Mossberg 500 vs Remington 870...
- Thread starter DHonovich
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stickyricky3
.410
Gotta be a mossy 500. Like one of the other guys said, it isn't a quality issue. I dont like the safety and the flap over the loading port. IM not sure if thats the elevator or what but i cant stand it. I also dont like how the tube spring can pop out and get ya when you are removing the barrel.
I have 2 500's and i feel as though i need another. Kinda wanting a 590 or something semiauto.
I have 2 500's and i feel as though i need another. Kinda wanting a 590 or something semiauto.
daytime dave
.270 WIN
I have always been a Remington man, until I closely looked at and recently bought a few Mossbergs. Now, I would say I prefer the ambidextrous safety and five rounds of 2 3/4" in the mag tube of the Mossbergs. The extra round is the dealmaker in a standard 500 over the 870 for me.
cmcdonald
Boating Accident Victim
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Any of you that know my story will know that I am now an 870 owner.
The Mossberg 500 has many great features and I absolutely loved the look and feel of my 500 Mariner...that's why I bought it. But after going through two Mariners with identical FTE, pre-mature ejecting (hey! no smirking!
)and jamming issues...I had to move on.
My 870 Super Mag had a small hiccup at first which was easy to remedy and now functions flawlessly every time. I'm at least 800+ rounds into it now...it functions great. No issues.
I will say without hesitation that manufacturing issues on new firearms is unacceptable at any level, but nothing is perfect. From what I hear, the frequency of issues with new "off the shelf" firearms seems disappointing at best. Lately, I have been hearing of quality / manufacturing issues with Mossberg, Remington and Ruger. I'm sure there are others too.
I have been toying with the idea of another Mossberg or Maverick SG since I now have a reliable SG. I am hoping I might be pleasantly surprised...we'll see in the new year.
The Mossberg 500 has many great features and I absolutely loved the look and feel of my 500 Mariner...that's why I bought it. But after going through two Mariners with identical FTE, pre-mature ejecting (hey! no smirking!
)and jamming issues...I had to move on.My 870 Super Mag had a small hiccup at first which was easy to remedy and now functions flawlessly every time. I'm at least 800+ rounds into it now...it functions great. No issues.
I will say without hesitation that manufacturing issues on new firearms is unacceptable at any level, but nothing is perfect. From what I hear, the frequency of issues with new "off the shelf" firearms seems disappointing at best. Lately, I have been hearing of quality / manufacturing issues with Mossberg, Remington and Ruger. I'm sure there are others too.
I have been toying with the idea of another Mossberg or Maverick SG since I now have a reliable SG. I am hoping I might be pleasantly surprised...we'll see in the new year.
TheJackal
.410
When I realized I wanted a shotgun - I came the the conclusion that I didn't know a damn thing about them.
I spent the better part of a year and a half on and off researching actions, makes, models, features, and the like.
I decided what type I wanted was a 12 gauge pump-action.
I looked at the top three pump actions - they were
Winchester 1300
Mossberg 500/590
Remington 870
The Winchester is no longer made, so that was out - and it left me to choose between an 870 or a 500/590.
I researched the absolute crap out of the two of them - then rented and put rounds through both of them.
My conclusion was that the 500/590 is superior, while the 870 has some major inherent design flaws.
All else equal - the 870 is NOT user serviceable at all - the lifter / loading gate is known to cause jams and pinch fingers - and compared to the 500, the controls seem poorly laid out.
Now factor in the Quality Control issues Remington and the 870 have developed - and there is absolutely no reason at all for a sane person to buy an 870 instead of a Mossberg 500/590.
For me the choice was easy - as the Mossbergs are just all around a better gun.
I spent the better part of a year and a half on and off researching actions, makes, models, features, and the like.
I decided what type I wanted was a 12 gauge pump-action.
I looked at the top three pump actions - they were
Winchester 1300
Mossberg 500/590
Remington 870
The Winchester is no longer made, so that was out - and it left me to choose between an 870 or a 500/590.
I researched the absolute crap out of the two of them - then rented and put rounds through both of them.
My conclusion was that the 500/590 is superior, while the 870 has some major inherent design flaws.
All else equal - the 870 is NOT user serviceable at all - the lifter / loading gate is known to cause jams and pinch fingers - and compared to the 500, the controls seem poorly laid out.
Now factor in the Quality Control issues Remington and the 870 have developed - and there is absolutely no reason at all for a sane person to buy an 870 instead of a Mossberg 500/590.
For me the choice was easy - as the Mossbergs are just all around a better gun.
TheJackal said:
Spoken like a true Mossberg Owner enthusiast
cmcdonald
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So true AK.aksavanaman said:TheJackal said:
Spoken like a true Mossberg Owner enthusiast
I honestly wish I shared that enthusiasm. Maybe my two 500's were made on a Friday and a Monday?!? Who knows? :|
Like anything, personal experiences will (or should) shape our opinions more than any review or gassing from the dude in Walmart. So with that in mind...are any of these opinions wrong...nope! Just our own observations.Tanker said:Not really a good poll. This is like going to KFC and asking, Which do you like best, chicken or hamburgers.
What poll numbers do you expect on a Mossberg forum?
Ron
stickyricky3
.410
aksavanaman said:TheJackal said:
Spoken like a true Mossberg Owner enthusiast
Here here!!!
TomcatPC
.270 WIN
Since I currently own and have owned in the past a Mossberg 500, I voted for the Mossberg 500. Having very little experience with the Remington 870, the impression I get is that they are a good gun as well... I know that I'm happy with my Mossberg 500... I guess they are both good guns in the end, one thing I noticed is that in my mid-1980's era USN BMR Book, both the Mossberg 500 and Remington 870 are (were in the mid 1980's) listed as standard issue shotguns used by the USN...
Not sure I said anything definitive...LOL, but even though I think they are both good, I'd have to vote for the 500, since I have one at this time...
Mark
Not sure I said anything definitive...LOL, but even though I think they are both good, I'd have to vote for the 500, since I have one at this time...
Mark
blacksmith
.270 WIN
I'm not biased: I've had both, unfortunately.
The debate of the 870-verse-500 is very tough. Head to head comparison is difficult since many different models are made of each shotgun. Further complications involve pesky Internet rumors.
We'll first dispel the myths. Military chose the Mossberg. Law enforcement chose the 870 (the same folks who use Glocks almost exclusively). Both guns have been made with plastic trigger groups as well as aluminum. Mossberg triggers and safety don't break (anymore). Both guns are generally reliable and durable.
The 500 can be completely stripped and serviced with basic hand tools. The extractor and mag tube on the 870 requires major work to replace. The rat-trap elevator of the 870 is a nightmare to deal with. Mossbergs skeleton elevator is genius.
The Mossberg is a modular design. Any Mossberg receiver can accept 6, 8 or 9 shot one-piece magazine tubes. The 870 can only accept a scew-on magazine extension which has inherent faults. The Remington will always hold one less round than the Mossberg since the Remington only has a 5-shot tube.
The 500 tang-mounted safety is in a superior location. And if you just have to have a cross-bolt trigger safety get a Maverick 88.
These guns are opposites in terms of build quality. Simply put, Mossberg got better while Remington got worse. The old 870 Wingmasters were works of art. They showed the world what a solid American gun was. Unfortunately these guns were 2 3/4 chamber only and the early elevator design was a jam-o-matic. These issues have been fixed on the newer 870s, but we're also seeing flaky finishes and horrible machining. It really is a lose-lose situation with Remington.
The aluminum receiver of the Mossberg gets a lot of grief; in reality the Mossberg is lightweight, corrosion proof and durable. The Mossberg forend has always rattled while the 870 has a very solid design. The rock-solid forend of the 870, along with its dense steel receiver, gives the action a smooth feel and a nice ringing sound. The Mossberg goes thud thanks to its lightweight aluminum receiver. It is my opinion that many people choose the Remington strictly because it "feels" and "sounds" better even if though the design has major flaws.
The Mossberg is clearly the better shotgun. Unless you want to talk about Benelli
The debate of the 870-verse-500 is very tough. Head to head comparison is difficult since many different models are made of each shotgun. Further complications involve pesky Internet rumors.
We'll first dispel the myths. Military chose the Mossberg. Law enforcement chose the 870 (the same folks who use Glocks almost exclusively). Both guns have been made with plastic trigger groups as well as aluminum. Mossberg triggers and safety don't break (anymore). Both guns are generally reliable and durable.
The 500 can be completely stripped and serviced with basic hand tools. The extractor and mag tube on the 870 requires major work to replace. The rat-trap elevator of the 870 is a nightmare to deal with. Mossbergs skeleton elevator is genius.
The Mossberg is a modular design. Any Mossberg receiver can accept 6, 8 or 9 shot one-piece magazine tubes. The 870 can only accept a scew-on magazine extension which has inherent faults. The Remington will always hold one less round than the Mossberg since the Remington only has a 5-shot tube.
The 500 tang-mounted safety is in a superior location. And if you just have to have a cross-bolt trigger safety get a Maverick 88.
These guns are opposites in terms of build quality. Simply put, Mossberg got better while Remington got worse. The old 870 Wingmasters were works of art. They showed the world what a solid American gun was. Unfortunately these guns were 2 3/4 chamber only and the early elevator design was a jam-o-matic. These issues have been fixed on the newer 870s, but we're also seeing flaky finishes and horrible machining. It really is a lose-lose situation with Remington.
The aluminum receiver of the Mossberg gets a lot of grief; in reality the Mossberg is lightweight, corrosion proof and durable. The Mossberg forend has always rattled while the 870 has a very solid design. The rock-solid forend of the 870, along with its dense steel receiver, gives the action a smooth feel and a nice ringing sound. The Mossberg goes thud thanks to its lightweight aluminum receiver. It is my opinion that many people choose the Remington strictly because it "feels" and "sounds" better even if though the design has major flaws.
The Mossberg is clearly the better shotgun. Unless you want to talk about Benelli
My 870 has probably close to 10k rounds of all varieties and has never given me a single issue. I hunt with it shoot clays with it; i dont baby it and i rarely ever clean it and it just keeps on ticking. In fact it runs smoother the more i use it. Mine is a 20 some year old express 12g. I have not touched a newer one so maybe quality has gone down.
Sounds like a solid shotgun. Like blacksmith mentioned,the older ones are the good ones.
We have both at my house, and have added in the past week. All are 12 gauge. I have a Wingmaster 870 with slug barrel (still have hang tag that says "Deermaster") that I bought new in 1980. It has glossy walnut wood, polish blue finish, chrome bolt, 2-3/4" chamber, etc. My older son has a Mossy 500A with an 18.5" slug barrel he bought new in 2011. It is blued with synthetic furniture and has a 6-shot magazine. I bought him a 28" vent rib barrel with C-Lect Choke off another forum last year. My younger son just last week, put on layaway at a local pawn shop, a Super Magnum 870 (2-3/4", 3", 3-1/2" shells) with 28" choke-tube barrel, matte finish, and wood furniture. Got it for $190 OTD (Year-end clearance sale; business tax reasons I guess). This past weekend, I got a 1990-vintage Mossy 500A with 28" choke-tube barrel, 6-shot magazine, blued finish, and wood furniture from a local guy for $150. He was an older guy and had bought an automatic because it kicked less. Just had to give it a good cleaning. It still had the wood dowel in the mag tube.
I have shot both and like some say, "Ford vs. Chevy". The Remmys feel a little more solid, but the Mossys have more standard mag capacity. They both get the job done, and factory and aftermarket support for both is great. JMHO, YMMV.
I have shot both and like some say, "Ford vs. Chevy". The Remmys feel a little more solid, but the Mossys have more standard mag capacity. They both get the job done, and factory and aftermarket support for both is great. JMHO, YMMV.
Corelogik
.410
I prefer Mossberg's simply because I like the location and layout of it's controls better. One point I do have to give to the 870, it is easier to extend the magazine tube capacity. However, being "stuck" with 6 or 9 shots does not outweigh the benefits of having the controls in the "right" place for me.
If Mossberg would switch all models over to the 590A1 style of barrel attachment and make it in a regular instead of thick walled barrel, Mossberg would decimate what's left of Remington.
If Mossberg would switch all models over to the 590A1 style of barrel attachment and make it in a regular instead of thick walled barrel, Mossberg would decimate what's left of Remington.