Mossberg vs. Remington

You should buy the 870 for the price of a 500, at $200.

The 870s will outlast the 500s, if you shoot the hell out of them. The military doesn't put as many rounds through their shotguns, at least that's what my buddy, who had a Mossberg 500 in Iraq, told me, so they don't need to stand up to too much shooting. The cheaper 500 suits the military's needs, but isn't the best.

Either will do if you're only going to fire it a few times, but if you are going to use it a lot you might as well pay the extra $50 for the 870.

I'm partial to the 870.

That said, both are time proven platforms that will perform for you until you shoot them out. At that time, you'll be up to your knees in shells and thinking about Citori, etc.

Later,
Chrome...

Either of them will do just fine. It's easy to say the Remington is better made, and if it was a Wingmaster I'd agree, but the Express? Not so sure.

Also the Mossbergs safety is much easier to use, as is the slide release.

As far as firing it a few times, well a lot of posters on this forum seem to think 250 shells a year is a lot ... my Mossberg is my second gun and I've put over 5000 shells through it in 2 or 3 years, and it's better now than it was when I bought it.





p.s This subject gets covered at least twice a week, every week ...

Current rebate program makes the 870 Express even $30 cheaper:

http://www.remington.com/pdfs/promo_coupon.pdf

"This subject gets covered at least twice a week, every week ... " -- throdgrain

Truer words have never been spoken. I think both of these guns are great. It honestly comes down to a matter of preference. It is a Ford vs. Chevy thing (we all know that Chevy is better). I will say that the debate can take a potentially negative turn. In spite of the fact that they are both great guns, I have noticed that the Remington proponents can be a little ungracious when they critique Mossberg. I am a Mossberg guy but I will concede that the Remington receiver may be more durable because it is steel instead of aluminum. It has proven reliability and it is runs like a Timex. But I prefer the Mossberg because it is more ergonomically suited to me and it also runs like a clock. I also prefer the lighter weight, the location of the slide release button, the twin extractors (Remington has a single extractor), and that excellent, excellent, EXCELLENT tang safety! Flip a coin, they are both great guns.

This link does a great job of comparing a Mossberg 590SP to and Remington 870 Police. It may help.

http://www.tacticalshotgun.ca/content_nonsub/shotguns/compare_870_590.html

How ironic.

I was just at my local sporting goods store and did a Remington 870 Express vs. Mossberg 500 comparison. Besides not being able to shoot them, I may pick up the Mossberg later this week. Why? Because the ergonomics of the slide release and safety switch. I did love the 870's wood stock and handguard, but I'm a polymer guy. Also both had bead sights, I'm trying to see if I can grab some ghost ring sights...or find one that already has it.

I'm going to do some more research. That's just my take.

Academy has a sale with Remington 870 express for $199.99

Click to expand...

Regional pricing? Last week it ran for $229 here (including the $30 rebate). I didn't see it in their ad this week. Have I missed it?

870 all the way.

Military shotguns must meet a required amount of full power round to be accepted.

I love mossbergs, but Id buy the Remington

Neither, look for a Wingmaster police turn-in in 2 3/4.

or

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=110394204

This subject gets covered at least twice a week, every week ...

Click to expand...

Indeed it does and my answer remains the same. I've owned both. I kept the 870.

I have both the 500A tactical and the 870 tactical...a few months ago I would've said...go Mossberg then I got the 870 and I am hooked.Both are great shotguns...but my preference is the 870.

Get the one that feels right to you.

My choice is the Mossberg 500 because the safety is in the "right" place and makes for one less thing to think about when I need to shoot. You can also tell very quickly what state the gun is in with the safety only 5" away from your eye.

Having owned both (my first was an 870), I stayed with the Mossberg. Because I use a Valmet 412 over/under as well, the Mossberg is easier to use as they have the safety in the same location. When I used a Savage 720, the 870 was easier because their safeties were in the same location. In either case, they are both great shotguns and will do what you ask of them.

Ash

some well made points for and against each model, IMHO you really cant go wrong with either. Try to find someone who has both and do a side by side shoot off, thats what I did and its the reason that I still own both. I prefer the mossberg for HD because of the saftey but the Remington swings better for me while wingshooting.

Either way they are great guns at very good prices and you wont be let down anytime soon by either model.

I've settled on my Mossberg for ducks. But, mostly it's because it's a somewhat better gun with the tang safety and the hidden shell elevator for a south paw duck hunter. Most guns, including my Winchester 1400, have the shell elevator in the way of loading, just hold it out of the way with the off hand to avoid it pinching your gloved hand, and most have that blasted cross bolt safety that has caused me to miss getting shots on fast moving birds from time to time that I didn't see coming. Tang safeties are much more natural, anyway.

The one knock I have on 870s beyond the left handed thing is the express finish seems to rust on demand in the salt marshes where I hunt. A camo finish on my 500 has been the answer to that. It's held up well for nearly 20 years now. I might add an 870 to my collection some day, but it wouldn't ever be the first gun I'd reach for on the way out the door, so why bother? The Winchester is a bit of a pain with the crossbolt safety for me, but its pay back is it feels like a 20 on my shoulder even with heavy fasteel number 3 duck loads. I could shoot a case in an hour and my shoulder wouldn't bother me and it don't even have a recoil pad....sweet. The Mossberg shoots 3" which I've been using with hevi shot on geese, but I'm trying to get a 10 to replace it for that use.

My 870 did rust easily, but it worked just fine.

Ash

Never had an 870, but I've got tons of ammo fired through my Mossberg 500, and I bought it after it served years of duty for a police dept. Never had a problem, and I've hunted all sorts of animals with it, shooting through different barrels, different types of shells...I'd match it up against an 870 ANYDAY...
Both are great guns, but I know what a Mossberg will do over the long haul...
Can't beat 'em...Good luck,

"The 870s will outlast the 500s, if you shoot the hell out of them. The military doesn't put as many rounds through their shotguns, at least that's what my buddy, who had a Mossberg 500 in Iraq, told me, so they don't need to stand up to too much shooting. The cheaper 500 suits the military's needs, but isn't the best."






WHaaa????



The Marines use the 590A1, and its about $200 more than the stadard 870 or 500, not that they havent used the 870's also. The 590A1 is the only gun to have survived the militarys (enter gun destruction test # here) and kept working, something like 1500rds of OO Buck and 1500rds of Slugs.



Your bud is messing with you.....

One of my 500's is actually from the late 1960's, a single bar version, and it has seen continuous use since then. Even were it a mere 100 rounds a year (less than ten a month), that's still more than 4,000 rounds total (and a large number of those, especially in the last 15 years, have been 3 inch steel shot for duck hunting). I don't compete with it and certainly cannot make an observation about its suitability for that. But I can certainly vouch for its durability. Considering the bolt locks into the barrel on the 500, the receiver undergoes far less stress than an 870 receiver. That makes it more apples and oranges as far as receivers go. The 870 MUST be steel with the current design, the Mossberg can be just about any material.

Again, that is not to bash the 870. Mine was certainly reliable. Rusted easily, which I thought odd as the matte finish should have held oil just fine. But it never gave me troubles all the same. And, were I still using my Savage 720, then I might still use the 870 for ducks given their safeties are in the same place.

Ash

I have owned a mossy 500 cruiser and my current love a 870 marine mag and the 870 is better constructed and action is better in my opinion,if I had to do it again,the 870 would be the one I buy.

Q' on Mossberg safeties...

do they block the sear/hammer? Crossbolt safeties on the trigger guard only block the trigger, is the tang safety any different?

Better constructed. I read that in many places and it really means...what? By that do you mean materials used? If so, which materials on the 870 are better than the 500? Barrel steel? Vent Rib? Trigger guard and components? What of the Remmy is better constructed than the Mossberg? That is not some petulant attack on preference, as folks certainly can like what they please. But having owned both, I can't tell one iota of a difference in quality of construction between them.

As to safeties, they block the sear, if I recall correctly.

Ash