870 vs 1300

[Milkmaster]

I originally sent this private message to MD7 after reading his post about the Winchester 1300. I thought his reply was worth sharing, and with his permission begin this thread.


Question...

I saw your post about rabbit hunting with the 1300 and now using an 870. I also have both the 870 and 1300. I am curious to how you compare the two guns overall. No one talks much about the 1300 although it was made for many years. Care to gimme an opinion or even start a thread on that subject?

Answer...

i don't mind a bit. the 1300 was my first shotgun. i have had it for about 14 or 15 years now. there is a lot to be said for the 1300 in my opinion. it is a gun that works. i can attest to that. 14 years of service in the dove field, deer drives, and rabbit hunts in all sorts of weather conditions without a glitch or spot of rust. i also like the speed pump. some folks don't care for it, but it probably has a lot to do with what folks are used to operating. the 870 has a completely different feel to it than the 1300 does when shucking a shell. at least it does to me. i started on the 1300 so the speed pump feels normal. i think that most people will tell you that the 1300 is a good shotgun. the main reason, imho, that it is relatively unheard of is that the 1300 was introduced when the 870 was already king of the hill, and the mossberg 500 was a slightly less expesive aluminum frame shotgun that showed up on the scene prior to the 1300. sort of like it was a good shotgun added to a list of 2 other good shotguns that were already popular.

the 870 is a good shotgun as well. at least i think it is. the main reason for switching to it was that winchester no longer produces the 1300, or didn't at the time, and i wanted an 18" cyl bore barrel for rabbit hunting. it has been a pretty solid performer. i like the heft of it better than 1300 if that makes sense. it isn't as easy to carry for extended periods of time, but shoots softer. that is subjective though. i like that the 870 has a good aftermarket support if i need parts and generally think it is one of those shotguns that nobody should be without. you know what i mean? they proven, they available, and easy to find parts for. one thing i don't necessarliy care for is the location of the slide release. that is a minor thing though, and i can definitly live with it.

i know i have said a bunch, but i will leave at this. both guns have proven themselves to be reliable performers. i like the action and location of the slide release on the 1300, and the heft and ease of shooting that the 870 offers. truthfully, i think it is 6 of 1 and half a dozen of the other. i am up for a thread, and am interested in your evaluation of these 2 shotguns. always good to talk to another 1300 fan.

 

[md7]

hey milkmaster,

i see that the thread has been started. i should note that i am no expert on shotguns. there are a ton of people on this board that are way more quailified than i am.

i am just a country boy that has used and shot both of these guns and like em both.

anyway, what is your evaluation?

 

[Youngster]

My only knocks against the 1300 are the somewhat toy-like heft and look, but functionally it's a great tool and the "Speed Pump" tends to be both faster and more forgiving than the other guys IMO.

 

[Rmart30]

ive got one of each,870 and 1300... I prefer the 870 over the 1300 for one reason.... safety location.
With the Remington I can engage/disengage the safety without changing my grip, the 1300 I have to change my grip to do that because its so far forward. Other than that I like them both but lean to the 870 for hunting and the 1300 for my HD gun.

 

[psyopspec]

The first long gun I ever bought for myself was a 1300 in stainless. I sold it when I was a poor college student, and have since replaced it with an 870 stainless.

I'd vote that they're equally great guns; the only reason I didn't get a second 1300 when I was looking to replace the first one was that they'd been discontinued (highly unfortunate, IMO).

 

[Beagle-zebub]

Well, the "toy-like heft" of the 1300 was a product of its aluminum receiver, and was probably crucial to the speed-pump system. (The same principle that operates the inertia-driven Benellis is at work in a pump gun, and the weight of the weapon affects function in both cases.)

 

[Mr. 16 gauge]

Having torn down and cleaned both weapons, I must profess a preference for the 870....fewer parts and they tend to reassemble more quickly and with less fuss. I don't know about the 1300, but replacement parts are easy to get for the 870, should they be needed (so far haven't needed any).
I am also with Rmart30....I prefer the safety location on the 870 over the 1300.

 

[Al Thompson]

I'm a semi-serious 870/1100 fan. I do not feel unarmed with a Mossberg or a Winchester at all. I have assembled and dis-assembled all three numerous times. So I know the platforms.

I think each is a 90% solution, with both positives and negatives. As Dave sez - get what fits and BA/UU/R.

 

[Milkmaster]

I guess I should give an opinion in a thread I started huh?
Considering the Winchester 1300 vs Remington 870.... I have 2 of the 1300 and one of the 870 models. My opinions are based upon mostly using the guns as bird guns, or clay shooting. All are hunting models with 28" barrels.

I would give a plus 1 to the Winchester for hunting quail, because it is lighter to carry around several hours and does not become near as heavy as the 870. Darn shame the quail are not around so much anymore. Too much development and droughts have starved them out I think.

Clay shooting would be a plus one for the 870. The heft helps provide a softer recoil for shooting several rounds in an afternoon. That being said, I have helped one of my 1300's a great deal by adding "two" of the mercury recoil weights. One is in the stock and the other is in the magazine. I am not certain the mercury action is really much help. I am certain the added weight helped a great deal. I wouldn't want to carry the heavier 1300 gun in the field all day, but it works well for trap.

Disassembly is a break even score. For me, either model can be taken down with ease. The parts come apart in an obvious method for both. Reassembly is just as easy.

Construction….hmmmm….Yes I know the 870 has a steel receiver….Yes I know the 1300 has an alloy receiver. I just have to say that both will be here when I die! From what see, neither will be worn out by me or my grandkids. I take care of my guns and treat them very well as any of my tools. I guess if I had an old gun thrown behind the seat of the truck in with the dirt and grit, items laid on top of it, and subject to severe abuse, then the 870 would be plus one for construction. I don’t recommend treating any firearm that way and expecting it to work when you need it.

Function… I like the speedfeed rotary bolt on the 1300. When shooting clays with the 1300, I usually don’t even realize the empty hull is gone after firing during trap. Shooting doubles is a breeze. Neither the 1300 or 870 gun has ever failed to fire! Neither has ever had a jam that I remember! The 870 reliability is legendary.

Price….Right now I would give the plus one to the 1300. Being discontinued, I see several marked way down at gun stores. Occasionally I still see a new one, but not lately. My second 1300 was bought at the end of the run because of the bargain clearance price. I still like wood and blue guns. I see wood and blue 1300’s on the rack for less than I see the synthetic 870 Express models.

You starting to see a pattern here? BOTH guns are fine examples of design and function. Either will last you a lifetime and more. Parts should be plentiful for either model for a long time forward. Find the one that calls your name when searching and buy it. Don’t fret over the steel vs. aluminum thing. Get the 1300 if you want a lighter gun to tote around. Get the 870 if you like a little more heft. Go out there and rescue these orphaned friends lying in wait for a new owner to love and share life. Give the new gun a name, get to know it inside and out, keep it cleaned and oiled, and it will become your friend like a good dog.

 

[Youngster]

The "1300" is back in production, it's just now called the "Speed Pump" line...

http://www.winchesterguns.com/prodinfo/catalog/category.asp?cat=019C

 

[Milkmaster]

So true! I had forgotten about the FN Speedpump gun. I have seen one of the at a gun show. I was told there were a few changes from the 1300, but the changes were not readily apparent while not having one beside it to compare. I hope they live up to their heritage.

 

[peacemaker45]

I actually owned a 1300 for a few weeks but never had a chance to shoot it. I wasn't really all that excited by it, and had an 870 and mossberg already. Wound up swapping it for a Winchester '97. Now both the Rem and Mossy sit in the safe. If I'm shooting a pump, it's probably the '97. Weird, I know.

~~~Mat

 

[SwampWolf]

I am also with Rmart30....I prefer the safety location on the 870 over the 1300.

Interesting! I much prefer the location of the Winchester safety over the Remington's: it seems far easier to move my finger in a sweeping motion from front to rear than it is to go from "back to front to back."I prefer a tang located safety to either of the aforementioned. Another safety location that I really like is the one on Browning's old Double Auto-on this gun the safety was located to the rear of the trigger guard but directly behind it and was accessed with the second finger on your hand moving it up or down.The only potential problem with this design is that the safety can be activated too easily.

I suspect that one's preference for a safety location has as much to do with what he's most used to as it is with anything else.