winchester 1300 vs remington 870 vs mossberg 590

scoobydoo6906 · September 10, 2008, 02:45 AM

I am more interested in the winchester 1300 defenders, or maybe the lack there for. It seems that its either the 590/500 or the 870. why are the Winchesters not more popular? is there some major flaw to them? I know the after market may be smaller, but what gives? I have owned a 870 and a 590 I like the 590 better for a number of reasons. Just seems that there would be more winchesters used for defense or a tactical applications than there is.

markboss · September 10, 2008, 09:12 AM

I just did my evaluation, on all three guns, and I just purchased a Winchester Defender, and a Winchester Marine....
I liked the safety postion, and the 8 round capacity...and no extensions needed...These shotguns tend to be a little lighter, than the Remington, and Mossberg...just a little harder, to find...Gunbroker, Auction arms, etc...

mikenbarb · September 10, 2008, 09:15 AM

Browning BPS.

2afreedom · September 10, 2008, 01:59 PM

The Winchester has a shorter, smoother action than the Mossy or Remington which means faster follow up shots. The downside is that accessories may be slightly harder to come by. If at all possible shoot one of each and pick the one that fits you best.

USMCGrunt · September 10, 2008, 06:00 PM

Back when I was a young Marine stationed in Italy,we had a couple Remington 870s with top-fold stocks and cut down barrels, Vietnam vintage Winchester 1200s with the heat shields and the then new Mossberg M590. The Remingtons were pretty cool since they were so easy to carry. The Mossberg was loved for it's higher capacity and rugged reliability. The Winchesters however only had the lighter weight (these were the 5-shot models) really going for them. A lot of people, me included, weren't thrilled about the recoil assisted pump action.
Today I have a couple Remingtons, a Mossberg and an Ithaca M37. Personally, I love the Ithaca the best with it's light weight and action so smooth that I have to wonder what the Remington shooters are smoking when they talk about how smooth the 870 is. Now I know I said I didn't care for the Winchester shotguns but I think this weekend I'm going to go to Fayett-nam and look around for either a 1200/1300 or a Winchester Defender and give it another try.

madmag · September 10, 2008, 06:27 PM

I own a 1300 & 870....no Mossberg.

I just don't see a lot of difference in reliability. The 870 does have a steel receiver which helps recoil a little. They both operate well for me, so no real preference. I do like the rotating bolt action of the 1300, but I have no reason to think that's it's better than the 870 action.

As said above, the 1300 action is very fast.

RPSmith · September 10, 2008, 10:05 PM

Bought a Win 1300 a few weeks ago at a steal of a price. Wasn't expecting too much but have been pleasantly surprised:

Lightweight - I guess due to the aluminum receiver everyone has mentioned.

Large capacity - which is part of the reason I bought the thing.

Smooth action - much smoother than the 870 I tried in the shop. And smoother than the Mossberg, as I remember.

Recoil - I don't think that the recoil is worse than anything I was expecting. I could see that side by side the recoil would be less on an 870. I don't factor this in unless I'm shooting 50 rounds or more at a go.

I've never been one to purchase a firearm due to its after-market parts. A good platform is all I need. It's no surprise that the good platforms have the wider after-market add-ons. Personally, I like to keep things pretty low-key so all of the gadgets have little effect.

I really don't think you can go wrong among the three. Some like the locations of the controls of one over the other. I'll say I'm pretty happy with the Win but then that's because it's mine

Hope you're happy with yours. RP

johnwilliamson062 · September 10, 2008, 11:40 PM

I owned a 1300 for approximately 48 hours. When I went to strip it the first time I decided to sell it. LOP wasn't great for me either.

batmann · September 11, 2008, 08:25 AM

Of the three, the 870 would be my first choice.
One other poster brought up the Browning BPS great gun!
They now have them in the 'tactical' version with the extened mag.
Heavier, but stone cold reliable.

Sarge · September 11, 2008, 08:42 AM

They're all pump shotguns. All are quality, dependable guns that are fully up to their intended purpose.

Each will have its own personality and whichever one you choose, it is up to you to learn them, adapt to them and perfect your performance with them. You'll never learn the gun if you start bolting aftermarket crap on the gun as soon as you get it. Use it as-is for the first hundred rounds or so.

madmag · September 11, 2008, 10:52 AM

Quote:

When I went to strip it the first time I decided to sell it.

Not sure what the issue is, but my 1300 & 870 both seem to be good for field stripping.

I will add about the Mossberg. I don't own one but I tend to like the safety located for thumb activation. Wish my 1300 & 870 had this layout.

September 10, 2008, 02:45 AM	#1
scoobydoo6906 Senior Member Join Date: July 10, 2005 Location: Portland, Or Posts: 306	winchester 1300 vs remington 870 vs mossberg 590 I am more interested in the winchester 1300 defenders, or maybe the lack there for. It seems that its either the 590/500 or the 870. why are the Winchesters not more popular? is there some major flaw to them? I know the after market may be smaller, but what gives? I have owned a 870 and a 590 I like the 590 better for a number of reasons. Just seems that there would be more winchesters used for defense or a tactical applications than there is. __________________ Remington 700 BDL, Yugo M70B1 , Remington 870 wingmaster, Pre 64 Fn Mauser, WASR-10, Mossberg 500, S&W M&P-9, S&W M&P-9c, Mossberg 1500, AR-15 X2, Ruger 10/22, Kahr CW-9, Ruger P-89, Yugo SKS

September 10, 2008, 09:12 AM	#2
markboss Member Join Date: October 10, 2006 Posts: 42	I just did my evaluation, on all three guns, and I just purchased a Winchester Defender, and a Winchester Marine.... I liked the safety postion, and the 8 round capacity...and no extensions needed...These shotguns tend to be a little lighter, than the Remington, and Mossberg...just a little harder, to find...Gunbroker, Auction arms, etc... __________________ Winchester Defender Winchester Marine

September 10, 2008, 09:15 AM	#3
mikenbarb Senior Member Join Date: October 10, 2007 Location: N.J. Posts: 1,111	Browning BPS. __________________ Mike B. Gun control= Being able to hit your target. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pifinnercircle

September 11, 2008, 08:42 AM	#10
Sarge Senior Member Join Date: May 12, 2002 Location: MO Posts: 5,457	They're all pump shotguns. All are quality, dependable guns that are fully up to their intended purpose. Each will have its own personality and whichever one you choose, it is up to you to learn them, adapt to them and perfect your performance with them. You'll never learn the gun if you start bolting aftermarket crap on the gun as soon as you get it. Use it as-is for the first hundred rounds or so. __________________ People were smarter before the Internet, or imbeciles were harder to notice.

September 10, 2008, 01:59 PM	#4
2afreedom Senior Member Join Date: April 29, 2007 Location: Southern by the Grace of God Posts: 266	The Winchester has a shorter, smoother action than the Mossy or Remington which means faster follow up shots. The downside is that accessories may be slightly harder to come by. If at all possible shoot one of each and pick the one that fits you best.

September 10, 2008, 06:00 PM	#5
USMCGrunt Senior Member Join Date: February 27, 2000 Location: Somewhere in 14T NT Posts: 730	Back when I was a young Marine stationed in Italy,we had a couple Remington 870s with top-fold stocks and cut down barrels, Vietnam vintage Winchester 1200s with the heat shields and the then new Mossberg M590. The Remingtons were pretty cool since they were so easy to carry. The Mossberg was loved for it's higher capacity and rugged reliability. The Winchesters however only had the lighter weight (these were the 5-shot models) really going for them. A lot of people, me included, weren't thrilled about the recoil assisted pump action. Today I have a couple Remingtons, a Mossberg and an Ithaca M37. Personally, I love the Ithaca the best with it's light weight and action so smooth that I have to wonder what the Remington shooters are smoking when they talk about how smooth the 870 is. Now I know I said I didn't care for the Winchester shotguns but I think this weekend I'm going to go to Fayett-nam and look around for either a 1200/1300 or a Winchester Defender and give it another try.

September 10, 2008, 06:27 PM	#6
madmag Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2007 Location: The South Posts: 4,239	I own a 1300 & 870....no Mossberg. I just don't see a lot of difference in reliability. The 870 does have a steel receiver which helps recoil a little. They both operate well for me, so no real preference. I do like the rotating bolt action of the 1300, but I have no reason to think that's it's better than the 870 action. As said above, the 1300 action is very fast.

September 10, 2008, 10:05 PM	#7
RPSmith Senior Member Join Date: July 19, 2007 Posts: 270	Bought a Win 1300 a few weeks ago at a steal of a price. Wasn't expecting too much but have been pleasantly surprised: Lightweight - I guess due to the aluminum receiver everyone has mentioned. Large capacity - which is part of the reason I bought the thing. Smooth action - much smoother than the 870 I tried in the shop. And smoother than the Mossberg, as I remember. Recoil - I don't think that the recoil is worse than anything I was expecting. I could see that side by side the recoil would be less on an 870. I don't factor this in unless I'm shooting 50 rounds or more at a go. I've never been one to purchase a firearm due to its after-market parts. A good platform is all I need. It's no surprise that the good platforms have the wider after-market add-ons. Personally, I like to keep things pretty low-key so all of the gadgets have little effect. I really don't think you can go wrong among the three. Some like the locations of the controls of one over the other. I'll say I'm pretty happy with the Win but then that's because it's mine Hope you're happy with yours. RP

September 10, 2008, 11:40 PM	#8
johnwilliamson062 Junior member Join Date: May 16, 2008 Posts: 9,995	I owned a 1300 for approximately 48 hours. When I went to strip it the first time I decided to sell it. LOP wasn't great for me either.

September 11, 2008, 08:25 AM	#9
batmann Senior Member Join Date: November 14, 2004 Location: Greenwood, IN Posts: 773	Of the three, the 870 would be my first choice. One other poster brought up the Browning BPS great gun! They now have them in the 'tactical' version with the extened mag. Heavier, but stone cold reliable.