Mossberg's 590 has been a pump-action working gun for a long time, and this Tactical Heat Shield version is the practical one for home defense. It is a 12 gauge with a 20-inch barrel and a 9-round capacity, built on an aluminum receiver with dual extractors and a steel-to-steel lockup.

The heat shield on the barrel protects your hand if the gun gets warm in a long string, which is more useful at the range than in a real emergency. The cylinder bore choke is the right choice for buckshot, and the bead sight keeps things simple. The stock is black synthetic with a fixed 13.875-inch length of pull, and the barrel is blued. Weight is listed at 7.25 pounds.

Overall length is 41 inches, so it handles easily in a hallway. The ambidextrous tang safety is good news for lefties. A pump gun asks for practice, because you need to work the forend fully for every round, but it will run with almost any shell you feed it.

This shotgun is new. It ships to a North Carolina FFL dealer for the background check and transfer.