I can't decide....

[Shadow]

....between the Remington 870 and the Mossberg 500! Any suggestions?

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[PhysicsGuy]

Play with the controls on each, and figure out which you prefer, that's one of the major differences. IE; the slide release and safety.

 

[UncalledForGabe]

I'd go for the 870. I'm kinda disappointed with my 500.

 

[gunnoob75]

Pump shotguns are pretty reliable no matter what.

But the loose tolerances of the 500 are what sold me. Mud, sand, water, snow. Nothing will jam up a 500. To be fair, it would take a considerable amount to jam up ANY pump shot gun.

But, that's how I decided. Mossberg is loose, wobbly, and still solid all at the same time.

 

[parsons_12b]

I realy like my 870 but would not turn down a mossy if the price is right. Also depends on what you want to do with it if you plan to put ghost ring sights on it buy a 590 with them already installed.

 

[Oakley1wa]

I have had two Mossberg 500's and they were both 100% reliable. No problems and I love them! I now have a tactical persuader.

 

[Oakley1wa]

Pump shotguns are pretty reliable no matter what.

But the loose tolerances of the 500 are what sold me. Mud, sand, water, snow. Nothing will jam up a 500. To be fair, it would take a considerable amount to jam up ANY pump shot gun.

But, that's how I decided. Mossberg is loose, wobbly, and still solid all at the same time.

Hehehe... Your gun is loose

 

[terrylf72]

I realy like my 870 but would not turn down a mossy if the price is right. Also depends on what you want to do with it if you plan to put ghost ring sights on it buy a 590 with them already installed.

+1 I have 1 of each.. both are great.. 870 express and 590A w/ ghostring sights

 

[NoAim]

Pump shotguns are pretty reliable no matter what.

Well, until you short stroke an 870 and get it caught under the lifter (slam it buttstock first on the ground to clear it).

Or the ejector screw falls out of the Mossberg.

Or the plastic safety breaks.

 

[FrontierFritz]

I've had an 870 Wingmaster for decades and I love it.
But I am generally impressed with the Mossberg 500.
Mossberg offers a package deal for the Mossberg 500 in 12 and 20 gauge with a shorter, smooth bore "brush" barrell for big game hunting in addition to the 28" modified choke barrell.
Bi-Mart usually has this package for about $270.

 

[cyclesurvival]

I have both. my wife shoots a 870 wingmaster 12 ga its smooth and right on target for her, I canot hit consistently with it. of my 2 mossbergs i have a old beat to **** 500 that i know i have put 400-500 rounds through in the 20 years i've owned it, brother inlaw always wants to borrow it for 00Buck for deer in restricked hunting areas and has brought down several deer with it. its as loose as it gets. I did have to make a new saftey for it plastic one broke. i have a few barrels for it and never a hickup.

 

[jdub75]

I owned a 500 for a bit, then sold once I fired it a few times...it actually turned me off pump guns-until very recently shooting a friends 870. Now, after about 12 years, I'm looking for a pump gun!
As another posted mentioned, the 500 has alot of wobble in the pump, and when you fire, the pump breaks free in a way I never cared for. the 870 I shot exhibited none of these things---actually, it just seems to me a far better engineered weapon.
JDub

 

[Shadow]

Well, I had decided on the 500 but didn't see any good deals at the gun show today. Thanks for all your comments!

 

[JUSTIficatioN]

i just got a 500 and it is fun fun fun, rock solid too. i paid ten bucks more and got a door breacher on it which gives you one more thing you can do with it. i vote mossberg, but i think it's a good idea to have both a pistol grip and a stock.

 

[gunjunky]

After shooting and watching others fire thousands of 12 ga out of both platforms (25 years running navy ranges), when I started out my career we used the 870. Now the issue gun is the 500.
While using the 870 I witnessed exactly one break, and that gun could still be used to fire single rounds via the ejection port.
Have seen and had a number of 500 go down in the early days, due to very simple things, the safety coming apart and dropping into the gun and jaming things up was the most common. These bugs where worked out by mossy and have not seen any problems for many years.
All that being said I have taken the Mossy on many boarding and staked my life and the life of others on this shotty, and as a lefty I love the location of the safety.
I hear there is an after market safety for us lefties now for the 870. I don't think you can go wrong with either. But if I could put the Mossy safety on the Remington, now that would be my perfect pump gun.

Probably should also state that I am looking at the 930 SPX.

 

[littlecars]

I have had both a 500 and 870. I wore the 500 out. Whell, Im not sure I could farely say wore it out. I just shot it so much that everything got so loose that I was unconfterable shooting it. it didnt work very smoothy and it was just time to upgrade.

I had a 870 for a few years. I prefered the feel of it. it was a lot tighter. smoother, and it was biult a lot better. it was stolen before I could realy see if it would outlast the mossberg, but I am almost positive it would of way outlasted the mossberg. the 870 parts are made of a lot harder steel.

with a traditional stock I prefere the 500's tang safty, but if you use a pistal grip of some sort I like the 870's safty better.

About a year ago I was asking myself the same question about the 500 vs the 870. then I looked at the Benilli Nova. it is about $70 more, but worth looking at. The composite is a lot warmer on your hands in the cold weather. I like the feal of it a lot better than both the mossberg and the remmington. I bought the Benilli, and earlier today I put the benilli up for sale to buy a 20 gauge 870.

If I were you I would go to a shop that has all 3 the benilli nove the 870 and the 500. feal them all and buy the one that feals best to you. you realy cant go wrong with any of them!

 

[dario541]

Both companies have been around for a century or more. There must be some reason. Both make products that are purchased by the military. I think it is a matter of personal choice like: "What do you prefer, blondes or redheads?"

 

[Humpyslayer]

I'd say it really boils down to which one feels better for you. They're both great guns and I've owned both (plus a mossberg 590A1 which I kick myself for selling, a standard 590, and a 930 Spx that I still own). People will be on either side of the fence with there personal experiences of which is better. I've had no negative experiences with either so find someone that has one of each that'll let you shoot them and see which one feels right.

 

[sheepman]

Either will serve you well. Get the on that fits you best (870 fits me best) and enjoy unless you shoot trap or skeet, you will not put enough rounds through a shot gun to wear either out. The 870 will stand up to more rounds at trap but we are talking tens of thousands of rounds. For the hunter of HD either is fine. JMHO : Bill

 

[buick455]

I was going through the same debate when I got a chance to try out an old winchester 1200. It has a far better action than my freinds new 870 express or his old 500 but I wonder if winchesters new "Speed pump" is as nice as the 1200/1300 it is supposed to replace? Just a thought. I haven't bought one yet but they are all in the same price range.

Sorry, I didn't mean to side track the thread. Just food for thought