I ended up buying a pair of Mossberg Shockwaves, one for me and one for my wife. I had originally intended on leaving my Shockwave stock but after seeing all the great modifications that many of you have done with your Shockwaves I decided to take the plunge.
First up I removed the stock sling mounts, they didn't suit my needs so they had to go.
Next up I replaced the stock front bead with an XS Big Dot tritium front sight; acquiring a good sight picture is so much quicker vs. using the stock bead that every Shockwave owner should consider this a 'must have" upgrade. The XS Big Dot was very easy to install, I used JB Weld to attach mine.
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I was very disappointed with the stock plastic safety on the Shockwave as it seemed "slippery" to use in the heat and humidity of the Florida sunshine so I replaced it with the Promag PM262 safety. The Promag provides a more positive tactile feel due to the aggressive metal edges and central ridge; there should be no compromise when it comes to the safety. Replacing the safety was a bit of a pain due to the Mossberg OEM one way screw and the tiny parts (ball bearing and tiny spring) within the safety; check out the YouTube videos and take your time, you can do this! I chose to replace the stock safety screw with a hex head machine screw both for looks and the ability to service the safety without battling that one way screw again.
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I decided to do something unique, to really make this amazing Mossberg Shockwave mine! I own a Benelli M4 with a collapsible stock; while doing some research on the Benelli M4 family I found pics of the Benelli M4 M1014 Limited Edition with the US Flag on the receiver and decided to copy that look. I took my Shockwave to a trophy shop that specializes in laser engraving and dropped it off (they have an FFL) and a few days later I had my US Flag marked Shockwave in hand. My wife had a wolf laser engraved on the side of her Shockwave.
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I really wanted some sort of scabbard type case to carry my Shockwave but was unable to find one that I really liked. I remembered that I had picked up an odd sized canvas bag on one of my deployments to Afghanistan (I actually found it sitting on top of a dumpster, brand new in the bag) and started digging through my mountain of gear; after a few hours I found it. This canvas case seems to have been made specifically to hold my Mossberg Shockwave as it is a perfect fit. I Googled the numbers on the canvas case and it shows that the case was designed to hold a spare barrel for an M240 Machine Gun. The end flap of the case closes and is secured using a metal buckle; the back has a long strap that enables you to sling it over your shoulder. I haven't been able to locate any more of these canvas spare barrel bags online; if you want one you might try some military surplus stores near you or perhaps a gun show. I'm actually thinking about showing this spare barrel bag to someone that works in leather and having a few made in tan leather.
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The final modification for my Shockwave was doing something to fix that incredibly slippery (Florida sun, 95F, 10,000% humidity) pistol grip. Once again you'll notice that I am a minimalist when it comes to modding something; rather than going full bore with a stippling job I chose to wrap my pistol grip in self fusing black tape. Guys, buy this specific tape and no other; unlike most self fusing tape which is thick and shiny this tape is thin and has a dull matte finish; you can make it even thinner during the installation by increasing the tension on the tape as you wrap the grip. Sorry, no pic, the tape arrived the day before I deployed to Afghanistan again (I'm in Jalalabad right now, anyone else here?) and taking a pic was the last thing on my mind. The self fusing tape is only $8.99 and you can find it here:
https://www.amazon.com/Black-Rubber-Self-Fusing-Electrical-Tape/dp/B00FRKGSTK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1506090023&sr=8-1&keywords=Black Rubber Self-Fusing Electrical Tape - 33 Feet x 1 inch wide
That's all for now, thanks for looking. Mods, thanks for showing the Mossberg Shockwave some love and giving it its own sub forum.
John A., thanks for showing me how to post pics here.