Mossberg Bolt Action Shotguns of the 1950’s and 1960’s,During the 1920’s and 1930&

Mossberg Bolt Action Shotguns of the 1950’s and 1960’s,During the 1920’s and 1930’s it was a popular practice to take bolt action military rifles and convert them into cheap hunting and sporting shotguns.  This was especially true from German Gew 98 rifles and Lee Enfields.  In the 1930’s a man named Oscar Mossberg decided to capitalize on this market by producing bolt action shotguns that were not conversions of old military surplus, but shotguns produced as their own model.  In the 1930’s Mossberg became famous for producing .410 and 20 gauge shotguns for small game hunting. They were especially popular because they were cheap yet reliable, a must for Great Depression families who hunted to put food on the table.  During World War II production ceased as the country demanded more arms for war and less for hunting and sporting purposes.  Instead Mossberg was employed to produce training rifles for the military.Mossberg didn’t get back into regular business until the late 1940’s when it attempted to introduce some standard pump action designs.  However by then Mossberg had gained a reputation for its bolt action shotguns, the people demanded that Mossberg produce them, like they had before the war. In 1947 the Mossberg 183D was introduced.  The 183D was similar to target rifle designs made during the war, as well as a single shot shotgun in .410.  The 183D was chambered for .410, however unlike other Mossberg shotgun designs it was a repeater, whereas earlier models were single shot only.  The 183D came with a two round magazine, thus holding three altogether.  The 183D also had two unique features, one was a semi-pistol grips that contoured to the hand’s fingers, the other was an adjustable choke that became a common feature of all subsequent Mossberg bolt action models.The 183D became wildly popular among small game hunters and shooters, so much so that people requested that Mossberg make them in other calibers for larger game and fowl.  Mossberg responded in the 1950’s by producing models patterned after the 183D in almost every gauge imaginable.  The following charts the succession of models introduced in the 1950’s.185D, 1947, 20 gauge185K, 1950, 20 gauge190, 1955, 16 gauge (then the most popular gauge in the world)195, 1955, 20 gaugeEach individual model also had a number of sub models and specialty models as well. The popularity of the Mossberg bolt action shotgun made the 1950’s the decade of the bolt action shotgun.  A number of models were produced for retailers like Sears Roebuck and Woolworth.  Eventually a number of smaller companies also sprang up which produced knockoff models as well.  The popularity of the bolt action shotgun began to die in the late 1960’s.  Production of Mossberg 183D and all subsequently derived models ended around 1971, as the company moved on to producing pump action shotguns. Mossberg suspended most other bolt action shotgun designs in the 1980’s. Mossberg still produces a few bolt action shotgun designs, but the heyday of the bolt action shotgun is far over.  Today a number of Mossberg bolt actions and knockoff designs can be found for sale at gunshows and stores for as little as $100-$200. -- source link
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