Is the 870 still the gold standard?

[inSight-NEO]

I just had problems with my Sig P220 shooting Speer Gold Dot ammo

I have yet to try this ammo with my Sig P220 .45 ACP (American). I hope I dont run into the same probs you have. Either way, I have heard that these rounds use hard primers and that this may cause misfire issues, particularly on weapons with modified triggers (action). Im not saying that your gun has been modified, but the "hard primer" thing may be a contributing factor here nonetheless. Makes me want to go out and try my Sig right now...

 

[peetee32]

this is my new to me 870 (taking it out on saturday for the first time)





got it as a combo gun with a 20" rifled barrel and 26" vented with choke for $315 out the door. barely used. i found a trade online and got a smooth barrel for my rifled and picked up the 3shot extension and slip on limbsaver. the extension is just for show right now, as i have not dealt with the dimples yet. once its on for real i'll pick up a barrel clamp and bask in the glory of my first shotgun, and what will be my sons first shotgun (around 18yrs from now)

 

[wrs840]

I like my Moss 500. I will admit that 870's beat out the 500s, but when compared to the 590s...well, my opinion changes.

I've got all three of those. The 500 w/ 24" rifle-sight slug barrel is still my favorite, even with the loose/rattly pump grip...

Les

 

[DHart]

870's can do the job just fine but, in my evaluation, the controls ergonomics on the 500/590 are quite superior....

Here's why I love the Mossbergs and recommend them over the Remingtons:

Let's start with the ACTION RELEASE... while holding the gun ready to fire, to cycle the action all you need to do is shift your second finger slightly from where it already is and push up, without changing grip or other fingers at all, and it's done. NICE!

Next up... the THUMB SAFETY, again while holding the shotgun ready to fire, the safety can be flicked on and off readily by the thumb (and is visually very clear as to what position it is in) without changing your grip or fingers at all. VERY NICE!

Now, moving on to the LIFTER... when the gun is ready to fire, the lifter is up and out of the way, allowing topping off the mag without having to push the lifter out of the way. AWESOME!

Additionally, the 500/590 has TWO EXTRACTORS. REASSURING!

Mossberg really thought through the ergos on the controls much better than Remington did.

Of course a shooter can learn and acclimate to either gun and both the 870 and the 500/590 are excellent and worthy shotguns which will do the job admirably. That said, my recommendation is to pick whichever one feels better and more ergonomic to you, go with that, and you'll be fine. My choice is clearly Mossberg; my long-term standby 500 Persuader is a super-sweet, rock-solid, dependable 18" 6-shooter and I just added a new 590 20" 9-shot which is every bit as great, but with more capacity.

 

[22lr]

+1 to Dhart, you'd have to kill me to get my moss 500, and even then i dmake you pry it from my cold dead hand. To me the best feture of the 500 is the floorplate doesn't pinch your fingers when your loading a shell. I had a 870 and sold it because I could never load a shell without jamming it up, or pinching my finger, its probably just me but ill take the 500 anyday.

 

[chuckusaret]

I have a Mossberg 500 Cruiser 12ga 20" barrel and a Remington 870 12ga with a 18.5 barrel. Both are good guns but I prefer the Mossberg. Why, the feel, the operation, the sound when you rack it, no, I just like it better.

 

[Vermont]

A distinctive sounding action - home intruders seem to vanish when they hear it cyclying

I can vouch for this. After every time I cycle the action I look around for home intruders and I've never seen one. This may be because I'm usually at the range when I cycle the action, but so far it has had a 100% success rate. You can't argue with that.

 

[MCgunner]

I have owned 500 and 870's. It is my opinion that the 500 is quicker to use, safety and action release. This is further appreciated if a lefty by nature, or circumstance.

I'm a lefty and prefer the 500, but beyond that, the 500 is a better built gun than the express. I don't trust Remington pumps anymore, QC problems from what I can tell. The express turns to rust right in front of your eyes, too, down here in the salt marsh. I've been shooting a 500 for 20 years and it's still going strong. You might worry about fore end rattle or something, but it's a non-issue in a waterfowl gun. If I wanted to upgrade for another pump, I'd go Browning, not Remington. For me, the BPS is awesome. The BPS is MY gold standard and I consider the 500 as a po-boy's BPS. The BPS is perfectly ambidextrous. The Mossberg works for me, though. I'd rather have a 250 dollar gun out in the salt marsh, than a 700 dollar one, too.

 

[Virginian]

Ya' gotta figure lefty opinions are gonna be backwards anyway.
My buddy loves his BPS, but when I had one I could never warm up to having to run shells thru the magazine. If I am taking off or putting on the safety, or releasing the action, I don't need my finger on the trigger anyway, so I believe I'll keep my Wingmaster. Also, the 870 and the 1100 are so similar I can switch back and forth pretty seamlessly.

 

[RonE]

For a tactical or home defense pump shotgun, who cares, Remington, Mossburg, Benelli they are all about the same.
The question which shotgun is the gold standard for a pump shotgun, I would have to go with the Winchester Model 12.