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Aug 01 '23
Send the barrel to Tactical Ordnance and have them Vang Comp it.
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u/therowdyirishman Aug 01 '23
Haha don't tempt me man... trust me I've thought about it. With the exception of a better recoil pad that's really the only mod left.
I primarily shoot slugs though so I'm not sure how much I'd really gain from it.
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Aug 01 '23
Just sent my 14", 590A1 barrel off to TacOrd last week. I'll let you know how it shoots when I get back.
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u/therowdyirishman Aug 01 '23
Oh beauty! That's definitely the final frontier of shotgun pimping. Have you shot any groups with slugs yet?
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Aug 01 '23
I don't have the barrel back yet.
However... I have shot a vang comp'd shotgun with 00 buck and slugs. The felt recoil seemed to be softer, but not life changingly so. The grouping for cheap buckshot was also tighter, but again... not life changingly so.
I still think it's worth the upgrade if you want a fully loaded shotgun thiugh.
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u/therowdyirishman Aug 01 '23
I hear you, I was just curious if you'd shot some groups before hand to compare. I agree it'd certainly be nice to have. You should definitely post your rig when the barrel arrives!
I mainly shoot wax slugs for practicing with this. They're a lot of fun and perfectly safe if made properly. Cheap as birdshot, don't shred your targets, safer to shoot at steel, etc. If made properly (not cutting off the crimp) they are very safe. I've gotten pretty reasonable accuracy as well, definitely staying within an IPSC head box at 25yds.
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Aug 01 '23
heavenly modified….I mean heavily
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u/therowdyirishman Aug 01 '23 edited Aug 01 '23
It's coming in just under 8lbs 👀
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Aug 01 '23
damn!
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u/therowdyirishman Aug 01 '23
That's with everything pictured, mind you I'm also using a bathroom scale so it could be closer to 7.5lbs, rough estimate haha. At any rate the pistol grip really helps with balancing it during port reloads or topping off the tube and the short barrel makes it feel a lot lighter.
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Aug 02 '23
that cinder block in the frame psychologically makes it look heavier than it handles I am sure - if that was a balloon, it would be the opposite.
and I will never understand how Fudds can’t see the benefit of pistol grips for the exact reasons you mentioned
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u/Thatwokebloke Aug 01 '23
Are there pros to it being smooth bore?
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u/therowdyirishman Aug 01 '23
Yes indeed! It means I can shoot both slugs and buck/birdshot through the same barrel.
"Slug guns" for hunting deer or the classic 3 barrel combos will include a rifled barrel for a different type of slug called sabot slugs. These slugs are encased in a plastic sleeve (sabot) which engages the rifling and imparts spin on the projectile, similar to a rifle or pistol projectile. Except in this case it's not the bullet itself in contact with the barrel but the sabot. These yield much more consistent accuracy and as such are preferred by hunters trying to max effective range and land a first round hit in the vitals.
Most confusingly the slugs I shoot through my smoothbore are known as rifled slugs, I believe due to the spiral grooves cut in the outside of the slug itself. These do not receive proper spin stabilization because they are simply guided down the smooth barrel walls by a wad. These are utilized in tactical and target shooting shotguns which will be normally be loaded primarily with buckshot or birdshot respectively. The advantage to a smoothbore barrel is you can rapidly swap from shot to a rifled slug whereby eliminating spread and tripling the effective range by using a single projectile.
TLDR: smoothbore is better for a tactical shotty or comp gun because you can shoot both shot and slugs without needing a barrel swap. Shooting buck or birdshot through a rifled barrel causes it to spread very rapidly and unpredictably.
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u/upsidetowndown Aug 07 '23
How do you like the Ergo forend? I've been considering that same one.
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u/therowdyirishman Aug 07 '23
I really enjoy it. I have pretty small hands for a guy and appreciate how slim it is. It's definitely too slick to use without any MLOK panels or grips attached but they provide grippy rail covers so no issues there.
The tricky part about installing it is keeping the handguard level while torquing the nut to secure it. It would've been nice if they included some form of anti rotation or self aligning design. That being said after messing around for a bit to get it orientated and torquing there hasn't been any shifting or loosening issues. Full disclosure some off brand MLOK accessories have been a tight fit but Magpul parts went in no sweat.
Overall I think it's the most practical/tactical option for a Shockwave and looks pretty Gucci too. Feels very premium/durable, uses OEM hardware (nut), keeps the forend slim and gives you 9 MLOK slots, that's a lot to like. S&J was kind enough to bring them in for me so if you want one I'd say give them the business.
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u/upsidetowndown Aug 08 '23
Thank you for the thorough reply. I'll give it a try and I'll order from S&J. Just installed their +1 extension and safety. Nice stuff.
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u/therowdyirishman Aug 01 '23 edited Aug 01 '23
Hello fellow smoothbore goons. I've seen a fair bit of interest in the Shockwave platform on here so I figured I'd share my experience. Being able to toss a stock on a short barrel shotgun is one of the rare advantages we have over our neighbours to the south.
I use this gun for my wilderness defense rig and it has become my preferred tactical long gun as well. In an age of self destructing domestic semi autos or cripplingly expensive imports I elected to step back in time and put my trust in the modern musket. Nothing gives me the warm and fuzzies like that smoothbore vibe as I listen to an ounce of lead whizzing down range.
My 590 Shockwave has seen a variety of different parts in the last year as I tested various setups and configs. One of the most helpful upgrades isn't visible, the Mcarbo trigger spring kit. It's genuinely a game changer for making accurate shots with slugs. Other excellent and affordable upgrades are a "no jam" delrin follower from S&J, grab a metal safety while you're at it. I also had S&J bring in the Ergo MLOK forend. It's a one piece solid aluminum unit with 3 slots at 3/6/9oclock. It's very slim, comes with nice rail covers, and mounts using only the factory handguard nut.
Two potential cons to keep in mind on the 14in Shockwave specifically. 1) this model has a shorter action tube length, which means most forends (IE Magpul) require modification to fit. That being said I think the Magpul forend is pretty meh.
2) folding stocks may put you back under NR OAL limits, hence the unsightly mag tube extension. I love the FAB UAS though so it's worth it for me.
Most recent addition for me is the Streamlight Protac HL-X, incredibly impressed with this light. Mounting it with the pressure pad on such a small handguard + pump action was a bit tricky but I've got it dialed in now.
Let me know if you've got any questions or are curious about parts.