The Mossberg Tactical 464 SPX Lever Action [VIDEO]
VIDEO
The Mossberg 464 SPX .30-30 is photogenic. It makes a distinct-statement. And opinion seems to be split. Some seem-inexplicably drawn to the odd aesthetic of the rifle. Others think it is an abomination.
See below
The 464 is-most basically, a lever action rifle without the wooden-furniture. Rather than go to great-lengths to make the polymer look exactly like the wood it is replacing, Mossberg adopted the tools of the tactical trade. The forend is covered up in rail. And the stock, which is made by ATI (who makes all kinds of stocks) is actually adjustable.
The 464 holds five in the tube. Beneath the flash suppressor, the
barrel is threaded. The rail covers the fore-end, but doesn’t extend to
the top. A rail section could be added up top, or there are options
for a traditional scope mount.
The SPX weighs in at 7 pounds, and has a 16 inch barrel. With the flash
suppressor, the rifle is 34-inches long. The adjustable stock offers
lengths of pull that vary from 10 1/2 and up to almost 15 inches. There
are two functional safeties on the rifle, one on the tang and one
that’s engaged by squeezing the lever.
But at its core, the 464 SPX is still an antiquated-platform. Or maybe I
should say timeless. The .30-30 has outlived all of us. And the lever
action is still well regarded for its rugged dependability.
That said, I bet your mind is already made up. That’s the type of gun this is. The 464 polarizes.
Mossberg’s not the first to put a futuristic spin on a traditional gun.
One could argue that any 1911 with a rail is doing the exact same
thing. Think of the Springfield Armory TRP. Or the Rossi Circuit
Judge. Tactical.
I personally think the 464 has more in common with the TRP, which is
still the most duty ready 1911 I’ve ever seen. The dressed up .410s
have their place in a pickup truck, but don’t have a single tactical
application.
But I don’t think Mossberg is taking the tactical angle very seriously,
honestly. This is a hunting gun. The .30-30 is hell on whitetail. It
is perfect for the piggies. I’ve used one for hunting elk. If you can
close the range to within 100 yards, the .30-30 delivers flat shooting,
hard hitting, dependable accuracy.
So think of it as a hunting gun. I think it is especially well suited
for southern hunts. The polymer won’t expand and contract like wood.
That’s a real problem on some hunting rifles. You take it from the
safe, where the humidity is low, out into the field, where the gun gets
wet. Problems arise. Or the opposite. If your safe is too dry for
wood, stocks and forends can shrink and crack.
One of my favorite-features on the Mossberg is the sight system. My old
Winchester 94 had some-terrific iron sights. I once popped a skunk at
more than 100 yards with-that simple black blade. But it was nearly
impossible to see in low light conditions, or against dark targets.
The 464 has two vibrant fiber-optic sights. The rear is a U shaped
green two dot. The front, a red dot, shines-neatly between the green.
For this initial review, we worked only with the irons. And they
worked very well.