Mossberg 500 or Remington 870?

[Jack Bauer]

I'm looking for a HD shotgun; I've been here reading the posts and found a lot of good information. My local Gander Mountain has a special going on, I can get the Mossberg for the same price as the 870 Express. I prefer the finish on the Mossberg, as well as the placement of the safety; on the other hand, the 870 has larger capacity, but the finish is rougher. They both have bead sights.

There's also a Benelli of some sort, pump action, with ghost ring sights for a few bucks more. I didn't get the Benelli model number, but it seems to have a lot of polymer in the stock and fore end. I've heard a lot of good about Benelli, but I don't know anything about this one. Has anyone got any experience with such a Benelli?

I don't find any appreciable difference in the feel of the 870 vs. the 500 vs. the Benelli when I bring them to my shoulder, so now I'm just looking for opinions/information comparing them.

Thanks for any help.

[johnwilliamson062]

I think ergonomics are the only real difference.
You can get a Remington that is much nicer than a Mossberg as far as fit and finish goes, but it will cost more. If you compare fit and finish on a cheap Remington to a Mossberg of similar price there doesn't seem to be a quality difference and I think there is no difference in quality of function at all.

[jmr40]

Benelli Nova, or possibly the newer version Super Nova, is what you are refering to.

I like the Remington the best.

The Nova has a lot going for it and it may prove to be the best of the 3 in the long run. I like them just as much as the Remington, possibly more. But I cannot get used to them. They function very well. I don't think I've ever read a report of anyone having functioning problems with one of them. They are too thick, heavy and handle awkward for me however. If I were just starting, and had never gotten used to anything else I would probably love them.

By the end of the thread you will probably get more votes for Mossberg, but I don't care for them.

[TMackey]

If you want a reliable out of the box shotgun that doesn't rust, stay away from the 870 express.

[KMO]

The 500 is as reliable as they come. If you want the peace of mind that comes from knowing your defense weapon will perform when you need it, go with the Mossberg.

[the rifleer]

Mosserg...

[Hog Buster]

Save yourself much grief, Don’t buy a new 870.

[kx592]

I to say mossberg...duel extractors and very smooth...cant go wrong with it. Than down the road pick up a nicely finished 870 for fun

[rickyrick]

mossberg

[SigP6Carry]

In my opinion: 6 of one, half a dozen of the other. They're both good guns. I prefer Mossbergs for the action release level and safety. They just work better for me than an 870. Oh, and the loading ramp or lever or whatever it's called on the Mossberg goes down, grabs a shell, then goes back up. The 870's stays down, so you have to move it in order to load the shotgun. I can load the Mossberg easier than the 870.

[johnwilliamson062]

The mossberg also has an aluminum receiver while the 870 is steel(I think this is still true).
Some people only like steel guns.

[TX Hunter]

The Mossberg to me is more ergonomic than the 870.

[Durangogun]

I have owned and hunted with both.

I think the better grade 870s are more beautiful shotguns than the Mossbergs and handle well. Years ago I had a 12 ga. Wingmaster, hunted the heck out of it and loved it.

That said, I also had an inexpensive 20 ga. Mossy 500 that I also hunted a great deal, and also loved.

After I sold my Wingmaster and 500 because I wasn't using them (now have a pair of O/U shotguns in 12 and 20 ga. for target work, and carry SXS guns in 12 and 28 for birds) I went out and bought a tactical pump for HD. I went with the Mossberg 500 Persuader. I leave the safety off on this gun so the tang vs. trigger-guard safety location isn't an issue, but still think I handle it more instinctively than the 870 and would more be likely to do with it what needed to be done in a pressure situation.

But as others have said--you really can't go wrong with either one.

For what it's worth, I've seen more LEOs with Mossbergs than Remingtons, and the Mossberg was chosen for use in the military.

[rc601962]

You can go wrong with one.

Unless you are looking for a new hobby (getting your new gun to work) RUN, don't walk away from the Remington 870. The new Express models are absolute garbage. Mine is going back to the gunsmith for the second time.

Remington uses their customers as the quality assurance inspection team. Their chambers are rough. Google the term "Remington 870 extraction problem" or Remington 870 jam, jamming ect..".

[riggins_83]

Mossberg all the way

[TXGunNut]

Winchester Defender, gotta cruise the "used" rack for them these days tho.
Jury still out on it's replacement, the SXP.
Mossberg is a great gun but it sounds like it's flying apart in four directions when I work the action.

[556A2]

Remington 870

The Mossberg is a good shotgun, but the 870 is better overall.

Don't listen to how bad new 870s are. Its straight BS.

[rc601962]

Do the google search. Not B.S.

[TGDKY]

go with the 870

[.300 Weatherby Mag]

Don't listen to how bad new 870s are. Its straight BS.

I bought two that didn't work.... Ya it's bs

[rc601962]

For anyone that is confused on my motivation. The 870 is a great shotgun if you can get one that works. If it works properly, I have no criticism.

That being said, the new 870 express shotguns that are being sold now are pure cr*p. Consider it a kit gun or a DIY project. If you want something that a high probability of working out of the box - BUY SOMETHING ELSE.

[DHart]

I recommend Mossberg and here are the exact reasons why I do so:

There are probably more threads on this debate than any other topic... BY FAR. With many folks throwing in by simply stating the gun model they shoot, without offering much, if any, objective reasoning.

I can't resist throwing in my view (and I'll do my best to include as much objective reasoning as I can. )...

Both are great guns... either is a solid choice. I've been shooting Mossberg 500 and 590 for years and they are tried, true, solid, and totally reliable. I have also just ordered an 870 Police, which I'm sure I will enjoy using for many years to come. But there are some very noteworthy differences between the Remingtons and the Mossbergs as far as controls and operation goes.

Comes down to this for me:

1) I prefer the carrier-up mode design of the Mossberg for really easy loading... no need to bother with pushing the carrier out of the way to access the tube for loading/topping off while shooting. One can get used to dealing with the carrier being in the way (870), but having the carrier out of the way (500/590) is much nicer - especially when topping off under duress.

2) I prefer the tang mounted safety of the 500/590... you can see it VERY quickly and easily, access it with either hand for left or right hand shooting, and you can operate the safety while your trigger finger is ready to shoot, without changing the position of your shooting hand! No need to use your trigger finger for anything BUT firing the gun. Seeing the safety position on the 870 is more difficult and operating it takes more hand movement.

3) I prefer the slide release lever on the 500/590... a slight shift of the middle finger releases the slide without having to change or shift the position of the hand and without moving your trigger finger from ready/fire position. With the 870, the shooting hand must be moved from firing position to reach under and over to the left side.

4) I prefer having the double extractors (on on each side of the bolt) with 500/590 vs. a single extractor on the 870. Two is probably better than one.

5) I like the standard 9-round capacity of the 20" Mossberg 590. For a defense shotgun, nine before reloading again is very nice to have.
And Mossberg has a new 500 Persuader 20“ 8-shot available as well, which has an extended magazine tube. The Mossberg 18.5” 500 Persuader is a six-shot model and feels very nimble and quick handling due to less out front length and weight. You can't extend the mag on the 18.5" 500 due to how the barrel attaches to the mag tube. Remington has hampered the ability to extend the mag tube on the 18" Express by putting dimples in the mag tube (also cheapens their cost of production on this gun.) It is possible to get around the dimples by drilling or dremeling or pounding them out, thereby increasing the capacity from five to seven rounds on the 18" Express.

6) I like the availability of full length stock & pistol grip combos on the Mossbergs. While shooting with a pistol grip involves a fair bit of compromise... it does offer a form factor which is extremely appealing for certain circumstances! And if the BATF caps down on shotgun mods (they have recently reclassified a shotgun with a pistol grip as a PISTOL - no longer a shotgun)... if you bought a factory made shotgun which came with a pistol grip originally from the factory, it could be argued that you haven't materially altered the form of the shotgun if you choose to attach different pistol grips, or birds head grip options. Legal grey area here, it appears, but something worth considering anyway.

The steel receiver of the 870 is arguably more durable than the aluminum receiver on the 500/590, BUT I've never seen nor heard of any issues, nor shortened life associated with the receiver on the 500/590 and I doubt that the average shooter would ever experience a problem with the receiver being aluminum vs. steel. This materials difference between the gun's receivers is virtually negligible when comparing the guns vs. the more significant differences in operating controls. I also like that the Mossberg's aluminum receiver makes for a slightly lighter weight gun.

Quality of manufacture... I think all Mossbergs are of similar build quality and fit and finishing. They are solid, reliable, durable and not fancy.

Remington’s Wingmaster line is of higher quality in the fit and finishing, but is MUCH MUCH more expensive than Mossberg - perhaps two to three times the price!

The Remington Police line has perhaps a lesser level of finishing and smoothness than the Wingmaster, but is of higher quality fit and finishing than the Remington Express.

The new Remington Express line really has cut corners to make the gun as inexpensive to manufacture as possible... this in an attempt to compete with the very attractively priced Mossberg, which is quite popular! I think perhaps Mossberg builds a better lower-priced shotgun than Remington does.

If you want higher grade polish & finish, be prepared to spend a lot more money and go for a Wingmaster or Police. In the lower price range, Mossberg competes quite favorably, perhaps superiorly, to the Remington Express line. Big nod to the Mossberg from me. But both are competent shotguns.

As for overall durability and lifespan... if the gun is a personally owned, home defense weapon, of an ordinary citizen, I believe it is extremely unlikely that one would encounter any noteworthy limitation in durability or longevity. We're not talking about a service issued weapon that is fired a bazillion times by hundreds of different people, day-in and day-out, under the most difficult, abusive conditions imaginable, for years and years-on-end. So, I don't really see this as being terribly important as a selection criterion for a personally owned home defense weapon.

Though my preference is for Mossberg mostly due to the location and operation of the controls and the lifter-out-of-the-way for loading, no doubt one can become accustomed to either platform and both can be considered equally reliable. I would feel very well covered having either a 500/590 or an 870 as a personal defense shotgun.

[Bigjfb]

I have no experience with Mossberg, but my last two Rem shotguns have not made me happy. I do have an older 1100 that I love, but my 1187 20 gauge has a poopy finish and rusted very easily, same with a newer 870 12, plus the finish on the wood started flaking, the bolt through the butt stock broke.

I don't think Rem quality is very good anymore.

[FEG]

Used older production Remington 870 Wingmasters are often really great bargains, as are used Ithaca 37s.

In my area, you hardly ever see a used Mossberg. I think it may be because they are so inexpensive to begin with. (I'm not saying there's anything wrong with them.) A lot of people won't buy a used gun when a new one is under X amount of dollars, because you don't always get warranty coverage, etc.

[DHart]

FEG.... yes, a new Mossberg 500 Persuader combo (full stock & pistol grip) can be had for low to mid $200 on specials which come about fairly often. At that price, most people wouldn't bother buying a used gun when you can pick one up a great quality Mossberg for such a low price.