Is SXP a worthwhile alternative to a Mossberg 500?

[The Exile]

I've been wanting to get my first shotgun for a while now but I've been sitting on my hands because I wanted to get a Mossberg 500, everyone treats it like anything else is almost a knock off. I've been waiting for a few weeks now just checking stocks and my LGS hasn't had a restock at all, and I've noticed in the past when I've gone in for other guns the Mossbergs have been pretty scarce in general. What they do have a lot of are Turkish imports, at some point Cabela must have just imported an entire cargo ship's worth or something because the whole gun library area was stuffed to the gills with cheap Cobra Tri-Stars.

I think Winchester, even if not made in America, is still a more trustworthy name brand though and I know that SXPs are in stock; on top of that a lot of the mossbergs I used to see were all long barrel hunting versions while I'm looking for a smaller home defense style. I guess I just don't know if I should wait more and try to get a Mossberg or if I should break and get the SXP.

 

[The Happy Kaboomer]

Personally I think anything is better that a mossberg 500.

 

[Spats McGee]

Have you checked GB? I see at least a couple of pages of Mossberg 500s in MN.

ETA: Well, there are a couple of pages of results. Upon closer inspection, they're not all shotguns. Some are parts for a 500.

 

[The Exile]

Have you checked GB? I see at least a couple of pages of Mossberg 500s in MN.

ETA: Well, there are a couple of pages of results. Upon closer inspection, they're not all shotguns. Some are parts for a 500.

Yeah when I've checked i've seen a few on occasion but they're usually the hunting variants or 20 gauge or both, I'm trying to be firm on 12 gauge, and i have an utter hatred for mossy oak I can't explain

 

[jmr40]

I know nothing about the new Winchesters. But I'd try one before a Mossberg 500. The Mossberg 590 might tempt me.

 

[entropy]

Is a Trabant a worthwhile alternative to a Mini Cooper?

Or, put this way, the Win. Mod. 12 was the peak of Winchester shotgun design. (Of course, it was a JMB design.) The 1200 was a descent as is the SXP from the 1200. I would hope the SXP is the nadir, and better days are ahead for Winchester pump shotguns, but probably not.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Mossbergs pump guns aren't anything to get excited about, but they are tough as nails and flat out work. I prefer the tang safety on them compared to the crossbolt on some of the others. I keep a 590 around the house for just in case.

 

[12Bravo20]

Another happy Mossberg owner. I have been using my 410 Model 500 since around 1985. I that been my goto shotgun for all my shotgun hunting outside of waterfowl. I use to use it for skeet too. That thing has had a lot of rounds fired through it. I have also used Mossberg 500s, 590s, and the NFA version of the Shockwave while in the Army. Again no issues with any of them. And I have zero issues with depending on a Mossberg 500 or 590 for actual combat use or home defense.

Now that we cleared the air for those Mossberg haters.

I can't comment on the Turkish made Winchester shotguns since I do not have any personal experience with them. And without having any hands-on experience, I can't compare them to the Mossberg 500. For me, the main things would be what type of warranty does the Turkish Winchesters have and how is the customer service.

 

[e rex]

I used a 1200 Winchester when they first came out and the SXP is supposed to be an improvement on those. We worked our shotguns over pretty hard pheasant hunting Kansas. I wouldn't be afraid of a SXP at all.

 

[Milkmaster]

I used a 1200 Winchester when they first came out and the SXP is supposed to be an improvement on those. We worked our shotguns over pretty hard pheasant hunting Kansas. I wouldn't be afraid of a SXP at all.

The SXP is actually two generations since the 1200. The 1300 bolt had some improvements over the 1200. The SXP is still very similar but not exactly the same. My SXP Defender was made in Turkey, and it works just fine. It's had about 500 rounds through it so far with no issues. I paid $299 for it last spring.

 

[jar]

The only issue I know of is it ain't a Model 12.

 

[crestoncowboy]

If the sxp still uses the ejector like the 1200/1400 etc then I wouldn't own one. They sell replacements in packs of 3. That should tell you something.

But maybe they fixed that by now. They had 3 different designs on those guns. All equally bad unfortunately

Id take a junky Maverick or 500 over any winchester pump or semi made in the last 55 or so years

 

[Ironicaintit]

Is a Trabant a worthwhile alternative to a Mini Cooper?

Or, put this way, the Win. Mod. 12 was the peak of Winchester shotgun design. (Of course, it was a JMB design.) The 1200 was a descent as is the SXP from the 1200. I would hope the SXP is the nadir, and better days are ahead for Winchester pump shotguns, but probably not.

The most excellent model 12 was designed by Thomas C. Johnson, not JMB.

 

[entropy]

Mea Culpa. I was thinking of the '97.

Makes one wonder why Browning made a reissue of them when (to my knowledge) all the other Win. Reissues (1886, 1895, etc) were JMB designs.

 

[amd6547]

I bought my Mossberg 500 used and beat up for $75 20 or so years ago, and it has been largely faultless for all that time. The one exception was a couple years ago, when the screw holding the ejector got loose. This resulted in failures to eject. A screwdriver and loktite solved that problem.

 

[Seedy Character]

The SXP is OK, but nothing special.

I would be shopping for an Old Rem 870 Wingmaster.

Never cared for the safety in front of trigger guard. Too far for my finger without changing grip.
The tang safety Mossy is a better choice, to me.
Back of trigger guard is my preference.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

I got my 500 back in the 70's. It's been used hard. And still keeps going.

 

[crestoncowboy]

I prefer the tang safety on a field gun or regular stock.

The tang safety is terrible on a shotgun with a pistol grip or thumb hole though. The OP said home defense so that alone might dictate which gun id get. 870/ Nova/ 500 etc etc.

 

[cdb1]

FN purchased a license to manufacture firearms under the Winchester name. As far as I’ve ever seen they do not manufacture or put their name on junk.

 

[entropy]

A company built on producing farmed-out gun designs farming-out a design based on a series of shotguns with known issues?
Reminds me of breweries buying out other breweries and devaluing those brands.
(It was hard for Stroh's to devalue Old Milwaukee, but they managed)
The similarity here is Winchester had devalued the 1200/1300 before the SXP, but FN (through their Turkish subcontractors) made it worse by turning the meh, decent, 1200 trigger into a gritty mess needing some attention to get back to the meh 1200 trigger.

 

[mgmorden]

It should work OK but between the two I'd prefer the Mossberg. I prefer a Rem 870 above either (there's 11 different pump shotguns in my safe and I'll pick the 870 every time).

 

[Barnfixer]

We have a SXP in the cabinet and it gets used a lot. It’s my sons first shotgun and has never failed. I’d buy another.

 

[Autodidactic]

As noted, there are a lot of mossbergs on Gunbroker. Look for the security ones and combos

 

[PapaG]

I've had a couple. Won at DU banquets or got in trades. I like the fit and action better than the 500-590s but won't go so far as to call them better.

 

[Autodidactic]

The SXP are in the same price range as the Mossbergs I think. The main thing I've heard is concern with the Turkish make of the SXP and simple stamping of Winchester on it. That's what my LGS said when I looked at one they had and asked this exact question, looking at Remington 870s, Mossberg 500s, and an SXP they had. But, I don't personally know. To be fair, I've heard 870's have gone down in quality too.