Mesa Tactical 870 Urbino Stock Review

Next to the AR-15 and AK pattern rifles, the Remington 870 platform is one of the most extorted and customizable firearms in play and on the market today. Bold statement? Not really. A lifetime of shooting & hunting for sport and a more tactical bias over the past several years or so gives plenty of evidence to the previous statement being obvious and overstated.

One of the companies providing exciting and innovative products for the 870 series of shotguns is Mesa Tactical out of Costa Mesa, CA. Several weeks back I received their URBINO fixed position pistol grip butt stock complete with Limbsaver pad add on and check riser attachment making it an optimal selection for use with reflex optics or raised ghost ring sights.

FIRST IMPRESSION

The packaging is simple but practical, telling me that I’m paying for the quality of the product itself and not some trendy hipster container trying to sell me on a sub-par object. The URBINO stock however sure doesn’t need any help convincing the user of it’s quality even prior to firing. The quality of polymer is evident by its weight, texture and rigid feel. The full (albeit a bit square) pistol grip rests in such a natural position that the shooter’s trigger finger falls on the safety followed by the trigger almost on impulse as if there were no need for training on the new setup to begin with.

Installation is a breeze thanks to the intuitive nature of the product itself and the fact that it’s accompanied by easy to read and thorough directions in the manual. The A2 style sling loop is ambidextrous and held in place by the stock/receiver bolt which runs the length of the internal rear plate on the buttstock to the stationary nut bringing up the rear of the 870 receiver. Once locked in the cheek riser slides on and screws into place with ease as does the Limbsaver pad which hinges on the top of the stock and snaps in with a locking tab on the bottom. Hold is rock solid but removal for maintenance or adding/removing accessories is a cinch.

PERFORMANCE

Pistol grip 870 stocks have always been a slipper slope to me. Truth be told I prefer a sporter or modified sporter setup because reaching under to release the slide can be done so with very little movement of your strong hand. The pistol grip requires the shooter to lose their grip entirely in order to release the locked slide. Cocked and locked carry for defense purposes wouldn’t matter, but if a recalcitrant shell needed to be cleared immediately it adds a bit of an extra step.

On the plus side I can throw my shoulder forward, drop my elbow and lock the shotgun into my uppor torso with unmatched stability. Using the phrase “Rock Solid” would almost be putting it too lightly. My all-time favorite turkey gun is a Benelli SuperNova with 24″ barrel and the A2 style buttstock (somewhat similar to the URBINO). The full stock/pistol grip configuration allows me to dedicate full contact of my strong hand, cheek and shoulder to bringing the shotgun in to my body in a tight and controlled fashion.

With that said the overall appearance and feel of the Mesa Tactical URBINO stock is downright sexy. The Limbsaver pad does a lot to reduce the bone jarring recoil of full brass self defense load (tested Federal Premium 00 Buck) and 3″ goose loads (Federal Black Cloud) and buckshot. While the URBINO takes some of the attention of the shotgun’s power off the shoulder, it does feel like someone is dropping a 3 pound sledge on my right cheek while I’m sleeping. If the Limbsaver were not present, I have little doubt that the recoil overall would be much more unpleasant for both my shoulder and cheek.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

While the comb of the stock manages to pummel my cheekbone, the pistol grip does do substantial work in giving the shooter control while moving, accurate close quarter shooting and helping combat recoil because of the hard rubber construction and increased surface area for recoil dissipation.

Overall this is a rad stock setup. It’s durable, well built, and attractive. All 3 of which seem to be non-negotiables in the ever growing and over saturated gun gear market where everyone makes everything.

Big thanks to the folks at Mesa Tactical for being willing to let us do a review on something they’ve obviously worked hard to perfect. When I get my Remington 870 receiver tapped I’ll be adding ghost rings to the setup so I can greater utilize the cheek riser system for the URBINO stock.