Things That Don’t Suck: WOOX Gladiatore Furniture for the Mossberg Shockwave

I go to SHOT Show this year with a plan, a list of booths to swing by, a pre-planned route, and a map. It’s a plan intended to maximize efficiency. What kills efficiency is when I find things off my route, things that draw me in and distract me…and I love it.

A company called WOOX caught my eye with their beautiful wood furniture adorning multiple rifles and shotguns. This beautiful furniture wasn’t your typical wood, but it mixed classic style with function. I exchanged some greetings, got a card, and now a few months later, my Mossberg Shockwave is now equipped with a set of their Gladiatore furniture. 

WOOX sells its furniture in several styles, both traditional wooden stocks and the Mossberg Shockwave-style grip design. If you have a standard shotgun, then WOOX has a stock for you, too. If decide you only like one piece of furniture and not the other, you can purchase the pieces separately or as sets.

I own a Retrograde Mossberg 590A1, and I’m thinking about switching things up for the much better-looking WOOX furniture. 

The Good Looking Gladiatore  

While I’m no Fudd, I think everyone can appreciate nice wood furniture. Shotguns especially look nice with good wood furniture. There’s something about the old-school riot gun look that’s tough to beat.

On the Shockwave, nice furniture gives it a quasi-bootlegger appeal that certainly livens up the appeal of the all-black not-a-shotgun.

The Galdiatore furniture is Italian designed and produced, but made from American walnut. The finish is medium-dark and designed to resist water and perform admirably for years to come.

For the Gladiatore pump, you need to be careful. The kit is mainly designed for the Shockwave and uses the 6¾-inch action slide tube. If your Mossberg uses the longer 7¾ inch design, this won’t fit. 

WOOX is working to bring the Galadiatore to 7¾-inch action slide tubes this year, so be on the lookout, or you can always order the shorter tube and replace it. The WOOX furniture features a nice pebbled texture on both the forend and club rear grip. It all looks absolutely fantastic. The wood is thick and strong. It doesn’t just look nice. It’s well-made and designed to last. 

Beyond Good Looks 

Looking good is only half the story. While the Gladiatore furniture certainly is attractive, it also provides modern function and design. Let’s start with the pump. The most obvious upgrade with this pump over any other is the M-LOK slots. As far as I know, this is the only wood forend that features M-LOK slots. You have six slots and plenty of room to mount flashlights, lasers, and cup holders. I do wish for bottom M-LOK slots for an angled foregrip. The M-LOK slots are metal reinforced for strength and extra leverage. 

The pump features texturing to make it easier to grip and hold onto. Additionally, the front and rear of the pump have built-in shields that prevent hand slippage. That’s important when shooting a firearm like a Shockwave. I use the push/pull method of recoil mitigation, and the shields ensure my hand doesn’t slip off the gun, and when I pump the action, my hands stay exactly where I want them. 

On the rear club grip, I didn’t expect much. I figured it was just a wood Shockwave-style grip, but I was pleasantly surprised. The Gladiatore club grip is larger than the standard Shockwave grip. It’s thicker at the end, and when using the push/pull method, the larger grip holds my hand in place with less chance of slippage. 

At the Range 

There is a noticeable heft to the wood furniture. It weighs a bit more than the Magpul pump and standard Shockwave grip, but it’s no boat anchor. The extra weight helps a little with recoil, but that’s a lot to ask from just a few extra few ounces. Installation was simple, and WOOX provided all the necessary tools to install both the grip and pump. 

At the range, I found both of the grips easy to get a hold of. The texturing is well done and “sticks” to the hand. On the pump, I wish they’d extended the textured areas to the bottom of the pump. However, that’s a fairly mild complaint. I’m not even sure if I need extra texturing. 

I shot a mix of slugs and buckshot using the Gladiatore furniture. I really wanted to see how the furniture handled hefty recoiling loads. The design of the furniture made it easy for me to create that muscle tension to keep the gun controllable and easy to aim. At 25 yards, I had a 10-inch gong target swinging with ounce slugs. 

At close range, I launched rounds of buckshot into a target trying for a close split. I was able to put two rounds of buckshot into the chest of a target in a little under two seconds. The ability to really engage a good push/pull technique helps keep the gun under control. 

Neither piece of the Gladiatore furniture seemed to mind the high recoil generated by the Shockwave and held together without a problem. A few boxes of buckshot and slugs tired me out, though. 

More Than Pretty 

The WOOX Gladiatore furniture mixes form and function quite well. I’m certainly drawn to the looks of the furniture, but I’m also impressed by its performance. The Gladiatore furniture is an awesome upgrade to your shotgun (or non-shotgun, like the Shockwave) and really ties into a classic look and feel without sacrificing modern appeal and funcion.