Posted on 08/01/2019 5:42:47 AM PDT by w1n1
This year, one of America's great firearms manufacturers turns 100 years old. Founded in 1919, O.F. Mossberg & Sons grew a reputation for producing quality, innovative guns for the civilian market at reasonable prices. Their engineering creativity is in evidence in more than 100 design and utility patents they originated.
Since 1961 the product most readily associated with the company was their excellent Model 500 pump shotgun. In 1970, twin action-bars replaced the single one and this shotgun remains a flagship product to this day with over 12 million sold. The popularity of the Model 500 tends to obscure the fact that Mossberg made just about everything at one time or another: self-defense pistols, bolt-action, lever-action and semi-auto rifles from .22 to .450 Bushmaster, and bolt-action, pump and auto-loading shotguns from .410-gauge to 12-gauge 3½ inch. In fact, Mossberg pioneered the latter powerful chambering to the delight of turkey and goose hunters.
The Mossberg philosophy from the start was to deliver more gun for the money. With efficient design and manufacturing processes, they kept costs low and put shooting sports within the reach of people of modest means without sacrificing their products' performance. No American, whether they drove a Cadillac or rode the bus to work, was embarrassed to say, "I shoot a Mossberg."
Today, O.F. Mossberg & Sons Inc. is America’s largest manufacturer of shotguns and, unlike other big name American gun makers, the company is still family-owned and -operated. Fourth generation Iver Mossberg is the CEO. He comes to work in their North Haven, Connecticut, headquarters every day. Unlike some corporately owned or publicly traded gun makers over the years, Mossberg’s personal dedication to defending the Second Amendment has never been questioned. Despite Connecticut’s firearms manufacturing heritage, its state legislators are predominantly, and increasingly, anti-gun. In 2014 this led Mossberg to decide against expanding their operations there and instead shifted the majority of their manufacturing facilities to gun-friendly Texas. Now only a small percentage of their manufacturing (less than 10 percent) and their administrative offices remains in anti-gun Connecticut. Read the rest of Mossberg firearms.
“Make America....a nation of marksmen”
My first gun was a Mossberg 395KA 12 gauge boltgun, with the twisty C-lect choke...
Maverick 88 here. Probly one of the cheapest lowend 12 gauges there are.....and I love it.
I have a Mossberg 500 16 gauge (!) that I got from a pawn shop for 80 bucks.
Nice.
We have a Mossberg tactical 500. Good shotgun.
I have a Maverick 88, also, and it is a fine firearm!
My only regret is not getting the 7+1.
I live less than a mile from the Mossberg factory. And I went to High school with Iver and his older sister, Gretchen.
Nice kids, both very big.
I grew up in next-door Wallingford, Connecticut, and never noticed that North Haven had Mossberg. Marlin Firearms had a more prominent building visible from the highway. I wish Mossberg well in its relocation to a friendlier environment.
Mossberg is a great gun maker...I think you’ll see the HQ move to Texas soon...
I used to live abut 1.5 miles from the plant. We’d put the duck boat in the Quinnapiac River at the Sackett Point boat launch to go duck hunting. Had friends that worked for Mossberg.
There’s still a launch place behind the old trap rock site, but the road to get in there is pretty bad.
My ex still lives up there. He grew up in North Haven. His family is still there too.
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