Interesting read http://thetruthaboutguns.com/2011/02/foghorn/stress-testing-semi-automatic-competition-shotguns/
I like how a $600 Mossberg can hang with a $1000.00 FN.
That is definitely what my experience was. My Mossberg 930 POS, err I mean SPX, wouldn’t cycle ANYTHING. Cleaned and lubed it would be good for a box, maybe. My FN SLP MK1 will go 300 or more without a malf. Now I will say that the SLP MK1 is picky, it does not like Winchesters. I only shoot Federal 7.5’s or 8’s from WalMart & Remington Low-Recoil Slugs and Buckshot.
Cheap Winchester Crap makes most Semi-Autos Choke.
Yeah, that’s the amazing $20 for 100 target loads. You can’t even kill squirrels at 10 yds with it.
They also didn’t even bother to mention the FN comes with two different pistons for light/heavy loads or which piston they had installed. I’ve heard nice things about the Mossberg but that “test” was marginal at best.
And some pumps besides…the Winchester bulk stuff from WalMart tied up a buddy’s 870 at a local, informal 3-gun a few months back. Not “needs disassembly” bad, but “needs mortaring to cycle after firing” bad, at least.
Needless to say, he switched away from Winchester. He decided saving a couple dollars per hundred wasn’t worth the issues…
Anyway, I’d be wary of a test that relied heavily on large quantities of Winchester bulk “target” shotshells as a reliability test.
The Cheap Walmart Federal on the other hand seems to work fine. My Remington 1100 TAC-4 Cycles it fine and from what I understand that gun is pretty picky about what it likes to eat. 
I had a FN SLP-Mk1 and it ate everything I fed it.
I think later in the article they said that they switched the pistons to the light load piston…
Ive been going back and forth on this one. I was planning on getting one for 3 gun, but the SLP mk1 but they jumped up in cost. I know you get what you pay for but cant blame a guy for trying to save a buck or two when he can! Friend of mine has been pushing me to the Benelli M4 but although awesome…Things EXPENSIVE!!
You weren’t talking about me at the Colorado Weld County 3-gun, where you??? Same thing happened to me on a 40+ Shotgun Target stage. I told the RO to tell me when my four minutes of shame where up. I blamed a dirty 870 on it, but I was shooting the cheap Winchester Value pack ammo.
FWIW:Got an email today from CDNN about SLP MK1s (22" barrel/8Shot) for sub $1000K.
I think last year they were 800-900 range? I dont remember…But I know I should of bought it back then!
I bought my MK 1 this time last year from Buds. It was just under $1000 OTD. and the price difference between the 2 models has narrowed
Mine hates winchester ammo too.
Ironic that a Winchester shotgun (the FN) won’t run on winchester ammo, isn’t it?
BTW, my SLP is one of the early guns and is marked “Winchester Super X2,” but it came off the exact same assembly line and is 100% exact parts interchangeable witht he SLP; the Browning Gold is also nearly the same gun, but with the “speed feed” feathure being the only difference.
I keep on hearing about these problems the Mossberg SPX has or is having…Even if they did work out the issues…Who knows how many of the other ones are stocked everywhere.
Think Ill save a little more and get the FN when they come in stock…cause the M4 is WAY out of my price range…
the issue with the canted front sight is no longer a problem. The SPX has been a very popular shotgun, and they where a little hard to get for awhile. I seriously don’t think there are any SPX’s on dealers shelves with the canted sight out there.
Thanks. Im actually going to stop by the shop in the next couple of days. They are expecting a shipment of FN shotguns and they have the 930SPX in stock. I want to see which one fits me better…
Well, what the author of the review totally failed to disclose in the article was that the Mossberg being tested was his own personal gun. That fact alone totally throws out the validity of the test. For him to fail to disclose that he had a dual relationship in the evaluation was completely unforgivable and unprofessional on his part.
You have to read the comments that follow the article, in order to see where he admits that it was his own personal gun that he was testing. He then goes on in the comments to bash the FN SLP, and claim that "Every 930 SPX I’ve fired and every 930 SPX owner I’ve talked to has said that their shotgun works all the time every time. "
If that is not clear bias on his part, I don’t know what is. For even in the testing for this article, the 930 SPX tested experienced failures. So he actually goes so far as to contradict the results of this '“evaluation”.
In any event, the results of this comparison test are hopelessly compromised and invalidated by this dual relationship that the author had. It is just too great a conflict of interest to simply ignore.
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Didn’t read past the article, but I can tell it was biased. Given the money a Benelli would be my choice hands down. But I have to work with what I can afford, so far the Mossberg has been dead nuts accurate and reliable. My truck gets paid off in July, I will own a Benelli the month after that and then I’ll have a measuring stick for the Mossberg.
i know that myself and two other people i know have all had issues with the cheapo winchester target loads and out 870 expresses, mind you the same ammo will cycle through my 30 year old wingmaster without a single issue, im thinking cheapo ammo + cheapo express model is the issue.
That cheap winchester stuff doesn’t work well in anything. The walmart Federal bulk packs works well with most shotguns.
Read somewhere that Benny Hill and Jerry Miculek are corroborating with Mossberg right now. If that holds true I wouldn’t be surprised if a 3 gun specific model comes out late this year or early next.
That’s exactly what he’s working on.
That makes perfect sense; Jerry and Benny KNOW 3 gun inside & out; they will come up with a model that best suits both the “tactical” division of the official 3gun of USPSA plus all the dozens and dozens of non-official or “outlaw” 3gun shoots out there. I sincerely HOPE that Mossberg is smart enough to LISTEN to people who know & build the gun that Jerry & Benny suggest.
FN/Winchester/Browning is lucky to emply an excellent 3gunner: Tommy Thacker. I do not buy cable, but I bet that Tommy has been featured on “3gun Nation.” FN/Winchester would do well to listen to Tommy & build what he tells them to build.