The recent renaissance of the tactical shotgun has blessed shotgun nerds like me. It’s never been a better time to be a shotgun enthusiast. In the last couple of years, we’ve seen three big firearms companies release three thoroughly modern semi-auto shotguns. If you’ve read this article’s title, it’s unsurprising that the three companies are Mossberg, Savage, and Beretta. Mossberg released the 940 Pro Tactical, the Savage Renegauge Security, and the Beretta A300 Ultima Patrol.
You could call this the American shotgun shootout. Beretta might be an Italian firm, but the A300 series is made-in-America shotguns. Mossberg and Savage are old-school American companies. All three guns are gas-operated, semi-auto shotguns that feed from traditional tube magazines. These three guns have been released within the last few years and represent a new generation of the tactical shotgun.
With that in mind, it seemed only appropriate to get the three guns together and compare and contrast them side-by-side. While the guns are very similar, there are a few distinct differences between them.
Tactical Shotguns – Breaking Them Down
The Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical
Barrel Length – 18.5 inches
Overall Length – 37.5 inches
Weight – 7.5 pounds
LOP – 12.5 to 14.25 inches
Capacity – 7
The 940 Pro Tactical is an evolution of the 930 semi-auto tactical shotgun series. Mossberg teamed up with Jerry Miculek to create the 940 series. Their goal was to improve upon the 930’s reliability and design. It’s more reliable in every way and is designed to fire 1,500 rounds between cleanings.
Beretta A300 Ultima Patrol
Barrel Length – 19.1 inches
Overall Length – 38 inches
Weight – 7.1 pounds
LOP – 13
Capacity – 7
The Beretta A300 Ultima Patrol is Beretta’s attempt to create a worthy tactical shotgun for less than $1,000. The A300 Ultima Patrol series shares the fast cycling, recoil-reducing B-Link gas system with the 1301 but lacks the rotating bolt and dual op rods. This creates a reliable, fast-cycling, and affordable semi-auto shotgun.
Savage Renegauge Security
Barrel Length – 18.5 inches
Overall Length – 40 inches
Weight – 7 pounds
LOP – 14.25 to 15.07 inches
Capacity – 6
The Renegauge started as a field shotgun and has evolved into the Security model. It uses the D.R.I.V. gas system. This self-regulating gas system vents excess gas via a front port, which helps reduce recoil and create a more controllable gun. The Renegauge system employs a rotating bolt alongside the gas system.
Ergonomics
One of the best things about this new genre of firearms is the improved ergonomics. These modern shotguns have drastically improved ergonomics, including the stock system. The current crop of stocks is also thanks to Magpul. The Magpul SGA stock has influenced all three of these guns.
Each tactical shotgun comes with a variety of inserts that allow you to adjust the length of pull to fit the shooter. The stock adjustments work via a system of spacers. All three of our modern semi-auto shotguns come with a spacer system. While all three have adjustments, the Renegauge Security made an interesting decision.
While Mossberg and Beretta start on the shorter side, with adjustments going out to a little more than 14 inches. The Renegauge starts at 14.25 inches and extends to 15.07 inches. The 14.25 starting point is very long. I’m a big guy at six feet five inches, and I find 14.25 inches to be too long for modern tactical shooting.
Outside of the stocks, these guns all feature massive controls. Gone are tiny little buttons and charging handles. These guns have large and easy-to-use charging handles, bolt releases, and safeties. Also, everything is oversized and easy to engage. Of the three, Mossberg has the largest controls.
Additionally, the guns all feature larger-than-average loading ports and ejection ports. All three are easy to use and easy to keep the guns loaded and running.
Tactical Shotgun Ergonomics In The Field
How do these ergonomics translate to field use? The Mossberg’s larger controls are easier to engage, so conducting port reloads, malfunction remedies, and more are a bit easier with the Mossberg. The difference between all three guns in terms of control is minor, but Mossberg pulls ahead slightly.
Beretta embraced the idea of a rough texture with the A300. The forend and the pistol grips feature aggressive texturing. Both are beneficial for assuming a push/pull recoil mitigation technique. It keeps the gun locked in the hand, especially if you have sweaty hands.
Both the Mossberg and Beretta allow you to assume a squared-up shooting stance with your tactical shotgun. This stance makes it easy to maintain your control over the gun. The significantly longer LOP on the Renegauge makes it tough to square up to the target and maintain a push/pull to mitigate recoil.
Sighting Systems
Another big benefit of the modern era of tactical semi-auto shotguns is the sighting systems. Mossberg lags when it comes to iron sights. The 940 wears a simple bead-style front sight made up of a high-visibility fiber optic rod.
The Renegauge and Ultima Patrol feature a set of ghost ring iron sights. Ghost ring sights aren’t as quick as a simple bead, but are more precise. You can put the tight patterning rounds right where you want when paired with modern tactical buckshot like my beloved Federal Flitecontrol.
The three guns also embrace red dots. On the modern semi-auto tactical shotgun, red dots are as fast as a bead, as precise as a ghost ring sight, and work in all environments. While Mossberg might be on the low end for iron sights, they are top tier for red dots. The Mossberg receiver is milled to accept an RMSc footprint optic. It sits super low, low enough to co-witness with the bead sight.
On shotguns, lower is better because lower ensures you can get a solid cheek weld, and the gun doesn’t beat your face up every time it recoils. The Mossberg also comes drilled and tapped for an optics rail if you want an optic that differs from an RMSc footprint. The Ultima Patrol comes with a slight section of Picatinny rail for red dots. Some aftermarket mounts from Reptilia allow you to position the optic much lower.
The Renegauge Security comes drilled and tapped for optics but doesn’t include the rail. You’ll have to purchase that separately. That’s a bit of a hassle if you ask me.
Recoil and Control
All three tactical shotguns are very easy to control. Modern semi-auto shotguns aren’t as over-gassed as shotguns of yesteryear. They tend to self-regulate, and this aids in driving down that thump you typically feel in your shoulder. Less recoil means more control and faster follow-up shots.
The Renegauge has the least amount of recoil. The D.R.I.V. system works quite well, and the gas that’s vented forward isn’t thrown rearward into your shoulder. Beretta comes in second place in terms of recoil, but only barely. The difference between the Mossberg and the Beretta is minimal but noticeable.
The 940 Pro Tactical features a heavier-walled barrel than the other two guns. This makes it heavier and a bit off-balanced. It is front-heavy, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The weight upfront makes the upward recoil less noticeable. Less muzzle flip makes it easier to make follow-up shots.
At the range, I shot several pairs of double taps. After a little warm-up, I could put two rounds on a single target in less than a second with all three guns. The best score came from the Beretta A300 with a .85. The Mossberg’s best time was .88, and the Rengauge was a .90. The difference is minimal, but the A300 was always a little faster than the other two.
I think the Renegauge could be faster if the thing wasn’t so dang long. It is difficult to get it into the shoulder from the low-ready position. The Mossberg’s slightly increased recoil doesn’t help, but the reduced muzzle rise certainly does.
Tactical Shotgun Reliability
Pump shotguns have ruled so long because semi-auto shotguns weren’t all that reliable. This changed around the time Benelli entered the market, but the gun world is slow to accept change. Modern semi-auto tactical shotguns are quite reliable, and all three of these guns are rockstars in the reliability department.
In all my shooting, I’ve only had one odd issue with the Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical. With Monarch buckshot, I cannot get the cartridge out of the chamber without shooting it or using a cleaning rod. For safety reasons, I just preferred to point it downrange and fire. No other cartridge causes this, and when I shoot, the case ejects without issue.
I’ve had two failures to fire with the A300 Ultima Patrol. Both occurred when I conducted port reloads. A port reload, or an emergency reload, is when you push a cartridge through the ejection port and allow the bolt to go forward. Not every port reload caused this issue either. It seems like the bolt didn’t fully go into the battery because while I heard the click, there wasn’t an indent on the primer.
The Savage Renegauge has had zero problems. It will cycle some truly lightweight stuff, including some reduced-recoil trap loads designed for double guns. The Renegauge’s rotating bolt is also a very nice touch that provides both rearward and rotational force on a shell for very positive ejection.
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Shotgun Shootout – Which Is Best?
Oh boy, that’s tough to answer. They all have their strengths. One factor worth mentioning is price. Both the Ultima Patrol and Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical are 1,000-dollar guns, give or take a few bucks, depending on the finish and optional accessories. The Renegauge sits at around 1,200 dollars. That’s a fair difference in price.
I’m personally a fan of the Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical shotgun. I like the optics cut, and I love the controls and ergonomics. Beretta is on track with the A300 series, and I think the Renegauge has amazing potential. I wouldn’t feel under-armed with any of these guns, and I love that we have a diverse group of modern semi-auto shotguns to choose from.
While I may lean towards the Mossberg, let’s open the comments section. Which gun would you prefer? Let us know below.
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