Although Mossberg is the American brand of choice for pump guns, it has not captured the public’s imagination when it involves semi-autos glock slimline. This is primarily because previous iterations have included hot garbage flavors. The 940 addresses these issues with a complete overhaul of critical components. We’ve seen all of them, and they seem to work well. So far, so good.
The 930 was the last model to launch. It seemed that the model was destined for greatness. However, after seeing several examples fail on three-gun circuit courses of fire, there were questions about the consistency of their manufacturing. Some users report no problems, while others require specific firearms cleaning every few hundred rounds to avoid gremlins.
Mossberg made a smart move when the 940 lineups was launched in 2020 with the JM Pro competition gun. The new JM Pro allows the company to produce a few high-touch models that high-volume shooters can use. Any flaws could be quickly identified before the mass-market version goes into production. The company has since released a turkey and waterfowl model before moving to a home defense or tactical variant.
We were among the first to receive an example of this product outside of the controlled environment of a press junket—the 940 Pro threads for Accu-Choke tubes. Instead of locking the user into a fixed, better cylinder choke, the muzzle has an extended section to accommodate the threads. A red fiber-optic front view is included to please those who enjoy that type of sight. The aluminum receiver can be cut to accept a Shield RMSc pattern mini red dot.
The polymer barrel clamp holds both tubes and allows one M-LOK slot to accommodate accessories. The traditional sling swivel can be mounted on the left (and can be reversed for lefties). We want to see double the M-LOK slots, with one on each side over the magazine tube. This would allow us both to mount a weapon light and a QD Sling Swivel Point. A QD cup would be a good idea on either side.
Like its stock, the 940’s forend is injection-molded from glass-filled nylon. There is some aggressive checkering at the wrist and sides. Those who want more grip can use the old-fashioned wood-burning tool to stipple. A panel is located at the forend’s 6 O’clock position to keep it between the lines. The stock’s shortest pull length can fit small-statured shooters and plate carriers. However, if you add the spacers plus the second longer butt-pad to the store, LOP can increase by 2.5 inches.
The receiver also has shims that allow rise and cast to be adjusted. This means the 940 Tactical can likely be tailored to your needs. Stocks with large wrists might be noticeable by shooters with larger hands, but it won’t affect smaller shooters. It isn’t easy to trust the 12-gauge ammunition’s versatility. The ability to accommodate pressure curves in everything from 1-ounce birdshot loads to 3-inch magnum slugs is a challenge. This is possible because of the 940 Pro’s redesigned piston. It vents excess gas to the front and has a separate spring-loaded gas block valve that traps enough propellant to cycle.