Great gallopin' green gollywogs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Trade a top-of-the-Remington-line 870P for a bottom-of-the-Ithaca-line Defense gun?
There are many people who like & use Ithacas, and I'm not knocking them.
But, consider the following:
870P is one of Remington's top quality pumps.
The Ithaca (based on the one I had here briefly) is one of that company's lower-end guns.
870P can load directly into the chamber through its side ejection port.
Ithaca is a bottom feeder & bottom shucker, no efficient direct chamber loading.
870P is very easy to keep topped up with a separate loading port and a separate ejection port.
Ithaca is a great design for a hunting gun, not so efficient as a defensive gun.
870P breaks down for cleaning extremely easily.
Ithaca Defense model has a fixed barrel & requires the stock to be removed to get the guts out.
870P has a multiplicity of accessories available.
Ithaca has a multiplicity of accessories NOT available.
870P can be Vang Comped (if you like the advantages Vang's work offers).
Ithaca is not one he'll work on.
870P spare parts for emergency & home repairs are readily available from Remington directly or from Brownells.
Ithaca spare parts are...less available & less amenable to home repairs & service if needed.
870 barrels can be easily swapped for longer or shorter barrels on the same frame.
Ithaca Defense, you're stuck with what came in the box.
870P comes with a superior recoil pad.
Ithaca Defense comes with a...recoil pad.
870P four-shot mags are fully supported at the forward end.
Ithaca Defense leaves its four-shot mag tube unsupported.
870P has useful sight options (dunno if yours has them).
Ithaca Defense has a bead.
870P is a long proven design.
Ithaca is a long proven design.
870 has been made by one company since the 1950s.
Ithaca has been made by....three incarnations? Four?
In no way am I knocking the current Ithaca company, its Defense model, or the people who like the Ithaca products.
If you like what they are & accept what they aren't, like any other choice in buying This vs That, it's your decision.
There's just no real comparison, though, you're talking Caddy vs Prius.
Lotsa people like the Prius, and the Prius gets lotsa people from here to there.
Lotsa people are happy with what the Ithaca Defense offers.
But, why you'd think you should trade down from a Caddy to the Ithaca Defense totally mystifies me.
If you were still trying to decide & had not bought either one, I can see cost being a factor in buying the Ithaca, but if you've made your decision, and in view of the fact that you get so much more for your Remington money, why are you thinking of dropping down now?
Denis