Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical SPX [Review]: Rough Start, Strong Finish

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If you’ve been on the hunt for a home defense shotgun, the Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical SPX might have popped on your radar.

In fact, Mossberg’s 940 series is known for its performance and reliability, especially in the tactical and defensive shotgun realm. Mossberg has promised the same in the new 940 Pro Tactical SPX.

But does this latest version in the 940 lineup meet the standard or fall short? We put the SPX to the test to see if it’s up to the task of home defender.

Spoiler: It didn’t have the smoothest start, but how it finished told us what we needed to know.

Keep reading to see what went wrong, how we fixed it, and details on controls, features, and ergonomics.

How We Tested the Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical SPX

For this review, we tested the Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical SPX with iron sights and a Vortex Defender ST Red Dot, shooting .00 Buckshot at 5, 10, 15, and 25 yards.

We also grouped 5 slugs at 25 yards. In addition, we used Winchester #8 birdshot, Winchester .00 Buck, and Hornady TAP 1 oz. slugs, going through 250 shells.

Finally, we also tested the trigger on the 940 Pro Tactical SPX with a Lyman Digital Trigger gauge to get an accurate assessment of the actual trigger pull weight.

Specs & Features

Specs

• Caliber: 12 gauge (3” chamber)
• Action: Semi-auto
• Capacity: 7+1
• Length: 37”
• Barrel Length: 18.5”
• Width: 2.5”
• Height: 5.7”
• Weight: 7.25 lbs.
• Comes with: Cardboard box, optics plates, spacers, owner’s manual, gun lock

Features

• Optics ready
• Improved forend
• Enhanced loading port
• Oversized controls

Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical SPX Background

Well-known for the 500 and 590 pump shotguns, Mossberg released the 930 to offer a semi-auto option back in 2005. Mossberg offered hunting, tactical, a pro series sporting, and a JM Pro version, too, and the line did well.

Building on that success, Mossberg elevated the game in a new series called 940. These semi-autos crossed multiple use points (hunting/tactical/competition) as well and boasted a longer run time between cleanings.

In 2022, we thought the 940 Pro Tactical was great. That made us anxious to see what improvements were made in the new 940 Pro Tactical SPX…

Who Is the Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical SPX For?

This is a shotgun designed with defense in mind. It might compete, and you could probably hunt with it (barring magazine limits), but it was not intended for those arenas.

The 940 Pro Tactical SPX would be a great option for anyone wanting to defend their home or vehicle. It would also serve well in law enforcement roles given its feature set and performance.

Even though the 940 Pro Tactical SPX’s butt pad does a great job, people sensitive to recoil may want to consider another option, like a 20-gauge. (Keeping it in the family, we recommend the Mossberg 590 Tactical!)

Ergonomics: Fit & Feel

Overall fit of the 940 Pro Tactical SPX is good with no gaps between joints and no rough or hanging edges. The finish is a Cerakote green that is evenly matched between the receiver, barrel, and magazine tube. There’s no fifty shades here.

The stock is a black polymer and feels solidly mounted to the receiver. Fairly aggressive textured panels run along either side of the grip while the rest of the stock is smooth.

Functionality being crucial, the stock includes a reinforced QD cup on both sides and a traditional sling swivel underneath. We used a Blue Force Gear sling during much of the testing, which worked perfectly.

Mossberg appears to have used the same butt pad from the 940 Pro Tactical, and it’s a good one. It accomplishes two goals: staying connected to your shoulder through recoil and mitigating that force.

It does this with a series of rubber cells that collapse under pressure. These cells are rigid and resume their shape when pressure is released.

The forend is a marked improvement over the previous tactical model, and it’s clear Mossberg spent a lot of time on it. Near the front, two shoulders extend out from the radius, giving the shooter an indexing point to avoid coming off the front end.

M-LOK slots reside on either side above this point, giving shooters more options. The forend wraps completely around the bottom of the shotgun and is open at the top, though this opening is different.

Unlike previous models and other brands of shotguns, the top of the forend rises a bit above the barrel. The end result is shooters can clamp their hand over the forend without touching the barrel.

I don’t C-clamp shotguns, but there are occasions when my hand covers this area during reloads. A couple of rapid strings of fire are enough to heat the barrel and make me appreciate this feature.

Just below this, there is a 4.5-inch section of venting, which helps dissipate that heat. To the rear, near the receiver, Mossberg installed a heavily reinforced QD cup on either side that rises off the forend like a turret.

Finally, the lower sides of the forend are covered in the same aggressive texture found on the grip. There’s also an M-LOK slot along the bottom of the forend nearest to the muzzle.

Forward of the forend, Mossberg seems to have kept the same barrel clamp from the 940 Pro Tactical. This piece is well done and gives shooters an M-LOK slot on both sides and a traditional sling swivel on the left side.

Another new and useful addition to the 940 Pro Tactical SPX is a 6-shell shotgun card attached with Velcro to the left side of the receiver. Vang Comp Systems made this one, and it’s one of the beefiest cards I’ve seen.

Below the receiver, the trigger is protected with a ridged polymer trigger guard. This piece also houses a cocking indicator, a tiny metal pin that protrudes when the shotgun is cocked.

On the top side Mossberg used a green fiberoptic for the front sight and it worked exceedingly well during our test outdoors. The green glows brightly in the sun and is easy to see and establish sight picture with.

The rear sight is another improved feature featuring a metal ghost ring protected by metal wings. In addition, this whole sight removes with two screws allowing shooters to install a red dot.

Notably, the receiver is grooved with lines along the top between the rear sight and the back of the forend. This cuts down on any glare, though the Cerakote has already done a good job of this.

We removed this sight after the accuracy portion of the test and installed one of the optics plates Mossberg includes. Although I believe it to be a polymer, it’s thick enough to be sturdy without raising the optic too high.

We mounted a Vortex Defender ST and used it for the remainder of the testing. I was able to co-witness and had no trouble distinguishing my red dot from my green fiberoptic sight.

On the business end, there are a couple of noteworthy features, too. The barrel has Mossberg’s Accu-Choke System with a Cylinder Bore Choke installed.

In addition, Mossberg used an aluminum shroud to cover the extension of the now one-piece magazine tube. This improvement made the 940 Pro Tactical SPX more reliable.

Controls

Given this shotgun’s tactical/defensive nature, the controls are intentionally oversized and well-placed for gross motor skill (think high-stress) manipulation. This is even true of the safety switch.

Tang mounted, the angles feel steeper, and the texture is more aggressive than the switches on previous models. This makes the safety easier to contact and operate.

In addition, Mossberg’s newest model saw some improvements in the bolt release. The paddle is a little bigger and hugs the receiver closely, so it’s less prone to snag on anything.

Regardless, it was well-placed and easy to hit from the top or the bottom. The returning charging handle will smack your fingers if you’re tardy when reaching over the top.

And it’s a mean one, too. This handle is a good size and has grippy knurling all around, making it super easy to grab and operate.

Finally, the trigger features a standard curved bow. Pulling back, I felt the tiniest bit of pretravel before hitting a wall, followed by a crisp break.

The reset was almost immediate upon release and soft, though tactile and audible. Its trigger, measured on a Lyman DigitalGauge, averaged 4 lbs. 5 oz.

How Does the Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical SPX Shoot?

For my first impressions, I loaded up seven shells of Winchester #8 birdshot and stepped up to the line. A few malfunctions followed, and it felt like the bolt was dragging a bit.

I had not lubricated the shotgun before coming to the range, so I applied a dose and worked the action several times before trying again. The next magazine only had one malfunction.

The third magazine ran smoothly, and the 940 Pro Tactical SPX had no malfunctions afterward. It was clear that lubrication was needed as the problems resolved and did not return.

Whether testing birdshot, .00 buckshot, or slugs, the shotgun ran through the remaining 250 shells without error. I wouldn’t even chalk this up to a break-in period; it was just a simple need for lubrication.

Along those same lines, shooting impulse varied by the load. Birdshot was almost pleasant. The butt pad on the 940 Pro Tactical SPX does a great job of absorbing recoil.

Shooting .00 buckshot was slightly stiffer on the shoulder, though not bad. Only the Hornady TAP slugs really hit hard, and I could feel the butt pad working to mitigate the shock.

Controls were all very easy to reach and manipulate. I especially appreciated the attention to detail paid to the loading port, which has good beveled edges and a lifter designed not to pinch you during loading.

In addition, the forend, raised above the barrel, came in clutch a number of times during reloads. I had heated the barrel significantly and didn’t burn my hand.

The shotshell card from Vang Comp was outstanding, but I also used some from Esstac to work on reloads. It was very easy to reload from the first card, tear it off, and attach a fresh card.

The ergonomics were very good overall. I appreciated the shape and texture of the forend, as they allowed me to lock the shotgun in place better during recoil.

For accuracy, I used .00 buckshot (9 pellet) and patterned the 940 Pro Tactical SPX at five, ten, fifteen, and twenty-five yards. The groups started around 2 inches and spread out to around 10 inches at the 25.

While standing at the 25-yard line, I fired five rifled slugs. The resulting group was approximately 4-5 inches, so the accuracy was good.

Shooting Challenge: How Fast Can I Fire?

Implementing a challenge, I wanted to see how fast I could empty the 940 Pro Tactical SPX of its eight shots. Using a Shooter’s Global SG Timer, I fired all shots in 1.46 seconds and had a slight bauble between my last two shots.

The 940 Pro Tactical SPX will run extremely fast. Notably, accuracy didn’t suffer terribly with muzzle rise.

It was evident at first because the front sight does such a great job of gathering light, it’s a bright green dot at the end of your muzzle. The front sight was extremely easy to see through the rear ring.

Additionally, I liked being able to mount a Vortex Defender red dot to the shotgun. Even better, I was able to co-witness the dot and sight thanks to the mounting design.

I also installed a Blue Force Gear sling, plugging in the QD to the forend and butt stock. The utility was outstanding, and I kept the sling out of my way when shooting or reloading.

Why is the Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical SPX Unique?

First and foremost, the 940 Pro Tactical SPX is a tactical shotgun. It is designed for defensive applications.

In addition, this version represents a culmination of design and lessons learned from previous models. All the upgrades to this version improve function or provide some other value to the shooter.

Enhancements to the forend alone show Mossberg understands the real-world applications of shotguns and their use under pressure.

By the Numbers

Reliability: 5/5

Once we got the gun lubricated, it ran perfectly and had no problems over the course of 250 shots, using a variety of shells.

Ergonomics: 5/5

There are a number of spacers included that allow you to adjust length of pull. All the controls are well-placed and easy to manipulate.

Accuracy: 5/5

Slugs grouped well, and buckshot patterned predictably at various ranges. Having a choke system gives shooters options too.

Customization: 3/5

This shotgun is pretty custom as is. Most of the features are already upgraded, though shooters can choose from optics and other accessories.

Value: 4/5

Current prices are listing the 940 Pro Tactical SPX around $1,000 and that is competitive.

Overall: 4/5

Upgrades for the Mossberg 940 Pro Tactical SPX

We used Esstac shotgun cards while testing this shotgun, and they proved to be of high quality.

The Defender from Vortex is a great red dot and held up well during the test of this shotgun.

We use Shell Shock pro every time we go to the range. It’s comfortable, and does a good job protecting our hearing.

Meet the Experts

At the helm of this review was Pew Pew Tactical Content Producer Sean Curtis. Sean has been shooting since childhood but really began to delve into guns more during his law enforcement career. He spent over two decades in law enforcement, where he became a POST-certified handgun instructor and NLEFIA Red Dot Instructor and received CLEFIA Advanced Firearms Instructor Training and AR-15 armorer training. He has since attended a variety of training, including Tactical Performance Center Handgun Mastery & Carbine Mastery, and earned USCCA rifle instructor certification. Aside from training and prior to joining the Pew Pew Tactical team full-time, Sean wrote for several gun publications evaluating and testing guns and gear and has written hundreds of articles.

This review was edited by Editor-in-Chief Jacki Billings, who runs Pew Pew Tactical’s experienced team of reviewers. Jacki is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, ACES: Society for Editing, and the Professional Outdoor Media Association and has her bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications. She has worked as a media professional for close to 20 years, specializing in gun media for almost 10 years, and has worked as an editor for five years. She uses her extensive professional journalism and editing experience to set testing protocols and editorial standards.

Final Verdict

The 940 Pro Tactical SPX is a top-drawer effort from Mossberg, a distillation of knowledge applied to a fighting shotgun. Its features enable shooters to accurately deliver a variety of ammo downrange at speed.

The ergonomics are comfortable and the butt pad keeps the gun from beating you up. Reloading was a breeze thanks to the loading port and forend updates.

And even though we had a rocky start, the 940 Pro Tactical SPX ran perfectly once lubricated. It’s an outstanding defensive option from an American icon.

Have you had similar issues with dry guns? Let us know in the comments below. For even more scattergun action, check out the Best Home-Defense Shotguns: Tactical, Pump & Semi-Auto!