I was looking at Mossberg's website this evening and was curious if their rifles are any good. Their Specs were a little vague.

How's their trigger pull on the 4x4? Are they accurate?

Anyone?

MThuntr,I don't own one but I have heard they are good shooters. As far as the trigger from what I hear they usually need work. The stevens/savage would probably be a better deal in the long run though. But thats just what I hear.

Buy a Howa 1500 or Weatherby Vanguard.

A friend of mine got one in .270 last year and put a cheap scope on it. The two of us went through 30 rounds just having fun at the bench, shooting .5" at 50 yards with it. Good enough for me...

Yoou can what you want to about Mossberg but my experence with them is:
The must not have a DESIGN DEPARTMENT...
Anything they get a design for the manufacture TOP RATE!!!

I handled one a gun store the other day. They kind of reminded me of a savage in looks and feel.
The one I saw was on the shelf for about $330 and it had a camo paint job.
It looked like it was worth it but I just spent $559 for a tikka t3 stainless litewt.
After thinking about it I decided it was best to save up a tad longer and get something I'd enjoy handling for the next 20 years.

first centerfire i ever owned was a mossberg sold under motgomery wards's name... .243 winchester... shot a hole in the hood of my pickup because i didnt remove the iron sights to get the scope lower....other that it was ugly and cheap, it shot better than a friend remington 700BDL... also a .243... it held up to rough treatment by a 15 yr old, and its still in the family 33 yrs later....still shoots 3" groups at 100yds, not a tack driver, but has killed many deer, turkeys, ribbits, coyotes...... probably has had 4000 rounds down the barrel... 99% handloads...

Mossberg doesn't have a very good record of success selling CF rifles. The 800/810, RM-7, and (Howa) 1500 series all failed within a short time, so it is easy to infer that Mossberg's current CF effort will also fail.

The current ATR 100 is a 3rd generation Raptor, 1 of the worst rifles that I've ever handled. Mossberg claims to have re-engineered it and made significant advances, but Mossberg is unlikely to sell enough of them to reach an on-going level of sales that is large enough to justify the expense of keeping them in production for very long. Once they are out of production, parts will probably be hard to get.

My advice is to buy a Stevens 200 if you are looking for an economy/entry level CF rifle.

Jeff

Jeff,

How much range time have you put in with a Mossberg ATR and how accurate was the rifle? Did it feed and eject smoothly? How many people do you know that own one and what has been their experience with their ATR?

Dogging the new Mossberg because their other rifles didn't make the grade is a bit unfair in my opinion. I've looked at them at Wal-Mart and a gun show or two and they look like what they are: a no-frills push-feed starter rifle in a blind magazine stock. I haven't seen anything horribly wrong with them yet.

The Mossberg 800 didn't last long because of market pressure. The Remington was cheaper. I have one with a bull barrel in 22-250, and it is still my favorite gun. And I have a new Stevens 200 in 270, and a Savage model 14 Classic in 243, both fine guns. When I needed money years ago, I kept the Moss and sold my 700 Remington.

the rifle was reviewed in American Rifleman last year. the gist of the article was that it was an inexpensive hunting rifle, and with it's acceptable accuracy would serve the owner as such.

quote:

Originally posted by 260remguy:

The current ATR 100 is a 3rd generation Raptor, 1 of the worst rifles that I've ever handled.
Jeff

I remember handling the Raptors back in 1994-1996 at the Shot Show, about the old time I ever saw one in the flesh. They were pretty rough....

Haven't seen one of these Mossbergs in the flesh yet.

I have not fired a Mossberg ATR, but I installed a scope and bore-sighted 1. I don't know if the ATR is a good rifle or not, but I do know that the Raptor was a dog and Mossberg has a really bad track record when it comes to selling CF rifles. If you can buy a proven design, the Stevens 200, for the same $$, why wouldn't you?

Since I like mannlicher stocked rifles, I have 5 Mossberg 800Ms; a 22-250, 2 in 243, and 2 in 308. The 800 series was actually cataloged longer than any of the subsequent Mossberg CF attempts, even though it had several design issues. I think that Mossberg may have made more 800s as house brands for Montgomery Wards and Western Auto then they did with a Mossberg roll-stamp.

Jeff

I did some investigation and it turns out that the specific rifle, the 4X4 is not actually being released until May or June. One website mentioned an adjustable trigger, but have not been able to substaniate that yet.

If they are worth a dang when I see one, I might get the 338 in Marinecote (stainless) for my Large game animals and if its worth it I'm going to get one in 25-06 too.

I've tested several 4x4s and found them to be very accurate. The .338 I just used to shoot a grizzly last week shot well under an inch with 210 grain Partitions, as did a 7mm Rem Mag and .300 Win Mag I tested previously (See my review in the latest issue of Shooting Times for details). They are not fancy guns. They have a stamped, sheet metal bolt release and safety and the triggers need a bit of tweaking, but they shoot great and are a damn good value. If you're looking for an inexpensive rifle that shoots good, I would recommend it without hesitation.

The new Mossberg 4x4's have got to be the ugliest production rifle ever produced. What the heck were they thinking when they designed those abominations?

The Steven 200 is a proven rifle with a far better stock and can be found at extremely reasonable prices. I would avoid the Mossbergs like the ugly girl at the dance with a big herpes sore on her lip.......................DJ

I have a new Stevens 200 in .270 Winchester. If you want, buy me the Mossberg 4X4 and it's yours.

Looks-wise, the 4x4 may not be your cup of tea, but all the ones I've tested shot great. Not "good for the money", but great.

That may be, but Mossberg has never, ever, had any success selling CF rifles, so why do you think that the ATR and 4x4 are going to make a difference? Mossberg will need to reach some level of on-going sales in order to sustain the production. If they couldn't do it before, and remember they sold Mossberg branded Howa 1500s for awhile, what thing or things makes you think that this will be the 1?

If I was buying or recommending an entry level CF rifle it would be the proven Stevens 200. The Stevens 200 has a lot going for it, while the Mossberg ATR and 4x4 are, well, Mossbergs. If I was in the market for an inexpensive entry level shotguns or .22 rifle, I might buy a Mossberg, but only maybe.

Jeff

quote:

That may be, but Mossberg has never, ever, had any success selling CF rifles, so why do you think that the ATR and 4x4 are going to make a difference? Mossberg will need to reach some level of on-going sales in order to sustain the production. If they couldn't do it before, and remember they sold Mossberg branded Howa 1500s for awhile, what thing or things makes you think that this will be the 1?

Why would I want a rifle based on sales figures? Buy it because it's popular? I buy because it strikes me, not Joe down the road. Unless someone can point out obvious fatal flaws I buy what I like. I could care less if they still sell the thing 5 years later.

quote:

Originally posted by 260remguy:
That may be, but Mossberg has never, ever, had any success selling CF rifles, so why do you think that the ATR and 4x4 are going to make a difference? Mossberg will need to reach some level of on-going sales in order to sustain the production. If they couldn't do it before, and remember they sold Mossberg branded Howa 1500s for awhile, what thing or things makes you think that this will be the 1?

If I was buying or recommending an entry level CF rifle it would be the proven Stevens 200. The Stevens 200 has a lot going for it, while the Mossberg ATR and 4x4 are, well, Mossbergs. If I was in the market for an inexpensive entry level shotguns or .22 rifle, I might buy a Mossberg, but only maybe.

Jeff

Mossberg's sales figures are none of my concern. Someone asked for an opinion on the 4x4. I am an independent party who happens to have tested several different 4x4s, so I offered my opinion. Plenty of decent guns have failed in past, just as many crappy ones live on.

If you're happy with your Stevens, good for you. Truth be told, I am not super high on the 4x4's styling either. I lean towards more traditionally-styled rifles. However, many people I've shown it to really dig the 4x4. Especially those under 35, where we really need an increase in participation. And once again, accuracy is most important in my book, and the 4x4 has it.

Mossberg's track record regarding CF rifles makes it the Yugo of CF rifle makers, or CF rifle sellers in the case of the Howa 1500s.

Parts.

What do you do in 10, 15, 20, 25 years when you need a part for an ATR or 4x4? GPC will probably buy the leftover parts and when they're gone, they'll be gone for good since so few units are ever likely to be sold.

I don't care what anybody buys, except that I won't order/sell some firearms and have sent potential customers elsewhere because of that. I want happy customers, so I recommend proven hardware that falls within the customers' budget. For a guy who is in the entry level or tight budget catagory, that means a Stevens 200 and a Bushnell, Leupold, or Nikon to round it out.

Jeff

quote:

Originally posted by 260remguy:
Mossberg's track record regarding CF rifles makes it the Yugo of CF rifle makers, or CF rifle sellers in the case of the Howa 1500s.

Parts.

What do you do in 10, 15, 20, 25 years when you need a part for an ATR or 4x4? GPC will probably buy the leftover parts and when they're gone, they'll be gone for good since so few units are ever likely to be sold.

I don't care what anybody buys, except that I won't order/sell some firearms and have sent potential customers elsewhere because of that. I want happy customers, so I recommend proven hardware that falls within the customers' budget. For a guy who is in the entry level or tight budget catagory, that means a Stevens 200 and a Bushnell, Leupold, or Nikon to round it out.

Jeff

Wow another dogmatic, "my way or the highway", gunshop guy imagine that. get a life.

Who just went under, Mossberg or Winchester?

Like a bar keep who retains the right not to serve drunk customers, as a firearms dealer, I reserve the right not to sell a firearm that I don't think is a good choice for my reputation of standing behind what I sell. If I lose a customer, I lose a customer, but I'll take the chance, given my success rate to date. Most of my customers come to me on referral from existing satisfied customers, so if I lose a customer because I won't order a Mossberg for him/her, oh well, maybe he/she will buy 1 from the experts at Wal-Mart.

Guys bring in Ravens, Hi-Points, and garbage like that all the time to be repaired or to trade. When they do I just tell 'em that I don't sell 'em, I don't repair 'em, and I don't take 'em in trade.

Winchester/USRA went out of business for a variety of reasons, but the 17 Winchester/USRA 70s that I have chambered for the WSSM cartridges show 1st rate quality for a production rifle. The few that I have shot, have all shot well right out of the box, and the couple that I have tuned shoot exceptionally well.

I doubt that Mossberg will have any degree of success with the ATR or 4x4 line, but I could be wrong, heck I think that the 25 WSSM is a 1st class varmint/deer/antelope cartridge and few others share that view.

Jeff

260 rem guy,

Just FYI, I have it from a pretty good source that Mossberg sold over 30,000 ATRs last year and has many more than that on order for the ATR and 4x4 this year. Again, I don't have a dog in the fight, but as a journalist, I had to ask after I read your posts.

Good for Mossberg! There is always a market for new CF rifles that sell for under $300, I just happen to think that the Stevens 200 is a better choice in that market niche. I'm sure that for some folks, a Mossberg ATR is a good choice, but that person ain't me. But, I'm not the average gun buyer, as I've bought 8 firearms in the past 30 days. Some people don't buy 8 in a year, a decade, or a lifetime, while I do it on a regular basis.

Other than the 4 800 mannlichers, I don't own any other Mossbergs and don't expect to find a reason to own another Mossberg that isn't either an 800M, 640M, or 340M.

Jeff

I have a brand new Stevens 200 in .270 Winchester. If you want to trade me even up for a 4x4, I'm all ears.

I haven't seen any Mossberg 4x4 rifles in any wholesale catalogs, so I can't tell you how much a it would cost when compared to a Stevens 200. I'd be happy to pay you the wholesale value of your Stevens 200 if it is NIB.

Jeff

I'm not interested in selling it, but if I could move up to a 4x4 in an even swap, I'm in. After all, you like the Stevens better, it does shoot straight, which is why I bought it. I may buy a 4x4 yet, if I can decide on a caliber and float it past the wife. LOL.

If you really want a Mossberg and agree to an "I told you so clause", I'd be happy to order 1 for you if you pre-pay in full. Dealer cost, plus 10%, plus NE sales tax. Do you want me to contact you when they are available?

Jeff

I have a dealer, cost plus 7.