Winchester 1300 defender vs. Remington 870

You · February 16, 2005, 06:39 PM

I am considering buying a shotgun and am stuck between the Winchester 1300 defender and the Remington 870. Post your opinions about which is the better shotgun.

Dfariswheel · February 16, 2005, 07:21 PM

Depends on the model of Remington.
The "budget" Express 870 is about 1/2 step above the Winchester in quality, and has a steel receiver.

The Winchester has a cast aluminum receiver, and uses more stamped parts.

If you buy an 870 Police gun, there is no comparison. The Police model is the Cadillac of home defense pump guns.

The 870 has more accessories available for it than the Winchester.

The 870's have a better reputation, and is the favored gun of most local, state, and federal police agencies.

Few police agencies use the Winchester.

In normal use, the 1300 and the Express will last about the same.

Twycross · February 16, 2005, 11:04 PM

The 870 can take more abuse than the 1300, but they are both very durable and if properly taken care of, will last the same. If I was going to bring one on a two-month hike through the Everglades, I would want the 870, but other than that, they are both equal in that respect.

However, having shot both, I like the 1300 better. The speed pump cycles faster than the 870.

WillBrayjr · February 17, 2005, 05:14 PM

Remington 870 Express because I have experiance with it and because it has alot of mods available.

I don't have any experiance with Winchester shotguns.

Dave McC · February 18, 2005, 05:58 AM

Ford/Chevy. Get the one that feels best. Whatever you get, shoot it copiously and often. Most any US made repeater will do the job, we're the weakest link.

GregM · February 26, 2005, 12:46 AM

I prefer the Winchester for normal non-police use. It is lighter and the pump action is so much smoother. Something about it just feels better about it. I use an 870 for police use, and it has durability in its favor. I have managed to wear an 870 out though. I bought it used and finished it off.

GregM

yekimak · March 3, 2005, 11:39 AM

love the winchester, light fast, and durable. The 870 is the standard and is a fine gun, but I prefer the Winnie, goes boom every time and I have seen defenders with 10,000 rds through them and they just seem to get smoother. the bulk of accessory companies make stuff for the 1300, so unless you are going to make some sort of uber tactical goony gun, the 1300 is fine accessory wise.

siggy2 · March 5, 2005, 12:06 AM

870 hands down 8 million people cant be wrong

ghettopettingzoo · March 5, 2005, 12:19 AM

I would go with the 870 because of the price and I think the army uses it. They don't use shotguns much. I also have a mossberg 500 and there nice but the 870 is alot better becuase it is a pain to get a sling for the mossberg 500 and 870 can get the mag extension witch i got after i brought the gun.

Nortonics · March 5, 2005, 12:25 AM

One thing to be aware of on the Winchester 1300 series that I haven't seen mentioned yet is the interesting use of what they call their "Speed Pump" action. From their site:

Quote:

The Winchester® Model 1300 Speed Pump™ : no other pump shotgun offers the same speed and agility. Thanks to the innovative inertia-assisted pumping of its proven rotary bolt action, the Model 1300 is capable of shooting three shots in just over a half second.

I've got a 20 ga. 1300 that uses this innovation - it works. And I will agree to exactly what yekimak says:

Quote:

...and I have seen defenders with 10,000 rds through them and they just seem to get smoother...

I don't think mine has quite that much through it, but I'll insist I've never racked a smoother action than this one...

Winchester 1300 shotguns

P.S. - almost forgot to mention, the Winchester I have also came with three extended removable chokes: Full, Modified and Improved Cylinder. This was the Sporting version though.

JKump · March 6, 2005, 03:32 PM

I have owned both and carried both on duty. I prefer the Winchester 1300 defender. Since I am in Law Enforcement I placed several tactical items on mine. They include a Tac star side saddle shell carrier, a tactical light, Fiber optic front sight, uncle mikes tactical sling and had the barrel sent to Vang Comp. However, the Remington has FAR more items available for it.
Something else I like with the Winchester is the postion of the safety (in front of the trigger gaurd), whenindexing the weapon your fingr tip rests on the safety. On the Remington the safety is to the rear of the trigger gaurd, I had to release my grip to take the weapon off safe.
The Winchester is one light and smooth weapon, that I think you can not go wrong with.

abelew · March 6, 2005, 03:37 PM

I put a vote for the 870, but Im biased.

BillCA · March 6, 2005, 05:46 PM

I selected the Winchester 1300 with the synthetic stock and haven't regretted it yet. Solid, reliable, fast handling and an all around good gun.

zmopar1 · May 21, 2007, 01:00 AM

Every shotgun fits one person better than a different person. It's like Chevys and Fords it all comes down to your preference. I had an 870 high end wingmaster and sold it for a good chunk of change. I got rid of it because it would not eject certain shells. I must have had a quirky one I've seenthem last longer than I had mine. And had I not been honest I would have gotten more out of mine but I told the buyer about the problem. I went to buy a new one and ended up buying a Winchester Model 120 same gun less fancy than the 1300 model. I have owned it for 21 years and it is the most dependable thing I have ever purchased. I would rather part with the wife, kids and the dog then my beloved Winchester. I have used it in the feild every single year and always did well with it. Shot a doe once at 38 yars at a full run right above her left eye. Beleave it or not I was aming at her head hopeing for a body shot. A lot of my friend have tried this gun and liked it so much they sold there Remingtons and there Mossburgs and even an Ithica and a Browning A5 were replaced with a 1300. They shoot almost as fastas an auto loader. And I have used them in all kinds of weather and conditions. Good luck on whateer you purchase and remember that a shotgun like any other gun is a tool and should be cared for and not abused. And that they are only as good and as safe as the person using them.

dirty habit · May 21, 2007, 03:55 AM

Ive got a Defender, havent tried out an 870, but the Winchester has never missed a beat, super smooth and reliable. It doesnt have accessories like tactical rear vision mirror and christmas lights but it shoots buckshot out the front end real well!

sm · May 21, 2007, 09:51 PM

Which gun fits the shooter after actually shooting both, and the controls work best for shooter.
Fine tune the gun fit , get lessons, training and become one with the gun.

Widder · May 22, 2007, 07:59 PM

The Winchester is a better fit for me. It feels better, points very naturally and is lighter. YMMV.

zmopar1 · July 27, 2007, 11:55 PM

My daddy is a Ford man and says: He wouldn't drive a Chevy across the street to watch to goats hump. I will refrain from telling you his opinion of a Remington shotgun. But I will tell you he said as bad as they are he would take a Mosseburg over one. And they make more noise than the new grand babies toy rattle.

Deaf Smith · July 28, 2007, 09:48 PM

I've owned all three (that is Winchester, Remington, and Mossburg) and I'll say that unless you intend on shooting 10,000 rounds out of it, any of the three will do quite well.

I have at this moment a Mossburg 590 (stainless with apendature sights) and Remington 870 Magnum Marine. Both tricked out with tac-stars, speed safties, and for the Mossie, a speed feed stock. I might even get a Winchester 1300 marine (ok, I'm lazy at cleaning'em.)

All three are as reliable as can be. All of them hold basicly the same number of shots. All are pumps (autos are another matter.)

It is more of personal preference. Some perfer the Mossies/Remington/Winchester safety, others the Remington's steel frame (or the lightness of the Winchesters and Mossburgs aluminum one!), still others the slickness of the action of such as the Winchester.

I say go try out all of them at sporting goods store and see which way you prefer the shotgun to be set up.

Martian · July 31, 2007, 06:28 PM

Gun Tests Consumer Magazine (they don't allow advertisements) has reviewed 12 gauge pump defense shotguns on 3 occasions within the last 5 years. Gun Tests buys guns from local dealers in the Houston area for testing, so they don't get enhanced guns from manufacturers. Each time they have given the nod to the Winchester 1300. Gun Tests also gave "buy" ratings to the Mossberg 500 and Remington 870 Express. Here is a summary of their tests from the September 2005 issue :

Accuracy and Patterning: Mossberg
Materials: Remington
Weights, Measures, Capacities: Winchester
Other Areas: Winchester
Sights: Winchester
Winner: Winchester

"During our shooting tests, we noted above that we didn't have any failures to function (on all three guns). However, when we were examining the controls, we were able to get two of the three guns to jam.

It occurred as we were loading a full magazine into the Mossberg and Remington guns. To ensure we were getting all the rounds in we could, we kept stuffing shotshells into the loading ports. We were able to get six-and-three-quarters shells into the Remington, which in turn locked up the carrier assembly and wouldn't allow the shell to eject nor the action to cycle. It took a screwdriver to pry out the lodged shell.

Ditto that on the Mossberg. Five shells went in smoothly, but the sixth lodged in the magazine mouth, preventing the elevator from moving. We had to screw off the magazine cap, remove the barrel, and jiggle the action to free the shell.

Admittedly, we know we're not supposed to "overload" the magazine, but it wasn't possible to jam the Winchester in this manner, which gave it a major edge in our evaluation."

To clarify the shotguns tested by Gun Tests, here are the three guns tested:
Remington 870 Express Magnum
Mossberg 590A1
Winchester 1300 Defender

b.thomas · July 31, 2007, 07:20 PM

Depends if your comparing the 1300 to the Wingmaster or express version of the 870, if the express then it's a crap shoot but with the Wingmaster then the Wingmaster wins out....hands down,
My brother has a older model defender (1200?) and i have my sons model 1200 youth model 20 gauge in my gun safe. Both have worked well with no major problems at all but neither one has the fit/finish of my thirty+ year old Wingmaster and no where as slick of a action as the Remington.

* if you can find a Defender for a good price and in decent condition then buy it, their a good solid shotgun that was/is really under-rated!

B. Adams · August 3, 2007, 12:00 AM

I have 5 Winchester 1300's, 3 of them are Defenders. I like them a lot, and except for one I've kept them in their original configuration. There aren't a lot of "accessories" available for them, but I like the plain wood stock better anyway. Numrich and a few others still have parts, so it should be easy to keep them going if they ever break.

The Defender I did change the configuration on has a ATI6-position M4-style pistol grip stock on it, and it's also the only Defender I've seen with a factory 24" open choke barrel. Has anybody else seen a Defender with an 18" magazine and a 24" barrel? It looks awkward, but I still like it.

I only have 2 870's, and they're both in 20ga, and both from when I was a kid. My girlfriend uses one of them, the other one rarely gets used.

I do plan on buying an 870 Police one of these days, and maybe an 870 slug gun, and maybe another 870 just because, but I like my Defenders. I'll buy more of them if I find them at a good price.

The thing that originally drew me to Defenders was the fact that it has a longer magazine tube instead of an extension like the 870. It's not really a big deal, but I think it looks better and makes it easier to take down. It does make it hard to find replacement barrels though.

FWIW, it is somewhat difficult to operate the magazine release with a pistol grip on a 1300. With a standard stock I prefer the release on the 1300 rather than the 870's. I've never seen a Mossberg that I liked enough to spend any money on, but that's just my opinion.

Birdville2011 · August 3, 2007, 09:45 AM

870

FJR1300 · August 12, 2007, 02:57 PM

The best advice I ever got regarding firearms was to go with what fits me best. I am lucky enough to have a gun show nearby that allows firing once a year (Raahauges). The year I was shopping for a shotgun I found out that I hit nearly everything I aimed at with the Winchester, nearly nothing I aimed at with the Remington (and it kept leaving the fired shell in the receiver- I had to turn the gun over and shake it out), and the Mossberg stand had both of their guns out of commision!

I'm sure I could eventually learn to shoot the Remington or Mossberg, but why bother? Needless to say I am very happy with my Win 1300 and now use this advice for all my purchases- its worth waiting all year for the confidence of knowing I'm getting the "right" gun for me.

February 16, 2005, 06:39 PM	#1
You Member Join Date: February 16, 2005 Posts: 44	Winchester 1300 defender vs. Remington 870 I am considering buying a shotgun and am stuck between the Winchester 1300 defender and the Remington 870. Post your opinions about which is the better shotgun.

February 16, 2005, 11:04 PM	#3
Twycross Senior Member Join Date: January 26, 2005 Location: Montana Posts: 1,187	The 870 can take more abuse than the 1300, but they are both very durable and if properly taken care of, will last the same. If I was going to bring one on a two-month hike through the Everglades, I would want the 870, but other than that, they are both equal in that respect. However, having shot both, I like the 1300 better. The speed pump cycles faster than the 870. __________________ The test of character is not 'hanging in' when you expect light at the end of the tunnel, but performance of duty, and persistence of example when you know no light is coming. - Vice Admiral James Stockdale, USN (ret.)

March 3, 2005, 11:39 AM	#7
yekimak Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2005 Location: Alaska Posts: 198	love the winchester, light fast, and durable. The 870 is the standard and is a fine gun, but I prefer the Winnie, goes boom every time and I have seen defenders with 10,000 rds through them and they just seem to get smoother. the bulk of accessory companies make stuff for the 1300, so unless you are going to make some sort of uber tactical goony gun, the 1300 is fine accessory wise. __________________ .-.-.-Why? Because I can.-.-.-

March 6, 2005, 03:32 PM	#11
JKump Senior Member Join Date: November 30, 1998 Location: Middle Georgia Posts: 428	I have owned both and carried both on duty. I prefer the Winchester 1300 defender. Since I am in Law Enforcement I placed several tactical items on mine. They include a Tac star side saddle shell carrier, a tactical light, Fiber optic front sight, uncle mikes tactical sling and had the barrel sent to Vang Comp. However, the Remington has FAR more items available for it. Something else I like with the Winchester is the postion of the safety (in front of the trigger gaurd), whenindexing the weapon your fingr tip rests on the safety. On the Remington the safety is to the rear of the trigger gaurd, I had to release my grip to take the weapon off safe. The Winchester is one light and smooth weapon, that I think you can not go wrong with. __________________ Live everyday as if it is your last! Because someday you will be right. "Everyone has a game plan until they get punched in the mouth".

March 6, 2005, 03:37 PM	#12
abelew Senior Member Join Date: November 29, 2004 Location: Florida Posts: 778	I put a vote for the 870, but Im biased. __________________ "Where the choice is between only violence and cowardice, I would advise violence." ~ Mohatma Gandhi

February 16, 2005, 07:21 PM	#2
Dfariswheel Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2001 Posts: 7,478	Depends on the model of Remington. The "budget" Express 870 is about 1/2 step above the Winchester in quality, and has a steel receiver. The Winchester has a cast aluminum receiver, and uses more stamped parts. If you buy an 870 Police gun, there is no comparison. The Police model is the Cadillac of home defense pump guns. The 870 has more accessories available for it than the Winchester. The 870's have a better reputation, and is the favored gun of most local, state, and federal police agencies. Few police agencies use the Winchester. In normal use, the 1300 and the Express will last about the same.

February 17, 2005, 05:14 PM	#4
WillBrayjr Junior member Join Date: September 26, 2004 Location: Northern Indiana Posts: 1,881	Remington 870 Express because I have experiance with it and because it has alot of mods available. I don't have any experiance with Winchester shotguns.

February 18, 2005, 05:58 AM	#5
Dave McC Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 13, 1999 Location: Columbia, Md, USA Posts: 8,811	Ford/Chevy. Get the one that feels best. Whatever you get, shoot it copiously and often. Most any US made repeater will do the job, we're the weakest link.

February 26, 2005, 12:46 AM	#6
GregM Senior Member Join Date: February 4, 2000 Posts: 182	I prefer the Winchester for normal non-police use. It is lighter and the pump action is so much smoother. Something about it just feels better about it. I use an 870 for police use, and it has durability in its favor. I have managed to wear an 870 out though. I bought it used and finished it off. GregM

March 5, 2005, 12:06 AM	#8
siggy2 Member Join Date: March 4, 2005 Posts: 16	870 hands down 8 million people cant be wrong

March 5, 2005, 12:19 AM	#9
ghettopettingzoo Junior member Join Date: January 5, 2005 Location: Auburn maine Posts: 141	I would go with the 870 because of the price and I think the army uses it. They don't use shotguns much. I also have a mossberg 500 and there nice but the 870 is alot better becuase it is a pain to get a sling for the mossberg 500 and 870 can get the mag extension witch i got after i brought the gun.

March 6, 2005, 05:46 PM	#13
BillCA Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 2004 Location: Silicon Valley, Ca Posts: 7,117	I selected the Winchester 1300 with the synthetic stock and haven't regretted it yet. Solid, reliable, fast handling and an all around good gun. __________________ BillCA in CA (Unfortunately)

May 21, 2007, 01:00 AM	#14
zmopar1 Junior Member Join Date: April 21, 2007 Posts: 7	Winchester vs Remington Every shotgun fits one person better than a different person. It's like Chevys and Fords it all comes down to your preference. I had an 870 high end wingmaster and sold it for a good chunk of change. I got rid of it because it would not eject certain shells. I must have had a quirky one I've seenthem last longer than I had mine. And had I not been honest I would have gotten more out of mine but I told the buyer about the problem. I went to buy a new one and ended up buying a Winchester Model 120 same gun less fancy than the 1300 model. I have owned it for 21 years and it is the most dependable thing I have ever purchased. I would rather part with the wife, kids and the dog then my beloved Winchester. I have used it in the feild every single year and always did well with it. Shot a doe once at 38 yars at a full run right above her left eye. Beleave it or not I was aming at her head hopeing for a body shot. A lot of my friend have tried this gun and liked it so much they sold there Remingtons and there Mossburgs and even an Ithica and a Browning A5 were replaced with a 1300. They shoot almost as fastas an auto loader. And I have used them in all kinds of weather and conditions. Good luck on whateer you purchase and remember that a shotgun like any other gun is a tool and should be cared for and not abused. And that they are only as good and as safe as the person using them.

May 21, 2007, 03:55 AM	#15
dirty habit Member Join Date: December 18, 2006 Location: New Zealand Posts: 57	Ive got a Defender, havent tried out an 870, but the Winchester has never missed a beat, super smooth and reliable. It doesnt have accessories like tactical rear vision mirror and christmas lights but it shoots buckshot out the front end real well! __________________ Happiness.......is a warm gun

May 21, 2007, 09:51 PM	#16
sm Senior Member Join Date: February 5, 2002 Posts: 1,819	No versus to it Which gun fits the shooter after actually shooting both, and the controls work best for shooter. Fine tune the gun fit , get lessons, training and become one with the gun. __________________ Use Enough Gun TFL Alumni

May 22, 2007, 07:59 PM	#17
Widder Senior Member Join Date: October 26, 2005 Posts: 117	The Winchester is a better fit for me. It feels better, points very naturally and is lighter. YMMV.

July 27, 2007, 11:55 PM	#18
zmopar1 Junior Member Join Date: April 21, 2007 Posts: 7	Winchester Vs Remingtons My daddy is a Ford man and says: He wouldn't drive a Chevy across the street to watch to goats hump. I will refrain from telling you his opinion of a Remington shotgun. But I will tell you he said as bad as they are he would take a Mosseburg over one. And they make more noise than the new grand babies toy rattle.

July 28, 2007, 09:48 PM	#19
Deaf Smith Senior Member Join Date: October 31, 2000 Location: Texican! Posts: 4,453	I've owned all three (that is Winchester, Remington, and Mossburg) and I'll say that unless you intend on shooting 10,000 rounds out of it, any of the three will do quite well. I have at this moment a Mossburg 590 (stainless with apendature sights) and Remington 870 Magnum Marine. Both tricked out with tac-stars, speed safties, and for the Mossie, a speed feed stock. I might even get a Winchester 1300 marine (ok, I'm lazy at cleaning'em.) All three are as reliable as can be. All of them hold basicly the same number of shots. All are pumps (autos are another matter.) It is more of personal preference. Some perfer the Mossies/Remington/Winchester safety, others the Remington's steel frame (or the lightness of the Winchesters and Mossburgs aluminum one!), still others the slickness of the action of such as the Winchester. I say go try out all of them at sporting goods store and see which way you prefer the shotgun to be set up. __________________ “To you who call yourselves ‘men of peace,’ I say, you are not safe without men of action by your side” Thucydides

July 31, 2007, 06:28 PM	#20
Martian Junior Member Join Date: November 6, 2006 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 9	Gun Tests Consumer Magazine (they don't allow advertisements) has reviewed 12 gauge pump defense shotguns on 3 occasions within the last 5 years. Gun Tests buys guns from local dealers in the Houston area for testing, so they don't get enhanced guns from manufacturers. Each time they have given the nod to the Winchester 1300. Gun Tests also gave "buy" ratings to the Mossberg 500 and Remington 870 Express. Here is a summary of their tests from the September 2005 issue : Accuracy and Patterning: Mossberg Materials: Remington Weights, Measures, Capacities: Winchester Other Areas: Winchester Sights: Winchester Winner: Winchester "During our shooting tests, we noted above that we didn't have any failures to function (on all three guns). However, when we were examining the controls, we were able to get two of the three guns to jam. It occurred as we were loading a full magazine into the Mossberg and Remington guns. To ensure we were getting all the rounds in we could, we kept stuffing shotshells into the loading ports. We were able to get six-and-three-quarters shells into the Remington, which in turn locked up the carrier assembly and wouldn't allow the shell to eject nor the action to cycle. It took a screwdriver to pry out the lodged shell. Ditto that on the Mossberg. Five shells went in smoothly, but the sixth lodged in the magazine mouth, preventing the elevator from moving. We had to screw off the magazine cap, remove the barrel, and jiggle the action to free the shell. Admittedly, we know we're not supposed to "overload" the magazine, but it wasn't possible to jam the Winchester in this manner, which gave it a major edge in our evaluation." To clarify the shotguns tested by Gun Tests, here are the three guns tested: Remington 870 Express Magnum Mossberg 590A1 Winchester 1300 Defender Last edited by Martian; August 2, 2007 at 08:07 PM. Reason: Original post not clear on the guns tested.

July 31, 2007, 07:20 PM	#21
b.thomas Senior Member Join Date: October 8, 2006 Posts: 461	Depends if your comparing the 1300 to the Wingmaster or express version of the 870, if the express then it's a crap shoot but with the Wingmaster then the Wingmaster wins out....hands down, My brother has a older model defender (1200?) and i have my sons model 1200 youth model 20 gauge in my gun safe. Both have worked well with no major problems at all but neither one has the fit/finish of my thirty+ year old Wingmaster and no where as slick of a action as the Remington. * if you can find a Defender for a good price and in decent condition then buy it, their a good solid shotgun that was/is really under-rated!

August 3, 2007, 12:00 AM	#22
B. Adams Member Join Date: January 1, 2007 Location: Vermillion, SD Posts: 55	I have 5 Winchester 1300's, 3 of them are Defenders. I like them a lot, and except for one I've kept them in their original configuration. There aren't a lot of "accessories" available for them, but I like the plain wood stock better anyway. Numrich and a few others still have parts, so it should be easy to keep them going if they ever break. The Defender I did change the configuration on has a ATI6-position M4-style pistol grip stock on it, and it's also the only Defender I've seen with a factory 24" open choke barrel. Has anybody else seen a Defender with an 18" magazine and a 24" barrel? It looks awkward, but I still like it. I only have 2 870's, and they're both in 20ga, and both from when I was a kid. My girlfriend uses one of them, the other one rarely gets used. I do plan on buying an 870 Police one of these days, and maybe an 870 slug gun, and maybe another 870 just because, but I like my Defenders. I'll buy more of them if I find them at a good price. The thing that originally drew me to Defenders was the fact that it has a longer magazine tube instead of an extension like the 870. It's not really a big deal, but I think it looks better and makes it easier to take down. It does make it hard to find replacement barrels though. FWIW, it is somewhat difficult to operate the magazine release with a pistol grip on a 1300. With a standard stock I prefer the release on the 1300 rather than the 870's. I've never seen a Mossberg that I liked enough to spend any money on, but that's just my opinion.

August 3, 2007, 09:45 AM	#23
Birdville2011 Member Join Date: August 1, 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 69	870 __________________ Marlin 336W .30-30 Remington 870 Express Synthetic 12ga Remington 597 .22lr Springfield 20ga (old)

August 12, 2007, 02:57 PM	#24
FJR1300 Member Join Date: June 6, 2007 Location: SoCal Posts: 63	The best advice I ever got regarding firearms was to go with what fits me best. I am lucky enough to have a gun show nearby that allows firing once a year (Raahauges). The year I was shopping for a shotgun I found out that I hit nearly everything I aimed at with the Winchester, nearly nothing I aimed at with the Remington (and it kept leaving the fired shell in the receiver- I had to turn the gun over and shake it out), and the Mossberg stand had both of their guns out of commision! I'm sure I could eventually learn to shoot the Remington or Mossberg, but why bother? Needless to say I am very happy with my Win 1300 and now use this advice for all my purchases- its worth waiting all year for the confidence of knowing I'm getting the "right" gun for me.