Mossberg. 12 gauge. Pump action. Shotgun.

That is all the technical spec you need for this beauty. It looks good, is fun to shoot and whether you’re messing about target shooting or blowing away some vermin, you will do it with a smile on your face.

Sure, she kicks… but don’t they all! But this isn’t Mike Tyson punching you in the chest, this is more your girlfriend hitting you on the shoulder when you show up drunk at her sister’s wedding. You can have lots of fun with this one without needing a physio after 200 rounds. How do I know that? Don’t ask!

The full name is the Mossberg 500 Rolling Thunder Macpul package 12 Gauge – but that doesn’t even tell half of the story.

This gun weighs under seven pounds and features a cool black synthetic pistol grip and comes with a Mossberg embroidered strap.

There’s the muzzle extension which helps to reduce ‘muzzle jump’. Put in simple terms, it keeps the barrel down. They call it a ‘muzzle stabilizer’.

The pump action is smooth and fast with a total capacity of six shots – that includes the one in the chamber.

Let’s have a look at a few more features which make this such an exceptionally cool piece of kit. By the way, if you’re thinking of using it for security purposes, one look at this bad boy by an intruder and he’ll know he’s dealing with a professional and he’ll be out of your way before the first ‘click’!

Where were we? Oh yes, technical stuff. We’ve done the pistol grip and stabiliser. Then there’s the heat shield, barrels are fully interchangeable and there’s a drilled and tapped receiver.

Needless to say there’s a 10 year limited warranty. But judging by this one, the odds are you won’t need it.

The Mossberg 500 looks compact with its 23 inch matte finish barrel and by the way, that muzzle extension I told you about is removable.

Fun, efficient, compact – what more do you want?

We are about to demolish a wooden barn but as I brought my Mossberg Rolling Thunder with me. I think I’ll have a bit of fun with a few pre-demolition modifications.