Jan 22, 2014 We took two classic pump guns and beat the snot out them to determine which is tougher: the Mossberg 500 or the Remington 870. Check out our Battle of the Boat Paddles. Duck Dunk Both shotguns were dropped from 3 feet into a clay-mud hole with the action open. They stayed submerged for one minute, and the process was repeated three times.
- Remington 870 Or Mossberg 590 30
- Mossberg 590a1 Vs Remington 870
- Remington 870 Police Vs Mossberg 590a1
A pump action shotgun is arguably one of the best guns for a home defense situation. The reliability of the pump over the semi-auto shotguns is something that could potentially save your life and the fact that they're relatively cheap is a huge bonus. When it comes to the combination of cheap and reliable two names are generally thrown around, the Mossberg 500 and the Remington 870. But which one should we choose?The 500 has an aluminum receiver while the 870 is steel. For those that don't know, aluminum would make the gun lighter, but steel makes it more durable. Is the aluminum that much lighter to make a huge difference? Well if you're holding the gun for long periods of time it might start to matter.
So obviously the durability of the steel receiver is the way to go. But let's be honest here, you're not really banging up your gun that much, and it's not like the aluminum receiver won't last you at least your whole life. The most important factor here ends up being what you think looks better.So let's move onto something that does matter. The 500 has a huge advantage of the elevator being held in the upright position with the bolt closed.
That makes tactical loading so much easier because you don't have to push the elevator up every time you load a new shell. In fact, it makes all loading easier. But then again, is it really that hard to push up an elevator? Also, on the very small chance a shell falls out of the tube, wouldn't it be nice to have an elevator in the way to catch it? Well I guess that's personal preference as well.So then the action must be what's important.
The 870 is smoother and doesn't have that much wiggle to it. That makes it more accurate and reliable. Well, not really. For some the less wiggle might be important for aiming, but not that much at the distances that you'll be using a shotgun. The wiggle isn't really even all that bad anyway.
Some might even argue it adds to reliability, giving more tolerances, the same way an AK does over an AR. So how much is that wiggle really going to bother you?So let's decide the winner right here then. The 870 has more customization! Especially if we factor into account that it has magazine tube extensions you can screw on. The 500 requires a whole new barrel to extend. But in most cases you should be buying the magazine size you want from the beginning, so how important is that really?
The 500 does have everything else just as easily customizable as well, so maybe this isn't the deciding factor.Well I guess we should just get the slide release out of the way. That's obviously preference, with the 870 being in front of the trigger guard and the 500 being behind it.So then the biggest factor is obviously the safety then, right?
Well actually yes! I knew we would find the one that's better.
The thumb safety of the 500 is by far the better safety since it can be used for lefties and righties, and is easy to use. We attach a pistol grip to it. Then it becomes slightly awkward and the tang safety shines for righties.
A tang safety can just feel more natural to some people as well. So this is also a personal preference, damn it.I guess that leaves only one thing. The obvious answer of which gun is better is YOU!
It's all personal preference. Both guns are incredibly reliable and relatively inexpensive.
The only advantage one has over the other is how you use it. So take this knowledge and decide which of these factors ends up being more important for you. Even better, go out and try both. You'll feel a lot better knowing that you picked the one that's better for you and not just what some people on the internet said. I went with the Mossberg 500, had two friends buy them after seeing mine, I bought one for another friend, and I later sold them at a sporting goods store.Mossberg has a lot of pros:(1) An aluminum receiver which cuts down weight and doesn't rust.(2) Dual extractors. In the event that one breaks, no problem.(3) Raised lifter. You don't have to raise the lifter manually to load, it's already out of the way with the action closed.
This is enormously convenient.(4) Ambidextrous safety-although it is a drawback with any pistol-grip.(5) The slide lock can be manipulated without changing your grip. Again, however, the pistol grip can hinder the convenience of this function.(6) Barrels swap fast.(7) Typically Comes with two barrels (18' and 28').(8) One of the smoothest actions stock.(9) Already drilled and tapped for any kind of optical device from irons to a reflex sight.All the rest, reliability and such, is shared with the Remington also.I'd still like to get a Remington one day and I will. The Remington is far more moddable if that's what you want to do, which I'd like to try. That said, I'll probably just buy different configurations of Mossbergs before chopping a Remington 870 into something special.tl;dr Mossberg. I would hardly say the 590 is a 'whole different beast' - in fact the differences are minimal.The 590 comes with a sightly heaver barrel.may or may not come with ghost ring sights.590 may or may not come with a plastic trigger guard (not sure if this is good or not)590 comes with a removable mag tube end which you can easily add an additional 1 or 2 shell extender) - (my 18.5' 500A comes with an 8 shot capacity. 7 in the tube and 1 in the chamber - same as the 18.5' 590. An extension on the 590 18.5' will extend the tube past the barrel.590 comes with a breaching tool.Other than the heavy duty barrel and the open ended tube - there isn't much difference.
The 590A1 however is built for military specs.
I have always felt the tang style safety has been a limiting feature on the Mossberg guns. Making using PG style stocks impractical to use. Worse if you are using a system like the Mesa stock adapter and top rail you need to replace the safety all together with something bigger like one sold by Cav Arms just so you can get to the safety. The tang safety just limits your options on the top of the receiver. It is why all of my Mossberg's wear comb stocks because using a PG stock like the Speedfeed III or IV-S is not practical. It is one of those little bugs that makes me prefer the 870.
The safety situation on the Remington 870, 1100, 1187, and 7600 Carbine is a relatively easy fix and it is something that I know multiple companies have in prototype already. An ambi type flip safety has been a long requested item by shooters. In the early 80's a book was published called 'The Remington 1100 exotic weapon system', it is out of print now but you can pick up a used copy online.On page 31 JM Ramos goes into a pretty detailed design plan on how to make flip style safety. He was using this to make a safe, semi and full auto selector switch to turn the 1100 into a full auto weapon.not sure why, but anyways. In the back of the book there are a few drawings of this design. So the idea is nothing new. All that would be needed is this safety switch to be drilled and tapped so that it would install like the standard Remington safety and you would then attach another switch (so you would have male-female switch halves), to the other side and screw it down with an allen screw making it ambi.
Problem solved for both righties and lefties.Now I have personally tested a working prototype like this already so I know the idea is sound. The prototype worked very well and after you got past the years of metal training of pushing your safety in, the simple task of 'flipping' the safety off was super fast. Add in the addition of it being ambi and it has some serious potential. As I said two other companies that I know of (at least) are working on this product, I will leave it to them to bring something like this to market.
Though it is a very simple fix. I think the biggest hurdle comes in the form of liability. I went through this very process this past fall and ended up with an 870 Wingmaster.
The Wingmaster because it is a better grade of the 870 series. Plus I got a sweet deal on a used one in super condition for less than a NIB Express, so that just made it all the better!As to the OP, both guns are head on competitors and their functionality is pretty near identical. The fit and finish of the 870 seemed better then the 500. Also, the 870 cycled more smoothly & when carrying the 500 its foregrip tended to rattle. A definite minus for hunting purposes, where quite is usually better.Most importantly though, the handling of the 870 was just better suited for me.
The pull was felt right & it swung more smoothly for me. That was the deal cincher. If my body were differently built, I could have easily went with the 500, as the comfort of handling the gun is most important IMHO if you are going to get real good with it. I know this is an ancient thread, but as a firearms instructor, I feel like it's important enough to bump back up for new shooters.IMHO, both Mossberg and Remington make fine shotguns, especially at their price points. With a little tweaking, both can offer outstanding reliability.
To me, what it comes down to is ergonomics. I feel that it's simply impossible to select a firearm based on what you read online. A shooter simply MUST go to a gun shop and fondle both models.
As previously stated, the safety is the biggest factor for most. Lefties will like the Mossberg 500 more than the 870 probably 99% of the time. Pistol grippers will usually find a Mossberg 500 pretty much unusable for them.I always insist my customers and students try out each gun before buying. It's crucial. For instance, I'm a diehard Remington 870 fan for HD situations. My wife picked a youth-sized Mossberg 500 Bantam in 20 gauge, for when I'm not around. Even though I prefer Remington, I was pleased to find something that fit her, and makes her comfortable.
Remington 870 Or Mossberg 590 30
And yes, she can shoot the hell outta that Mossberg.New shooters, please.go try both on for size and see what YOU think is the best fit for YOU. Ronlhodges wrote:I use shotguns for hunting, not HD cause that is already covered. But I'm not familiar with Mossbergs so wont comment that part but I have a 870 WingMaster on my wishlist.For hunting, I have a Benelli Montefeltro.
Mossberg 590a1 Vs Remington 870
Lordy, I love that gun. But my father has an old Wingmaster. I haven't checked a new one out in quite some time. But Dad's Wingmaster is a lovely, old gun. I'm guessing around 71 or 72?
Remington 870 Police Vs Mossberg 590a1
The bluing on that 870 is beautiful.every bit as nice as his 1100. I really think you'll like the 870WM. Ronlhodges wrote:I use shotguns for hunting, not HD cause that is already covered. But I'm not familiar with Mossbergs so wont comment that part but I have a 870 WingMaster on my wishlist.For hunting, I have a Benelli Montefeltro. Lordy, I love that gun. But my father has an old Wingmaster.
I haven't checked a new one out in quite some time. But Dad's Wingmaster is a lovely, old gun. I'm guessing around 71 or 72? The bluing on that 870 is beautiful.every bit as nice as his 1100. I really think you'll like the 870WM.It maybe longer than I would like to wait cause a couple weeks ago I brought home a new FRANCHI AFFINITY in 12-ga. And planned to start using that for upland birding and whatever else I want maybe some clay shooting.
That also is a great gun.