With their Mini-Clip, OPSol brings together two of my favorite firearms innovations. First, the Mossberg Shockwave. With its 14 inch barrel, and Raptor grip, this compact 12 gauge firearm is pretty fun. Next, the Aguila mini-shell. At only 1-3/4 inches, these shotgun shells give up a bit of muzzle energy, but have almost no recoil. Thanks to OPSol, you can now easily and reliably use them in the Shockwave.
Background:
Aguila mini-shells have been around for a while, but they have some drawbacks. For instance, they lack the energy to operate semi-autos. And they won’t cycle in many pump action shotguns. So that limits them to break-open shotguns (sold my last one), the Kel-Tec KSG, and Winchester 1300. Luckily, the latter two are still in my collection. Enter OPSol. They created their Mini-Clip to fit certain Mossberg shotguns, and allow the mini-shells to cycle properly.
Installation:
This may be the simplest firearm mod ever. The hardest part was reading the small print in the instructions. But it’s really easy. Clear your firearm, and put in on “safe”. Double check that it’s empty. Rack the slide forward. Take the Mini-Clip, and squeeze the little “wings”, then press it into the underside of your receiver. Done. Rack the slide a few times to make sure it’s not in the way of the action. Load up some mini-shells, and you’re set. After the first time, installing and removing it is a three second job.
In use:
With the Mini-Clip installed, I loaded up some mini birdshot, buck, and slugs, in random order. Firing them was drama-free. Very little recoil, and the muzzle never came off target. As I worked the slide, each chambered and ejected just like a full-size shell. So the OPSol Mini-Clip worked as designed. Sadly, I left all my $1.10 empties on the ground at the range. So much for reloading them. When I was done, I popped the Mini-Clip back out so I could run some other ammo. It comes out easy enough, but take a bit of care not to catch it on an edge and tear it up.
Conclusion:
With the Mini-Clip in place, I could shoot the mini-shells while holding the Shockwave at eye level. That’s something I would never try with standard heavy loads. And even someone small in stature or recoil-sensitive could enjoy shooting these little shells. Another bonus is capacity goes from 5+1 to 8+1, making the Shockwave that much more formidable. OPSol does remind users that only friction holds it in place. For extra security, use some tape to keep it from falling out. Other than that, it’s a handy little device.
Where to buy:
Perhaps imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but not when it comes to theft of intellectual property. There have been plenty of fake OPSol Mini-Clips being sold on Amazon. To avoid that, and make sure you are getting the genuine article, use this link. That way, you know you’ll be getting the real deal, designed and made in Texas.
A special thanks to OPSol for sending their Mini-Clip for this review. It’s added another dimension to the Shockwave, by opening up ammo options that were not previously available.
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