If you’re on the hunt for a shotgun for the upcoming dove season – and honestly, who isn’t looking for a reason to buy a new shotgun – then be sure to take a look at Mossberg’s 940 Pro semi-auto 12 gauge.
The reason I say this is because I shot one last season and the 940’s gas operating system runs like a house afire. The particular model I shot was the 940 Pro Tactical, which is not an ideal dove gun with its 18.5” barrel, but boy does it shoot fast.
For dove hunting you’re probably going to want to look at the 940 Pro Field models. One model comes with a dark walnut stock and forend, for a more classic look and feel, while the other sports synthetic furniture.
Which you go with depends on your personal preference and whether or not you plan on using it strictly as a field gun or intend to also carry it out into the marsh to your duck blind.
Other than the wood versus synthetic stock/forend combo, the two models are identical with a 28” matte blue barrel, 13” to 14.25” adjustable length of pull, and a HIVIZ CompSight fiber optic front sight sitting atop the barrel’s vented rib. The barrel is choked for Mossberg’s AccuChoke™ system and includes full, modified and improved cylinder choke tubes.
A versatile shotgun, the 940 Pro Field easily takes on doves, quail, pheasants, ducks or small game with its 3” chamber and 4+1 capacity. Of course, you’re limited to 3 total rounds when dove and duck hunting, or where restricted by hunting regulations in your state, which is why these models come from the factory plugged for 3 rounds. You can remove the plug for added capacity.
Here’s a pro tip for you. Absolutely check your state’s hunting regulations so you are in compliance when you head out into the field. To hunt with the 940 Pro Tactical I had to limit capacity with a wood dowel…because I want to preserve my right to hunt and don’t want to go to prison. I’m assuming hard time is the punishment for that sort of infraction, though I could be wrong.
For me the appeal of the 940 Pro is the gas system which runs fast and smooth. When hunting with it last year, up in the Chino Valley area of Arizona, I was amazed at how effortlessly it cycled, which was way faster than I was missing the birds. The missing is a me problem and not a shotgun problem.
Their updated gas system is designed to reliably cycle quality factory 2.75” or 3” shotshells and do so for upwards of 1,500 rounds before having to clean the shotgun. It was built not just for reliability but for the rigorous demands of 3-Gun competition.
Part of the speed equation, and the reliability/durability equation, is the fact that the internal parts – the gas piston/rings, magazine tube and hammer sear – feature a nickel boron coating which offers superior friction resistance. You’ll find NiB coating is often used in firearms because of its performance enhancing properties.
Another feature that comes from the competition realm is the 940 Pro’s oversized charging handle and bolt release. Until you use a shotgun with oversized controls you won’t truly realize how much you want these performance upgrades.
One more competition-based feature upgrade Mossberg incorporated into the 940 Pro line, and one dove hunters will love, is the oversized and beveled loading port with redesigned elevator and shell catch. This allows for more efficient loading without pinching your thumb. At a national average of five shots per dove, reloading is kind of important, as is doing so without ripping off the end of your thumb. This particular feature is a godsend.
I have hunted dove with an over and under shotgun and a semi-auto shotgun. Last year I even hunted with one of Mossberg’s pump-action 590S models (which did great, by-the-way). The 940 Pro option for dove hunting is one worth giving serious consideration. The more I think about hunting last season the more I want to add a 940 Pro to my growing shotgun collection.
If you have not put your hands on a Mossberg 940 Pro, and they have several models in their lineup, then make sure you ask to shoulder one on your next visit to your favorite gun shop. Better yet, find a buddy that has one and put some rounds (preferably his/her ammo) down range.
Regardless, the 940 Pro is one shotgun you really don’t want to sleep on.
– Paul Erhardt, Managing Editor, the Outdoor Wire Digital Network
