Mossberg 190D

While it may not be your cup of tea, these bolt guns are a good buy, especially if you’re looking for a cheap but robust firearm to keep around the farm or in your vehicle. Bolt-action shotguns for deer and turkey are still quite popular, and the Mossberg 185-190-195 makes great base material for a custom hunting gun project. The only downside is scope/optic mounting can be dicey as there isn’t a lot of steel on top of the receiver — drilling and tapping for mounts will need to be done very carefully.

I haven’t fired my 16-gauge in years because it’s virtually impossible to find 16-gauge shells anymore. Maybe, as a practicing gun writer, I should start the whole “I just rediscovered the BEST shotgun of all time!” -trend and push the 16-gauge to new popularity. Or not.

The Mossberg 190D isn’t the fastest or most high-capacity shotgun, but if you want an inexpensive shotty that’ll shoot every single time you pull the trigger, regardless of where or how long it’s been sitting, the Mossberg models 185, 190 and 195 are great choices to consider.

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