If you like the 870, I have a question.

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jon86

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To those who prefer the remington 870 over the mossberg 590/500, can you tell me why? I am used to the location of the slide release and safety on the mossberg. The dual extractors give me the warm fuzzies. But the 870's seem to fit me better, not that the 500 doesn't fit. Anyway, I just want to hear YOUR reason for preferring the 870. I am not trying to start a 870 vs 500 argument, there are plenty of those. :D Thanks for your answers folks.
 
870 just feels better. both are fine firearms. I have an 870 that has thousands of rounds through it and all it ever needed was a good cleaning now and then and for me to do my part. if you are into accessories, there are two of everything for 870.
 
I just personally prefer the older WingMasters. Smooth as glass comes to mind when I use one. Needless to say I prefer the used market to pick up my guns.
 
I prefer the safety location, and other ergonomics, of the Wingmasters, and I prefer the way they feel when you shoot them. I can adjust to everything else, but not the feel. I had 3 BPSs in 10 gauge, because I couldn't get an 870 in the 10. A BPS does NOT feel like an 870, and a BPS 10 doesn't feel like anything else either. They worked flawlessly, and I killed a heck of a lot of stuff, but as soon as the better non-toxic shot arrived they were history.
 
I have 3 870's. One old 20 ga. Wingmaster, beautiful, smooth as silk a real joy. My 28 year son has laid claim to it and I gladly gave it up. I have 2 Express's, one 12 ga., 18 1/2" rifle sighted barrel, tricked out with Knoxx Spec Ops Stock, Choate corn cob fore end with Picatinny rail and SureFire flashlite, factory magazine extension and sling. I have taken a shotgun course with this one and it has been flawless through several thousand rounds of all stripes. The other one is a plain vanilla 12 ga. with walnut stock and a 20" modified choke barrel with tritium rifle sights. It has a sling, but no extension or anything else. It too has been flawless.

I have two buddies with Mossbergs, and I have shot them a bit. Nothing wrong with them, and I wouldn't feel under armed with one, but I just like the Remingtons better.

No real reason other than I know the Remingtons like my tongue knows my teeth, and if I have to use one for serious purposes, my hands just know what to do.

At the end of the day, it really is the Indian, not the arrow. If you are proficient with the Mossberg, then that is the one for you.

It's really all about which one you practice with enough to just automatically operate without any thought.
 
I personally find 870's to be better looking and better feeling shotguns than 500/590's. I also hate the controls on the Mossbergs.
 
I prefer it to the Mossbergs because of its tighter feel, usually smoother action and all around brute strength that seems to help it hold up better under hard use.
 
Safety location. I prefer pistol grip stocks to "classic" stocks that hurt my hands, and the safety location on a mossberg in that config is a no-go for me.
 
Having both Remington 870's (2 of them) and a Mossberg 500, I would say that the overall quality is a little better on the Remingtons. The Remington design also gives you more flexibility on the way you set it up, since you can use magazine extensions. With the Mossberg you're stuck with the magazine capacity it comes with.
 
When I shot my first 870, Ike was president, the DeSoto was still in production and Elvis was only semi famous.5 870s later, I'm quite happy with them.

Lifetime round count has to be well over 50K, maybe twice that. Reliability up the wazoo.

I've never taken an 870 apart and put it back together blindfolded, but I could. The modular design is user friendly.

I have nothing against Mossbergs. They are good shotguns.

But for me, 870s just plain work.....
 
My biggest beef with the Mossberg 500 (and I do own a couple of them) is the magazine design. You have to tear the gun apart further than a simple field strip to clean out the magazine tube. Apparently the military thought that was a problem too, because they insisted on a simpler pull-through magazine cleanout design in the contract process that resulted in the 590.

Beyond that, I'd take a 590 gladly (got one of those too) if that was what I was offered in a pinch. I would take a 500 for that matter, and be a bit more careful with it. But my hands just know an 870 and can run it without thinking, and given a choice that's what I'll pick up if I need a serious shotgun. Overall it just feels right to me in a way the Mossbergs or any other aluminum receiver pumpgun design doesn't.

lpl
 
I'm not left handed and I don't have left handed shooter friends so the safety location on the 870 works better for me. It also works better if you decide on a pistol grip. The 870 I've got points well and shoulders well. I'm looking right down the rib when it comes up. Not a thing against the 500, just have an 870 and haven't seen an issue with it to try something else.
 
I have owned both.

The 870 feels more solid. More smooth.

The mossberg has 2 advantages in my never-so-humble opinion.

The safety location is better as it is easily seen and felt. More intuitive too.

The stronger mossberg spring makes it harder to short stroke.

That said...I own 2 870 M&Ps
 
The 870 is the ak47 of shotguns its simple,rugged,and takes abeating like you wont believe. My 870 has never failed me not in the mud,ice,snow,rain,saltwater,sand,and gravel, all of which ive hunted ducks in and gotten that shotgun drug through. The action has been full of sand and mud and it not once jammed, so having a shotgun thats reliable every time is why i like the 870.oh and the whole safety on a 500 is better is just a novice opinon anyone who has the shotgun shouldered and ready to fire can click the 870 safety off while going to pull the trigger unlike a 500 which makes you take your eyes off the sight picture.
 
I've shot 870s, 500 and 590.

I like the safety better on the 870, its just like my pellet gun and my 10/22. I have PG on mine and I dont have to move my hand to release the safety. 870's feel more solid to me. I wanted to accessorize, and there are lots of options for the 870. Military and Ret.LEO friends of mine said to go Remmy. My brothers both have one, although they look nothing alike. I've taken it apart with my eyes closed.

500 was only shotty I've seen break. But I think that had more to do with the owner than the weapon.

590 is a cool little devil though.

I dont always shoot shotguns. But when I do, I prefer 870. :D
 
As a teenager, I spent many summer days with my best friend shooting our 870 Expresses in a local blueberry field to help the owner thin the starling populations. Doing anything thousands of times will develop muscle memory, and it's probably hardwired even more if you learn it young.

So needless to say, an 870 feels quite right in my hands. My dad has a Mossberg 590, and I've handled it quite a bit. The first thing that I notice each time I pick up the Mossberg is how much the pump moves around and rattles. Everything about the gun just feels rougher, looser, more square, more utilitarian. Plus, after so much "training" with an 870, I could never get used to that funky safety on the Mossberg. When I went looking for an autoloading pheasant gun a few years back, I picked the Browning Silver Hunter - and one of the main reasons is the safety is in the exact same spot and works exactly the same as on the 870.

If I had grown up shooting Mossbergs, my preferences would most likely be completely different.
 
I can speak for both sides of the line with this one...

My friend was brought up on Remington & Glock. He has some unknown distaste for anything but the Remington 870 that is honestly just because he is used to the 870. It only gets on my nerves when we are talking to new shooters and he steers them away from the 500's just because. Also he really loves his Glocks because he knows how to operate and maintenance them.

Let's contrast... I wanted to get a shotgun and realized the Mossberg 500 was a cheaper gun that did everything the 870 did at a lower cost. I steer people towards the 500's because IMHO it's an easier gun to strip and clean and it costs less. As far as pistols go, every pistol I shoot I like better than the Glock.

I think it mostly comes down to what you are used to.
 
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