Which Shotgun and why?

Status
Not open for further replies.

tshaw

Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2011
Messages
144
Location
Mexico mo
im trying to decide what shotgun i want.. ive narrowed it down to the remington 870 express tactical, remington 887 nitro mag tactical, mossberg 930 spx..

reasons for choice, 12g, 18.5 inch barrel, picatinny rail, and all have a solid reputation, and all are about the same price..

any opinions guys? also any other shoguns that fit the criteria
 
Last edited:
Stay away from the Express unless you intend to refinish it, that thing is a literal rustbucket. I would recommend the 930 simply because I don't know much about the 887 since it isn't that popular.
 
Been using the 870 Express for decades of duck hunting and have never had a spot of rust. The 870, in any configuration would be my 1st choice. Can't like the new 887 at all. Not a fan of Mossberg, but in a tactical gun the 930 is not bad and would be my 2nd choice of the ones you listed.

I'd also consider the Benelli Nova. As hunting gun the 870 just plain points and balances much better than most others. The Benelli does not, but for a tactical gun it may be the best of the bunch, and is priced right.
 
Its gonna be defense, and just go have fun rabbit hunting and stuff like that, Im meticulis about cleaning and oiling my guns also
 
Well, frankly (to the op) you've chosen 3 shotguns that are pretty dissimilar to each other.

The 870 is basically the 'classic' tactical shotgun, if that's what you're looking for. Best aftermarket support, simple to use, as reliable as most pump actions tend to be.

The 887 has a 3.5" super magnum chamber, although I'm not sure exactly what you'd use that for. It also has a really infamously bad reputation, so I'd probably go with the 870 over the 887.

The 930 is really the oddball out of your 3 picks, being an autoloader. There's no doubt in my mind that for defensive purposes, and you have the choice between the two, there's no real reason to go for a pump over an auto. Autos might be more 'ammo picky' but you're going to test it and choose rounds that function reliably anyway, aren't you? The other thing though, is that last I checked the 930 costs almost twice as much as the 870. The question is, is it worth the extra 2-300 bucks to you? I can't answer that one for you.

So, bottom line, I'd avoid the 887 (if you really want a 3.5" super mag chamber, I'll second the Benelli Supernova), and between the 870 and the 930, you decide if you want the more expensive autoloader, or the less expensive pump action.
 
Been using the 870 Express for decades of duck hunting and have never had a spot of rust. The 870, in any configuration would be my 1st choice. Can't like the new 887 at all. Not a fan of Mossberg, but in a tactical gun the 930 is not bad and would be my 2nd choice of the ones you listed.

Must be the newer Express models. Mine rusts despite being wiped down and at Dick's Sporting Goods I saw a NIB 870 Express rusting on the rack itself. None of my other guns rust but the Express.
 
I get wholesale cost on mossbergs 518 for the non pistol grip 930 spx.. I want a 18.5 inch, 12g with a picatinny rail for a halo scope.. so 930 spx, 87
0 or others?
 
The recent reputation of the 870 Express has been extremely low lately. I went into a gun shop with the intent of buying one to trick out, however the wood/metal fit was atrocious and there was a lot of grit in the receiver/chamber. If you want an 870, go for an older one and not a brand new one.

On the other hand, the 930 has a very, very good reputation right now. Everyone that picks one up seems to love it. Once they are broken in, they seem to run just about everything perfectly. I should have bought one when they were cheap...

I have no experience with the 887 at all, but there are a lot of other guns I would pick before I bought that one. Examples being the Mossberg 535 Tactical Turkey (I know I know) and so on.
 
If you are going to use it as a house gun and a small game getter, I would really opt for a longer barrel either with a fixed mod or removable chokes. Add the shorter barrel afterwards as they are much cheaper then a replacement field barrel(~$250 vs $120). If they make a combo, go for that and cover both your needs at the same time.

Get an 870. If you can find a nice used wingmaster for a great price, grab it. Nothing wrong with a new express either.

Whichever shotgun you end up purchasing, run plenty of shells through it. Shotguns love exercise.
 
how hard is it to add a picatinny rail to normal 870? and for 500 bucks is the 870 express tactical worth what u get? 870 mcs has always been my dream gun seems this is the closest thing
 
Mossberg 930 spx is on backorder no idea when the will b in.. its the 870 with the xs ghost ring sights, extended tube, rem choke, breacher, and rail
 
The 870 is never a bad choice. Even the Express model is just fine. I've heard a few stories on the net of bad examples getting out the door, but have never seen or known of anyone personally. The LGS has never had anybody bring one back and when you read between the lines of folks who do have problems it is always something simple to rectify the problem. It is a solid, proven design.

You don't need a rail or anything else to have an effective gun.
 
I'm a big fan of Mossberg and own both a 14" barrel 590A1 SBS pump and a 930SPX auto. I am LE and prior military and only use these guns for work, training, HD and local tactical competitions. I don't hunt, just never really got into it.

47eb4c49-6b46-5045.jpg
47eb4c49-6b69-dc7c.jpg
47eb4c49-6b86-b14e.jpg

My LE agency used to issue us Remington 870's when I first started, but switched over to the 14" Mossberg 590A1 SBS about 8-10 years ago. I don't know the reason why they chose to do so. I never liked the 870 as I never felt comfortable shooting it. But I love the 590A1 because its controls seem more ergonomic to me and the shotgun seems more solidly built. I guess it's a personal preference thing.

I only just recently bought the 930SPX and have only bought it to the range once. I intend to use it primarily for local tactical competitions because a 14" pump is seriously handicapping me in those matches. The 590A1 is my work horse and my dedicated tactical/HD gun.

As previously mentioned, semi-auto shotguns are notoriously finicky with ammo selection and pump guns will usually eat almost any type of ammo, especially my 590A1. I haven't fired enough ammo through my 930SPX yet to make an informed decision based upon my own personal experience with the gun, but it did perform flawlessly with a variety of shells the first time out.
 
Some other important considerations...

If you're considering a pistol grip, I wouldn't go with a Mossberg because of the location of the tang safety. It's an awkward and long reach from the pistol grip.

If the weapon is to be used primarily for tactical or HD purposes, a strongly recommend the addition of a light source on the weapon. You need to identify your target before you engage it and you're very likely to encounter low-light in tactical/HD situations. God forbid if your wife/girlfriend/adult or teen child comes home late unbeknownst to you and grab that weapon to confront what you believe may be a possible threat....
 
My Mossberg 500 Tactical Persuader or the similar 590 is my choice. But The 870 is just fine as well. Both will run anything you put through them and will last a lifetime. I am a fan of the 20" barrel on my gun due to the extra magazine capacity (7+1) it gives me. I don't feel that the extra 1.5" is a hindrance.
http://youtu.be/6VYoSjAamWw

IMAG0131.jpg
 
My dream gun has always been 870 Mcs and seems like the 870 express tactical is the closest I'm gonnafind.. so I think I'm. Ordering the 870 express tactical with x's ghost ring sights... the 930 spx. Is on backorder and no rail on 590 and no 887 from what I here.
 
Yup you just unscrew the filler screws, line up the holes on the rail with the holes on the receiver, and screw in the screws that come with the rail. It's easy beyond belief.

On a side note, I remember reading somewhere that this police department ran a durability test on a Remington 870 Police and a Mossberg 590. I have to find the article, but it said that the average rounds before significant failure was:

~60,000 Rounds for the 870
~15_,000 Rounds for the 590

I'm trying to get the citation! Gosh you put in "life expectancy of 870 vs 590" and you get 3,000,000 results!

Edit: All I can say is I can't find my citation anywhere. The internet is a little to big. I will say though that there's a reason the Marines picked the 590 over the 870 when they ordered a new batch...
 
i went to the local gunshop, handled the 500, 870 and bernelli in normal and pistol grips.. couldnt stand the mossberg safety with the pistol grip.. and the bernelli didnt feel right so i ordered the 870 express tactical should be here thursday or friday!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top