For those who are still interested in this post.
Range day today with the T930. It was frick’n hot (~88 F) and very humid but no complaints. First shots with my new T930 (Talo edition Mossberg 930). For comparison I also brought my tried and true M500 “first cousin” for comparative purposes.
I shot 3 targets for each shotgun at 3 different ranges. Typical short distance home defense purposes. 25 yards, 15 yards and 7 yards. I used 2 different loads at each distance. Two types of ammo; Slug and 9 shot buck. Ammo photo and target set up photo below.
The next group of photos are the results at each range. It’s not scientific but certainly representative of what to expect from each gun with each type of ammo under 0 stress. Under stress it’s another story. I’m really trying to determine the force multiplier of the action speed and enhanced sights on the T930 over the standard bead sights of the M500.
Some other miscellaneous notes.
1. The enhanced “dot the I” sights on the T930 worked great. It requires a little more time for target acquisition than the bead sight but delivers much better results especially at longer ranges. At 7 yards it makes no difference. For hunting these GG&G sights would be perfect. I would like the tritium version on my HD gun.
2. The limb saver recoil pad on my M500 is better that the standard recoil pad on the T930. The T930 would benefit from a custom recoil pad if you wanted to go that way. I will not.
3. I’m sure the semi auto action of the T930 is an advantage but for this test both actions performed flawlessly and were not under any time constraints.
4. On the 7 yard target. The T930 slug test (ie. the first slug shot) POI was right on the POA. I fired the second shot of 9 pellet buck and it obliterated the target area. For home defense this is a serious OHCH for intruders. The M500 was still a serious OUCH as you can see. Really no difference for practical purposes.
5. The T930 does have a heavier barrel than the M500. I will post specs on a subsequent post. The shotgun is also noticeably heavier. It’s a joy to shot and feels great in the hand and shoulders nicely.
6. I really liked the T930 on this first few rounds fired. I’m first and foremost a pump shotgun guy but in the HD role I can see the benefits of the semi auto action. I will try and upgrade the T930 over time with a plus 2 or 3 tube and a couple of other upgrades to make it a solid HD contender. I must say that it’s a beautiful shotgun and is the prettier of the cousins but probably more maintenance. The M500 pump is not as pretty but will serve you well in every area and will get down and dirty without the drama.