pretty damn good.