Mossberg MVP Review

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ATCDoktor
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Mossberg MVP Review

Post by ATCDoktor »

Member Artful has asked me to post a review of the Mossberg MVP. This review has been transplanted from another forum to ST.


I told myself a year or so ago I'd buy the first one of these I found.

Just so happened my LGS got one in yesterday and figured I'd go ahead and pick it up:

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I put a BSA Sweet 223 scope I had laying around on it and took it out this morning and fired a couple of hundred rounds through it.

The following are my impressions of the rifle so far:

Asthetically the rifle is pleasing to the eye and handles well despite having a somewhat short length of pull.

The shape of the stock in the area of the wrist is reminiscent of a pistol grip and works well from the bench, shooting sitting from a bipod puts my shooting hand in a somewhat strange (to me) position but I didn't find it to be a deal breaker.

Firing from the offhand position was comfortable but still a little strange reference the size and shape of the pistol grip.

The comb of the stock places my eye in line with the scope (using weaver medium height rings) and is comfortable from the bench and when firing off hand.

There is "pebbling" of the wood in the area of the forearm and pistol grip that is tastefully done and (on the forearm) sports a monogrammed "M".

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All the metal is (excluding the bolt) is finished in a matte phoshate type

finish and seems to be adequate enough in durability to prevent marring during light to moderate handling.

The bolt is fluted in a spiral design and works easy and smooth with both loaded and unloaded magazines. Cycling the bolt is easy with both factory and GI magazines and there isn't much force required (over that of a conventionally fed bolt gun) to operate the bolt even with a full 30 round magazine.

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I did try shooting it with a Korean manufacture 100 round C mag and while I could get the mag to fit (had to open the bolt and slam it home with the palm of my hand) feeding was spotty.

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It appears the way they get the bolt to push feed rounds from an AR magazine is through the use of a spring loaded "gator mouth" (a small spring loaded tab/flap) ithat pulls the rounds from the magazine and orients them to the bolt face while cycling the action.

It seems to be a little flimsy/light weight for my tastes. I guess time (and rough handling) will tell with respect to its durability.

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The trigger is of the AccuTrigger type and is user adjustable for weight of pull.

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As set from the factory it was too heavy for my liking and prior to mounting the scope pulled the action from the stock and adjusted it "down" as far as I dared.

Adjusted to where the adjustment screw as almost dropping out if the trigger, it was still too heavy for my liking.

Adjusted to it's lowest possible weight the trigger broke clean but was stiff and I figure it was at about 5-6 pounds.

The rifle fuctioned near flawlessly with all the AR mags I tried in it. The factory magazine is a 10 shot affair that will fit and function in all my AR15's and Sig 556's.

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Magazines can be topped off by push feeding rounds into the magazine from above (without removingthe mag) in the manner of conventional loading for a bolt gun.

I wouldn't want to load a 20 round magazine this way but it was easy to load 5 rounds from the top without removing the magazine.

On mine the follower on the factory magazine blocks the bolt from closing when the magazine is empty while government issue mags allowed the bolt to close when all rounds were expended. I'm sure as the folower begins to wear, this "hold open" feature will go away.

The mechanism for retaining the mags in the rifle is fairly simple button/tab arrangement that when pulled to the rear releases the magazine.

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Magazines did not drop free when they were released and had to be pulled from the rifle.

Resistance was light and only a small amount of effort was needed to free the mags from the belly of the rifle.

All the furniture associated with magazine retention to include the magazine well and trigger guard appear to be made of some kind of ABS plastic.

As I am limited to 10 pics per post, I'll continue the accuracy portion of the review in the next thread.

Dr
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ATCDoktor
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Re: Mossberg MVP Review

Post by ATCDoktor »

Reference accuracy in the MVP:

The rifle has a 24" free floated barrel and (although stiff) the trigger breaks clean at about 5 pounds.

The barrel has a 1/9 twist and a 5.56 chamber.

I didn't have any factory ammo to use to test accuracy so I used some handloads that have proven to be accurate in my Remington Model 700 SPS (1/9 twist).

The loads consisted of surplus powder (WC844T) and factory fresh H4895.

Projectiles were 69 grain SMK's, 65 grain Sierra Spitzer Boat Tails and 40 grain Hornady VMAX's.

Brass was factory primed PPU 5.56 brass.

Load 1

25.5 grains WC 844T
40 Grain Hornady VMAX
PPU Brass
5 shots

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Load 2
24 Grains WC844T
69 grain SMK
PPU Brass
10 shots
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Load 3
25.5 grains H4895
65 Grain Sierra Spitzer Boat Tail
10 Shots
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All these loads are sub moa in my Remington SPS but as you can see the 40 and 65 grainiers are hovering around 1.5" and the 69 grain SMK's are near 2".

In my mind the rifle has potential to get sub moa but it's gonna take a little tweaking of the loads and maybe a new trigger.

For a 500 dollar boltgun that accepts AR mags I think it's does "Ok" in the accuracy department (with these 3 loads).

It's on me to find what it likes (and to replace the trigger with one that suits me).

Brass ejected smartly and landed in a pile to the righ and slightly rear of my shooting position.

Brass appears to be hitting the rear of the reciever. Seen this on many Semi's but never a bolt gun.

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Shown here with an ancient 20 round mag marked colt industries.
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30 Rounder
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Once again with the C mag
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All in all my impression of the MVP is favorable.

I had the rifle for about 2 weeks before I sent it off to Gemtech to be threaded for my M42K.

During those 2 weeks (prior to it going to Gemtech) I ran about 300 rounds through it and had no problems with feeding, function or firing.

Right now the rifle is on a UPS truck headed back from Gemtech (due in on Tueseday) once I get it back I'll review accuracy suppressed and see if the addition of a suppressor will settle groups down a little.
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rogerme
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Re: Mossberg MVP Review

Post by rogerme »

That was the best review I have read on this yet. I have thought about this very rifle myself as of yet I have not made up my mind.
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Artful
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Re: Mossberg MVP Review

Post by Artful »

Thanks for your review - Interesting about the trigger - wonder why you can't get it below 5 pounds.

Anxiously awaiting results with suppression
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ATCDoktor
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Re: Mossberg MVP Review

Post by ATCDoktor »

Interesting about the trigger - wonder why you can't get it below 5 pounds.
Reference the trigger, it may just be perception on my part but I couldn't really tell any difference in weight of pull throught the whole adjustment process.

It's stiff but breaks clean with just a hint of creep.

I'm going to apply some lube to the contact points in the trigger once I get it back and see if that has any impact.
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markm
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Re: Mossberg MVP Review

Post by markm »

ATCDoktor wrote: I put a BSA Sweet 223 scope I had
:lol:

Yeah... it sounds like the trigger is killing your groups to some degree. We've had 77 gr SMKs shoot incredibly out of my buddy's 5R with a 1/9 twist. That might be something to try.
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Re: Mossberg MVP Review

Post by Artful »

mossberg is using same jam nut barrel locking/head space system
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but barrels will not interchange as Mossburg is a smaller shank .875 28 tpi on barrel threads I was informed
- Info for any who want to change calibers or just make a swap barrel to shoot 223 and another caliber like 6.8 or 300 blk
"Trying to tax yourself into prosperity is like standing in a bucket and trying to pick yourself up by the handle." - Winston Churchill
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