Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical Review: Is It Duty Ready?

Mossberg is an American shotgun titan mostly known for their 500/590 series of pump-action shotguns. Their entry into semi-autos has always been interesting, and it seems like they’ve tried to hit the nail on the head with the Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical. 

The New Mossberg Semi-Auto 

The Mossberg 930 series has been Mossberg’s semi-auto shotgun series for well over a decade. In that time it has encompassed many configurations ranging from turkey to tactical. The 930 series was fine, but admittedly, it was a maintenance picky shotgun that needed a lot of love to ensure reliability. As a 930 SPX owner, I never had reliability issues as long as I kept the gun clean, but I had some nitpicks regarding the gun’s ergonomics. 

The 940 series has decided to take all of my nitpicks and the previous maintenance issues and ultimately fix them. They developed the Mossberg 940 series in part with Jerry Miculek, the fastest finger in the west, and the first few were three gun-oriented shotguns. The line has advanced, and much like the 930, the 940 line varies from turkey to tactical. 

The 940 Pro Tactical is the latest in the lineup, and it’s quickly proving itself to be one of the most modern shotguns on the market. The Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical incorporates ergonomic and reliability improvements and then takes it a step further. These new features make this a standout in a market that’s quickly becoming crowded. 

At the same time, the gun wisely keeps some of the Mossberg trademarks that have long made the company stand out and succeed. Let’s dig into the Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical and see if it’s the right nightstand gun for you. 

Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical Features

1 Adjustable LOP stock

Customize the gun to fit your body size by adjusting the length of pull.

2 Optics ready design

Mount a scope base or direct mount an optic using the RMSc footprint

3 Huge controls

The enlarged controls like bolt release and charging handle allow for quick operation.

4 M-LOK magazine clamp

M-Lok compatible magazine clamp allows you to mount a light or other accessory.

5 High Visibility Front Sight

If you choose to shoot without an optic, the front sight is highly visible for rapid target engagement.

Models and Variations of the Mossberg 940

The Mossberg 940 Pro series includes a JM Pro for competition, turkey, waterfowl, and field versions. Each has a few deferent options within tailored to those specific pursuits.

Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical – Review

I love the repeating claymore, and a semi-auto option will always be tough to beat. The firepower, a semi-auto 12 gauge, offers you a ton of power in a shoulder-fired package. The fundamental problem with a semi-automatic shotgun is reliability. Rifles and handguns figured it out, but it’s been relatively recent that we’ve figured out how to get semi-auto shotguns to run. 

With that said, does the Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical run reliably, and does it really outperform the 930 series? I can give you a resounding yes to both questions. The Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical runs like a typewriter. It has yet to get sluggish as I’ve reached into those hundreds of rounds without cleaning the thing or giving it a single sip of lubricant. 

It just chugs and chugs along without complaint. You do need to be mindful of the ammo you feed it. Any standard power load works and that includes a cheap birdshot and reduced recoil buckshot. Don’t expect it to work with short shells or those ultra-light-loaded trap and skeet loads. Anything else, you’re good to go. 

Does it Kick 

One of the big downsides to shotguns is recoil. Throwing half a Glock’s mag worth of lead per trigger pull has that effect. While all shotguns have a punch of recoil, the semi-auto, gas-operated action of the Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical eats a good bit of the recoil for you. It still hits harder than an AR-15, but it’s not painful. 

With proper recoil mitigation techniques, you can keep the gun on target without much difficulty. I never found it uncomfortable or painful and can absorb the recoil without getting bruised and beaten. I’m a big guy who loves shotguns, so my opinion isn’t the best for everyone. My petite wife, who is a shotgun amateur, gave it a try, and while it didn’t hurt, she did have more difficulty keeping the gun on target. 

This might not be the gun for smaller, inexperienced shooters. However, it’s a great shotgun to learn on. 

Handling the 940 

One of the best things Mossberg did was look at the tactical shotgun aftermarket and decided, hey, let’s just toss all this on the 940. This includes oversized controls in the form of the bolt release and charging handle. They scalloped the loading port, and it no longer pinches. The ejection port is wider and easier to emergency reload. 

Reloading is faster, clearing malfunctions is faster, and, in general, the gun is much easier and faster to use. We also still get the classic Mossberg tang safety that I’ll always adore. 

The controls are excellent, and Mossberg made a great decision with the stock design. The stock allows shooters to use spacers to adjust the length of pull. This allows you to fit the gun to your arm’s length. A proper length of pull allows the shooter to square up with the gun, resist recoil, and maintain control. 

Throwing Lead 

The gun comes with a big, bright red front sight that works a lot like a bead sight. It’s fine, and bead sights work, but the gun also comes optics-ready. In fact, it comes optics ready in two different ways. We have the classic Mossberg optics mount pattern that allows you to use rails and various mounting systems. 

More impressively, Mossberg took a sizeable chunk out of the rear of the receiver and attached a direct optic mount. This cut allows you to mount a red dot directly to the receiver. It uses the RMSc footprint. The optic sits low enough to use the bead, and you aren’t stacking tolerance with optics, Picatinny mounts, and Picatinny rails. 

The use of a red dot gives you all the speed of the bead with the accuracy of a ghost ring sight. Out to 100 yards, you can make some pretty accurate shots with slugs. Up close, you can put buckshot wherever you want it. 

Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical Pros and Cons 

Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical Starter Pack

These items are must haves for all firearms owners and range trips:

• Eye Protection: Protect your eyes with the best shooting glasses!
• Hearing Protection: Check out our favorite hearing protection to keep your ears working better for longer.
• Gun Cleaning Kit: Gun maintenance is easy with a high quality gun cleaning kit.
• First Aid Kit – Keep a good first aid kit on hand for your range trips.

Upgrades and Accessories for the Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical

For the Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical we suggest the same things we suggest for a tactical carbine. A red dot, a sling, and weapon light.

Upgrades and Accessories for the Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical

Red Dot Holosun 507K Red Dot		Micro-sized red dot Mounts directly to shotgun Multi reticle system	Buy on Amazon
Sling Blue Force Gear Vickers Tactical sling		Quick adjust design Super adjustable Durable and combat-proven	Buy on Amazon
Weapon Light Surefire M640U Pro		Multi-mounting attachment system Works with massive Surefire aftermarket Bright output Tough as nails	Buy on Amazon

Best Ammo for the Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical

Federal FliteControl 8 Pellet Reduced Recoil – My favorite defensive shotgun load is the FltieControl 8 pellet load. It runs perfectly through the Mossberg 940 and creates the tightest pattern I’ve ever seen. 

Fiocchi Shooting Dynamics – Fiocchi makes some cheap training ammo that the Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical eats without issue. 

Other Shotguns to Check Out

If you are interested in a more hunting style shotgun, here is our best hunting shotguns list. Here are some great tactical style shotguns to check out.

How to Care for Your Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical

Check out this video showing you how to disassemble your Mossberg 940 for cleaning.

Important Links and Manuals for the Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical

Check out the links below for the manufacturer’s website and operator’s manual.

• 940 Pro Tactical by Mossberg
• Mossberg 940 User’s Manual