Used 870 Wingmaster or a new Mossberg 500

Status
Not open for further replies.
C

condoor

Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2006
Messages
34
I'm looking for a multi-purpose 12ga shotgun. One that has an 18.5" barrel and a 26" or so barrel that I can shoot clays with. I'd pretty much decided on the Mossberg 500 combo which I can get to my door (to my FFL actually) for around $270.

I came across a couple used 870 Wingmasters at the local shop that have me thinking. They are in the 250 - 300 range, but I would need to buy a 18" barrel for it, so that will get my total costs up to around $400. Is it worth the extra $130+ (33%) to get a used wingmaster over a new 500?

At this point I'm still kind of leaning toward the Mossy, but I'd like to know other peoples opinions.

FWIW - I don't have much experience with shotguns, so I don't really fell confident buying used but trust this shop to help me out. I doubt I will shoot more than 500 rounds through this gun per year. It will mostly serve as a HD gun.

TIA - c
 
Can you guys elaborate a bit as to why?

Why is it worth almost 35% more even used?
 
Why is it worth almost 35% more even used?
Click to expand...

The receiver is steel.

It's a simple, modular design that's easy to clean, easy to fix, and seldom has to be fixed. Lasts essentially forever.

Lots of available barrels, stocks, and other options, from lots of vendors.

Safety doesn't break.

Never seen one jam. I have seen a 500 jam hard.
 
edit nevermind answered my own question

The differences between the Model 870 Express and Wingmaster are mostly cosmetic. The Express utilizes a birch or laminate wood or synthetic stock and fore-end and non-polished matte finished metal surfaces. The Wingmaster has a walnut stock and fore-end and a high polished blued finish on metal surfaces. The Wingmaster models currently produced have a light contour barrel to lighten the weight of the firearm and for easier swinging.

Internal parts are the same on both models. Both are built to the same mechanical specifications. You can view our line of Model 870 shotguns by going to Products - Shotguns - 870 on our site.
 
Express has a plastic trigger group. This has never proven to be a problem. Modern polymers are used, as you know, for pistol frames, with no problems either.

Some other parts are stamped or MIM instead of machined, on the Express, and some are polished in the Wingmaster.

A broken-in Express with some oil on the action bars can be smooth and fast.

The Wingmaster is a higher-end gun, but the Express does work fine.

You can't upgrade an Express so easily, though. A new Wingmaster LC comes with a different barrel contour that makes it swing and balance a good deal better IMO. I have an Express and a higher-end 1100, both with 28" barrels and the Express seems more "dead" when swinging it. No good for flushing quail, whereas the 1100 does great despite its weight and length.

Next time you hear a "gun snob", consider this: the more you experience, the more you notice the "little things." This is what breeds "gun snobbery" among experienced shooters. Sure, some really ARE snobs. But a lot of them have just been there, done that.:)
 
I came across a couple used 870 Wingmasters at the local shop that have me thinking. They are in the 250 - 300 range
Click to expand...

What state are you in? Depending on where you live, you might be able to find a used wingmaster for under $200. I've picked up a couple of mine in the $125-$140 range from pawn shops. I'd shop around a little.
 
Handle both first.

Some (myself included) prefer the ergonomics and layout of the 500 to the 870. I initially had the Remington, but eventually replaced it with a Mossberg.

Don't concern yourself too much with the steel/non-steel receiver difference. They always say the steel 870 will outlast the 500, but the 500 will still outlast you. ;)
 
Nothing brings out the rabid fanboys quite like a "Which is better, Remington or Mossberg?" question. ;)

I have multiple 870s and they are great shotguns! I also have multiple Mossbergs and I have had equally great luck with them. You really can't go wrong either way... BUT... If there is that much price difference, I would opt for the Mossberg every time without looking back.

Yes. I have broken a plastic safety on a 500A. $10 and a trip to eBay cured that for good (metal replacement). As for the aluminum receiver, I'd like to meet the guy who has broken one. If you do that much damage to your shotgun, you have a LOT bigger problems than a broken receiver. And before someone plays the "It'll wear out faster!" card, my 500 is 17-years-old and has had THOUSANDS of rounds through it with nary a hiccup.

I love my 870s and I wouldn't get rid of them easily. But the Mossberg 500s are definitely a great, less expensive alternative.
 
I just got the latest Gun Tests.

They said that a used Wingmaster was worth the premium at $400, but that a Mossberg 835, which they really didn't like, was only worth buying for $190 if you were really strapped.

They thought the used Nova was a slightly better budget choice than the Remmie, worth the $240 they had to pay for it, and didn't like the Winchester 1200 at all.

Bottom line? The Wingmaster IS a better gun. Watch a Mossberg jam badly, and you'll agree.

People do successfully shoot Mossberg 500s all the time. But the old guys at the range, guys who can afford anything they want and know their guns, have Wingmasters and Model 12's to supplement their expensive break-actions, and maybe some earlier Remingtons like 31's, which are really nice but hard to find since they're so old. Not one of them would bother with a Mossy, especially if they had to pay for it.

Sorry, but it's true. The Wingmaster is a better choice.
 
Not to knock the 870 (I have three Remington shotguns myself), but the only time I've ever had my Mossberg jam was due to a bad batch of reloaded shells (brass wasn't resized correctly). For the record, my Father's Winchester 1200 and my Uncle's Remington 1100 both also choked repeatedly on the same batch of shells.

People talk about Mossberg shotguns jamming like it happens every time you take them out of the cabinet... Mine has has one episode in 17 years. And that is after two trips to the bottom of a lake, and being carried through and dropped in just about anything you could think of.

As with anything that is manufactured by humans, there is bound to be a lemon or two that sneaks through. But I doubt the military would've chosen Mossberg shotguns if they were all jamming, falling apart pieces of crap.
 
Must not get sucked into this....

Too late....

The 500 is a good shotgun.

The 870, even in its economical versions, is a GREAT shotgun.

The market has voted.

There's 8 million 870s and less than 3 millions 500s, even though the 500 is cheaper.

Here's why, at least in my highly biased but informed opinion.....

Durability other shotguns can only dream of.

Reliability to match.

Modular design. Easy to clean.

Weight that's enough to blunt the 1 1/8 oz loads most of us shoot the most of but not heavy enough to really tire us toting same.

Pointability. The 870 has a nice feel to its swinging.

That enough?....
 
I just got the latest Gun Tests.

They said that a used Wingmaster was worth the premium at $400, but that a Mossberg 835, which they really didn't like, was only worth buying for $190 if you were really strapped.

They thought the used Nova was a slightly better budget choice than the Remmie, worth the $240 they had to pay for it, and didn't like the Winchester 1200 at all.
Click to expand...

If you read it in Gun Tests, It must be true.

The 500 is a good shotgun.

The 870, even in its economical versions, is a GREAT shotgun.

The market has voted.

There's 8 million 870s and less than 3 millions 500s, even though the 500 is cheaper.
Click to expand...

Hasn't the 870 been in production twice as long as the mossy 500?

I doubt I will shoot more than 500 rounds through this gun per year. It will mostly serve as a HD gun.
Click to expand...

With such limited use, I doubt you can wear out any gun. Just get the one that fits you and your budget the best. FWIW, between my brother, my nephew and I, we have three Mossberg 500s which see regular use. Never a malfunction with any of them. I doubt we bought the last three good ones. The Wingmaster is the better shotgun, but either wail outlast you.
 
No question, go with the wingmaster. If your debating over cost, the express is still better. The guts of a wingmaster and an express are not identical, but both function the same. The express will feel rougher due to the looser tolerances the parts are held to.

I recently picked up a used wingmaster for $150 cash, it's old with a 30" barrel and isn't a mag, but I'm still thrilled...
 
4062, the 870 was intro'd in 1950. Dunno when the 500 first saw light.

It was the late 70s when the 870 passed the 3 million mark.Even discounting those, the 870 has outsold the 500 5-3.

The defense rests....
 
It was the late 70s when the 870 passed the 3 million mark.Even discounting those, the 870 has outsold the 500 5-3.

The defense rests....
Click to expand...


game, set, match.......



I've got 4 870 Wingmasters. (12, 12 magnum, 20, .410) They were my grandfathers.

They will belong to my grandchildren.

I doubt I will ever buy another shotgun, but if I do, you can bet your paycheck on what it will be.

Justin
 
<sarcasm> Yes. And nobody should shoot any handguns other than S&W revolvers and Colt (REAL COLT!) 1911s. They were the best 80 years ago, and they certainly haven’t come out with anything as good as or, dare I say, better than those classics… And if someone did come out with anything better (I am positive they haven’t) they CERTAINLY couldn’t be selling it cheaper. </sarcasm>

Seriously, though. Go find something that fits you (and your budget) well and buy it. Don’t worry too much about what name is stamped on the receiver.
 
4062, the 870 was intro'd in 1950. Dunno when the 500 first saw light.

It was the late 70s when the 870 passed the 3 million mark.Even discounting those, the 870 has outsold the 500 5-3.
Click to expand...

Makes you wonder how Remington got into financial trouble. Seriously, I don't doubt Remington has sold more guns than Mossberg. However, it doesn't mean that the 500 isn't a viable option for the purpose the OP laid out. I acknowledge the 870 Wingmaster and Police are among the best you can buy, but based on my personal experience and the experience of many other on this board, I don't think the mossy 500 is the POS some on this board would have you believe. If it were, it seems the military would've dropped them by now. Besides which, If we start making gun purchases according to which company sells the most guns, We'll all have to buy a glock. Fine gun, but I don't want one.
 
The military doesn't use the 500.

It uses the 590. Doesn't have the plastic parts of the 500, among other things.
 
They are both fine.
Get the one that fits you best.

Simply put, either choice is going to do the job just fine for a very, very long time.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

R
  • Locked
870 Wingmaster, good deal?
2
Replies
32
Views
2K
Virginian
V
EHCRain10
  • Locked
Age of used Mossberg and Remington
Replies
1
Views
395
Gord
G
O
  • Locked
Wingmaster for home defense?
Replies
21
Views
2K
DaleCooper51
D
S
  • Locked
New (to me) Wingmaster
Replies
5
Views
472
Fred Fuller
F
dak0ta
  • Locked
Pump Shotgun Picture Thread
2
Replies
25
Views
2K
P.B.Walsh
P.B.Walsh
Back
Top