Pump-Shotguns

.44 · December 14, 2000, 07:39 PM

Howdy, I have a question I`d be oblidged if you`d answer. Soon I`m going to get a shotgun and here are my options:Winchester "Ranger" 1300 12 Ga.;Remington 870 Express 12 Ga.;and Mossberg 500 12 Ga. Which of these is the best and what are the high and low points of each? Also, what would be the absolute best price I could get the Winchester 1300 "Walnut Field" for. All responces are greatly appreciated.~~.44

Dave McC · December 14, 2000, 09:10 PM

No bad choices there. My pick is the Remington 870, the ones I have never mess up, and thousands of rounds have been fired through some of them.

Your call,tho. Get the one that feels best to yuo...

Bam Bam · December 14, 2000, 11:25 PM

I say go for the Win 1300 Walnut. Sorry, I can't give you a best price. A Waterfowler 1300 is selling for $300 locally if that helps, and their prices are a tad high.

JK · December 14, 2000, 11:44 PM

I'm with Dave, get the 870. Besides the reliability factor, the other reason would be all the goodies that are available for the 870. Good Shooting-John K

**4V50 Gary** · December 14, 2000, 11:54 PM

Better made shotgun than the other three IMHO. The Express model cost saving was primarily through its rougher finish. Remington bead blasted and blued rather than polish the receiver. Quicker, faster and labor saving. Internally, it's the same gun as the more expensive Wingmaster. Best of all, lots of goodies you can get for it too.

If you're into self defense, sidesaddle for extra shells, Speedfeed Stock (for more extra shells - you can never have too many slugs or 00 buck), factory extended magazine tube (up to 8 shots), flashlight foreend (but not my favorite), lotsa of sights, and if you want to spend $200 for an AOW permit (14" bbl), you can mount it beneath your AR15.

December 15, 2000, 10:15 AM

is in the location of the safety.

Winchester - front of trigger guard

Remington - back of trigger guard

Mossberg - tang

Try each before you commit.

mjcitra · December 15, 2000, 04:50 PM

I picked up a 1300 Ranger for about $220 at WalMart in upstate NY. It comes with the WinChoke system and I have been pleased with the pattern from all 3 choke tubes. As an accessory you can purchase a rifled choke tube for shooting Sabot-type slugs. I think that the Mossberg 500 is slightly less expensive (about 20 bucks less). The big advantage of the 1300 is the speed of the pump action due to the 1300's advanced rotary bolt design. It also seems a little lighter than the Mossberg and the 870.

JNewell · December 15, 2000, 08:07 PM

I have owned all three. The one I thought I'd like most, and liked least, was the Mossberg. Compared to the other two, it was sloppy and cheap. I bought it principally because of the safety location, but found that the plastic safety slide is a real liability -- get a metal replacement if you buy a Mossberg. I finally settled on an 870 PM. It is a little heavier, but it is built like a rock and has never had any of the feeding accidents the Mossberg had.

Jeff is right, but one thing to consider (I found out later) is that you can very easily learn to deactivate the safety on the 870 with the inside middle joint trigger finger while it's registered above the trigger. (This works especially well if you replace the factory safety button with a "big head" safety, about $10 [same price as a replacement slide for the Mossberg :-) ]. The other side of the argument is that if you buy a new 870, you will now have the issue of having to replace the PC locking "safety" anyway...

posigian · December 21, 2000, 02:17 PM

My vote is for the 1300!

IMO, Mossbergs are junk, Remington is real good, but I love the advanced rotary bolt design on the Winchester. Just like the ads in the magazines say "closest think to a semi-auto in a pump"

I have had all of them at some point and time. In fact I sold my 870 just so I could get the 1300.

BTW: I tricked mine out real nice. Its a 1300 that came with a 26" vented rib barrel. I had the barrel cut to 20" and added a Choate Mark 5 PG stock to it all for under $100.

Since I added the PG stock, I now shoot it better than ever. At 50 yards I get 3" groups. For me, that is awsome!

SpoiledBySig · December 22, 2000, 09:12 PM

All three are great shotguns. I really love the 870, but the Winchester 1300 I even like more. The truth is, you can't go wrong with any of them.

Bam Bam · December 22, 2000, 10:11 PM

If you get the chance the breakdown the 870 and 1300 you will say this; first "That 870 design is very practical" then this "That 1300 design is beautiful and elegant". Go with the 1300.

Correia · December 23, 2000, 01:07 PM

Get one of each for variety,and then pick up a Nova too.

They are all good guns.

Seriously, my choice would be an 870. I have had my 870 since I was 12 years old. It has seen lots of shooting, and it still holds up really well. My Dad has an 870 that dates back the the 1950s, and it has the crap kicked out of it, in fact it had not been cleaned for 40 years, and it still worked. No I'm not making that up either, it really was that abused.

Do a search on this very topic and you will find hundreds of posts worth of opinions and information.

December 14, 2000, 11:44 PM	#4
JK Member Join Date: October 27, 2000 Posts: 75	I'm with Dave, get the 870. Besides the reliability factor, the other reason would be all the goodies that are available for the 870. Good Shooting-John K __________________ Fight Crime-Shoot Back

December 14, 2000, 11:54 PM	#5
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,832	Remington 870 Better made shotgun than the other three IMHO. The Express model cost saving was primarily through its rougher finish. Remington bead blasted and blued rather than polish the receiver. Quicker, faster and labor saving. Internally, it's the same gun as the more expensive Wingmaster. Best of all, lots of goodies you can get for it too. If you're into self defense, sidesaddle for extra shells, Speedfeed Stock (for more extra shells - you can never have too many slugs or 00 buck), factory extended magazine tube (up to 8 shots), flashlight foreend (but not my favorite), lotsa of sights, and if you want to spend $200 for an AOW permit (14" bbl), you can mount it beneath your AR15.

December 15, 2000, 10:15 AM	#6
Jeff, CA Guest Posts: n/a	The biggest diffrence in the three... is in the location of the safety. Winchester - front of trigger guard Remington - back of trigger guard Mossberg - tang Try each before you commit.

December 21, 2000, 02:17 PM	#9
posigian Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2000 Location: Great Lakes State Posts: 115	My vote is for the 1300! IMO, Mossbergs are junk, Remington is real good, but I love the advanced rotary bolt design on the Winchester. Just like the ads in the magazines say "closest think to a semi-auto in a pump" I have had all of them at some point and time. In fact I sold my 870 just so I could get the 1300. BTW: I tricked mine out real nice. Its a 1300 that came with a 26" vented rib barrel. I had the barrel cut to 20" and added a Choate Mark 5 PG stock to it all for under $100. Since I added the PG stock, I now shoot it better than ever. At 50 yards I get 3" groups. For me, that is awsome! __________________ Posigian I AM THE NRA

December 14, 2000, 07:39 PM	#1
.44 Member Join Date: December 14, 2000 Posts: 15	Howdy, I have a question I`d be oblidged if you`d answer. Soon I`m going to get a shotgun and here are my options:Winchester "Ranger" 1300 12 Ga.;Remington 870 Express 12 Ga.;and Mossberg 500 12 Ga. Which of these is the best and what are the high and low points of each? Also, what would be the absolute best price I could get the Winchester 1300 "Walnut Field" for. All responces are greatly appreciated.~~.44

December 14, 2000, 09:10 PM	#2
Dave McC Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 13, 1999 Location: Columbia, Md, USA Posts: 8,811	No bad choices there. My pick is the Remington 870, the ones I have never mess up, and thousands of rounds have been fired through some of them. Your call,tho. Get the one that feels best to yuo...

December 14, 2000, 11:25 PM	#3
Bam Bam Senior Member Join Date: April 25, 2000 Location: Buffalo, NY Posts: 842	I say go for the Win 1300 Walnut. Sorry, I can't give you a best price. A Waterfowler 1300 is selling for $300 locally if that helps, and their prices are a tad high.

December 15, 2000, 04:50 PM	#7
mjcitra Member Join Date: December 6, 2000 Posts: 39	I picked up a 1300 Ranger for about $220 at WalMart in upstate NY. It comes with the WinChoke system and I have been pleased with the pattern from all 3 choke tubes. As an accessory you can purchase a rifled choke tube for shooting Sabot-type slugs. I think that the Mossberg 500 is slightly less expensive (about 20 bucks less). The big advantage of the 1300 is the speed of the pump action due to the 1300's advanced rotary bolt design. It also seems a little lighter than the Mossberg and the 870.

December 15, 2000, 08:07 PM	#8
JNewell Senior Member Join Date: March 12, 2000 Posts: 1,092	I have owned all three. The one I thought I'd like most, and liked least, was the Mossberg. Compared to the other two, it was sloppy and cheap. I bought it principally because of the safety location, but found that the plastic safety slide is a real liability -- get a metal replacement if you buy a Mossberg. I finally settled on an 870 PM. It is a little heavier, but it is built like a rock and has never had any of the feeding accidents the Mossberg had. Jeff is right, but one thing to consider (I found out later) is that you can very easily learn to deactivate the safety on the 870 with the inside middle joint trigger finger while it's registered above the trigger. (This works especially well if you replace the factory safety button with a "big head" safety, about $10 [same price as a replacement slide for the Mossberg :-) ]. The other side of the argument is that if you buy a new 870, you will now have the issue of having to replace the PC locking "safety" anyway...

December 22, 2000, 09:12 PM	#10
SpoiledBySig Junior Member Join Date: April 2, 2000 Posts: 7	All three are great shotguns. I really love the 870, but the Winchester 1300 I even like more. The truth is, you can't go wrong with any of them.

December 22, 2000, 10:11 PM	#11
Bam Bam Senior Member Join Date: April 25, 2000 Location: Buffalo, NY Posts: 842	If you get the chance the breakdown the 870 and 1300 you will say this; first "That 870 design is very practical" then this "That 1300 design is beautiful and elegant". Go with the 1300.

December 23, 2000, 01:07 PM	#12
Correia Senior Member Join Date: December 3, 1998 Location: SLC Utah Posts: 3,740	Get one of each for variety,and then pick up a Nova too. They are all good guns. Seriously, my choice would be an 870. I have had my 870 since I was 12 years old. It has seen lots of shooting, and it still holds up really well. My Dad has an 870 that dates back the the 1950s, and it has the crap kicked out of it, in fact it had not been cleaned for 40 years, and it still worked. No I'm not making that up either, it really was that abused. Do a search on this very topic and you will find hundreds of posts worth of opinions and information.