I’m a fan of the Mossberg Shockwave. A big fan. It’s one of the most fun guns I’ve ever owned. With that in mind, the entirety of my Shockwave experience has been in 12 gauge. Mossberg has released 20-gauge and .410 models, but they fell outside of my attention. That was until I saw and handled a Shockwave .410 in real life and realized how small and handy it could truly be.
Honestly, picking it up will change most people’s minds about a .410 Shockwave. It weighs a mere 4.24 pounds. We already know that it’s fairly short, but at that weight, it becomes downright handy. The little .410 bore isn’t a big cartridge, so the gun’s overall size is svelte. It’s like a wand that shoots bullets. Harry Potter and the pump action.
Like every Shockwave, this thing isn’t technically a shotgun. It’s a firearm. Thus, it can have a 14-inch barrel and not run afoul of the ATF… unless it drops below 26 inches overall. At 26.37 inches, it rides the line and provides a PGO (pistol grip only) pump-action firearm. If the length drops below 26 inches, it’s considered an AOW.
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Mossberg has made lots of 500s in .410, but this is a .410 590. This means it has the 590 magazine tube and barrel design. This was the first time a 590 .410 existed as far as I’m aware. The gun uses a .410 variant of the Raptor grip to give it a satisfactory overall length and provide a very ergonomic grip option.
The Shockwave .410 typically holds five rounds of 2.5-inch ammo in the tube (5+1 total), or four rounds of 3-inch shells. With 12 gauges, I stick to 2.75-inch rounds for most applications outside of hunting. However, if I fielded the little .410, I’ll take the extra lead the 3-inch shell offers. The gun uses an ambidextrous tang safety and features a strap-equipped pump design.
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The gun comes with a basic bead sight, but like all 590s, it is drilled and tapped for adding optics. A red dot seems like an excellent addition to the little gun. With that said, there isn’t much more. It’s a plain, light, and simple little pump-action gun.
Why the Shockwave .410?
I think the Shockwave is the perfect option for a defensive .410. It’s light and handy, with minimal recoil. The “big boy” Shockwave throws a lot of lead and can be controlled with practice and muscle. The .410 variant can also be used defensively and offers very little recoil, so you need a lot less training and muscle.
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If you want an extremely small weapon that fires shotgun shells, the Shockwave .410 can be a great option. While the .410 doesn’t offer the ballistic equivalence of a 12 or 20 gauge, the 3-inch 00 and 000 buck loads can get you more than halfway there.
Normally, if you were thinking about the .410 for home defense, I’d advise you to look maybe at an AR-15. Similar recoil, excellent effectiveness, simpler to use, and they can often be shorter than any shotgun. When we get to something as small as the .410, we are reducing our payload a fair bit, increasing our cost of ammo, and not getting the same effectiveness as a 12 or 20 gauge.
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However, when it comes to the Shockwave design, we get the advantage of it being small and quite lightweight. It’s incredibly maneuverable and easy to steer from target to target and is suitable for the majority of shooters. In a Shockwave platform, the .410 gains a significant advantage due to its small size and high maneuverability.
To the Range With the Shockwave .410
Even when loaded with a 3-inch shell of 000 buckshot, the Shockwave .410 is quaint. Recoil is minimal, and it’s super easy to shoot rapidly. Two shots in less than a second are unbelievably easy to do. Drop the shell length to 2.5 inches, and it gets even easier.
The gun’s recoil, even with just a pistol grip, is easy to handle. I automatically revert to a push/pull technique to reduce recoil with a shotgun, but I don’t actually have to. I can just hold it tight and not have any problems controlling the gun.
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The bead sight is a Mossberg special. They attach it directly to the barrel, which is fine, but it sits so low that some may find it difficult to acquire without a stock. It can also create POI/POA issues where the gun appears to shoot high. There are replacement dots to correct this, but a red dot mount would also be a good go-to since it is 2026.
The slight spread of a 12-gauge at across-the-house distances can cover a multitude of marksmanship sins, but that starts to disappear as we reduce the payload per shell. We want those pellets to hit the vitals, so a red dot or proper height bead can be beneficial.
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The Shockwave .410 handles nicely. The ergonomics of the safety with the Raptor grip are just perfect. The pump has a bit of grit and slop, but it’s smooth and light to use overall. The gun cycles every shell I put through it, including some of those European loads that tend to be tight in American chambers.
Going .410
The Shockwave .410 is a blast to shoot. It’s super handy and would probably be the best defensive .410. Its small size and low recoil help give it an edge in the world of .410 defensive shotguns. This size is perfect for the little 67 gauge.
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Beyond defensive use, this is like a modern garden gun. A load of birdshot will dispatch snakes and small beasts with minimal recoil and noise. The buckshot loads can dispatch coyotes and more. For a survival gun, it’s tough to go wrong with the .410 thanks to how many rounds you can carry with absolute ease.
The Shockwave .410 can do a lot, but if you’re like me, it might just be one of the most fun guns in the safe.
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