Im looking to purchase my first shotgun within the next week or so. I've been reading up on different models, and thought i narrowed it down to the 870 express with the 18" barrel and 7 shot extention. However, i have been suggested to look more into the Mossberg 500. For around the same price, which is a better gun?

Hey Element 666,

Each Shotgun has its individual strength & weakness (this post is the endless flame war of which is better a Chevy Vs. Ford!)

Rem 870 - My own personal preference - Almost all steel parts (including receiver).  A Ba-Freaking-Jillion accessories available (the Rem 870 is the 350 Chevy when it comes to someone makes anything you could have EVER dreamed of for it!)  The Rem Expresses will need to have the "dimples" on the mag tube removed (these are to prevent placing a mag extension on non-police guns (bad "P.C." points on Remington for this!!).  A gunsmith can smooth the dimples with a tube press in about 3 minutes flat and you are then good to go (cost me all of $20)!  Rem puts the safety on the trigger guard, so more stock options (like a folder or pistol grip stock) will work well.  The shell lifter is solid, so it keeps most of the crud out of the action, but if you get it really fowled it will take more effort to clean.
The 870 safety is not ambidexterous, but to me that is a so what (I and everyone on my team are all right handed).   I grew up shooting a 870 so it is a natural and great fit for me!

Mossberg 500/590 - More alloy parts (makes guns lighter), lots of accessories but just not as many as for the 870.  Mossberg 500 does not have any magazine extension available (Most Mossbergs have are made with a one piece magazine tube, so what you have is all you'll get.  Could be 5, could be 8 depending on which version of the 500s and/or 590s you selected.  The lifter at the bottom of the gun is open, so you can get more dirt & crud in there, but being open the crud can fall out easier too.  Some people find the open lifter is easier to speedload.  The safety is a tang at the top of the receiver, so it is ambidexterous for right or left access, but can't be easily reached with pistol gripped or more exotic stocked guns.  Mossbergs do have dual extractors on the bolts so (in theory) they would be more reliable for extraction (due to redundency), but in my years of experience with both, I've found that 870's rarely have extraction problems so the point may be moot.

The U.S. Military has purchased many of both the 870s & 590s Govt. service is not a deciding vote there!
Having owned many 870s and 590s the answer about which is best is...
they are both dog gone good shotguns, so your best bet is to see what will work best for your needs by trying each for fit and see which works best for your "groove!  

B.T.W. - I own both 870s and 590s!  Love my 870s and my 590 Bullpup!

    "BIGGER_HAMMER"

h.gif

870...


 - georgestrings

got an 870, with folding stock, pistol grip 9 shot tube n a 18 inch barrel. great shotgun, real smoothe action. herd good things about mossberg tho. i really like remington, but i have also been thinking about a mossberg 590da. so probably the best answer is, get both. haha. but both make real good shottys. but the 870 is a great gun.
sorry if i didnt help

bbr

870/590, works good.

I'm going to put my 2 cents in.  I don't know alot about shotguns.  But I've been picking alot up lately.  It's strange how some guns just don't fit all that well.  I got a regular mossy 500 along time ago.  It fits me well.  Yet the grass is always greener so I've been looking at some at the gun stores lately.  I really like the look of a 870 with wood and parkerized finish but I've yet to pick up an 870 that fealt comfortable to me.  Almost all the shotguns I pick up feel weird, except for them mossy's.  I fondled a 590 with the aperture rear sight and it fit me like a glove.  My point is, go fondle some.  You don't here much about the winchesters but that camp defender fit me real nice too.  As far as reliability goes, all the top manufactures are probably pretty good.  I think the mossy and remmy's are the most common for le or military duty.  But they're not the only choice.

Thanks for all the quick replies. I like the fact that the 870 seems to be built stronger. I've also heard of people getting really good deals on police trade-in models. Does anyone have a price on those?

both are good, maybe more aftermarket stuff for the 870

....Moss 500

May i suggest you take a look at a Benelli Nova. It's a super simple and reliable shotgun.

870...no question! The best all 'round combat shotgun ever devised!

I currently have only one shotgun, and my Mossy 500 is great!

SGTB on the High Road is selling used 870 Police guns:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=107119

I own both and think that Bigger Hammer summed it all up very nicely.

I prefer the 870 but do not feel undergunned with the M500. It has its strong points too.

I was surprised to find out that the alloy receiver M500 is NOT overall lighter than the 870. Published weights are about the same. I like them both.

I own a 20ga Remington 870 field gun, and a 12ga Mossberg 500 that I just turned into a tac-blaster.

I've always loved my 20ga, it hits what I point it at and has never given me a hiccup.

I haven't had a chance yet to shoot my new mossberg, but I've taken the thing completely apart and reassembled it, so I feel rather intimate with it nonetheless  

They're both well built guns.  If I had the chance, I'd trade my Mossberg for an 870 with the same setup, there are a couple of nuances that I like about the 870 that I'm still getting used to with the mossy.   However, I DO prefer the mossberg when it comes to loading shells.  On my remington, the lifter/door has a tendancy to snag my thumb when inserting a shell.  the Mossberg couldn't be any smoother when it comes to that

I don't know if you've purchased your new shotty or not, but on the chance you have not, I'd pick the Benelli Nova. I own a 590A1, a 870P and a completely stock Nova.
I am very impressed with the simplicity of design on the Nova. It just plain works!

Bump. BiggerHammer's summary of 870 vs 500 is just too good to let die!

I love my 500. I've also got a 870. I've shot thousands of rounds through my 500 with out a problem that I didn't cause. I've taken it through swamps and up mountains with out a problem of dirt getting in it. I've had feeding and extraction problems thru my 870 but nothing too bad. I think it's mostly just needs to be broken in.

I have only begun to modify my Mossberg 500A, when I do it I want it to be done RIGHT!

This may be a little late, but I'll add my two cents.  I just put together your typical 870 18 inch with +2 mag., sidesaddle,  surefire light, and tact. sling.  I also own 3 mossy 500's.  I prefer the mossberg.  Here's why.  Ambi, easy to see safety, lighter weight (all those rounds and light sure add-up), open port for loading ( thumb always gets jambed on the Remy), and I like the slide release location better (closer to trigger vs. forward).  I think the ultimate would be an 18 inch 590 with ghost ring sights and a +1 mag ext.  I find the 20" are a little longer than I prefer.  Add a tac sling, sidesaddle, light, and buttstock holder for slugs.  Your ready to rock and roll.

I'm also looking foward to pick up an 870. I was first looking at an HK FP6 tactical pump but I haven't read much on the HK's. The 870 looks like a great buy.

I have a 500 its a great gun for the price.


For the little extra money its worth it plus you can load 3.5 inch shells.

Thank You!! for your praise Snake45!!

I'm just sharing what I have learned over too many years, too many shells and too many dollars gone through my Big Boy Toys!!

Think of me chanting "I'm Not Worthy, I'm Not Worthy!...

Good Luck and Good Shooting to you in '05!!

BIGGER_HAMMER

Mike 103 is 110% right on the standard 500 will NOT fire 3.5" shells.

the Mossberg that will (835) comes with a factory warning NOT to use it for slug shooting!

What is cool is that a Rem 870 supermag (3.5" capable gun) can take a standard Rem 870 express deer bbl and you have combo you can use to shoot everything from Duck to Buck to Truck!!
Very inexpensive (compared to having to buy two or more different shotguns for hunting and for defense!

I have built my defense battery on two 870 SuperMags (one 26"bbl for waterfowl, one 21" bbl for turkey / dove) each with a spare 20" rifle sighted bbl with tritium night sights and a surefire forearm light to take away the mystery of just What/Who is going bump in the night!

BIGGER_HAMMER

see post below - Oops!

BIGGER_HAMMER

Mike 103,

Yup, the Overboring is the reason no one is supposed to shoot slugs from a standard 835 bbl.

B.T.W. - I actually LIKE the long shot string with 3.5" mags in connecting on long crossing shots. (kind of a Vulcan 20MM effect!)  Shoot a long string of projectiles into the targets flight path and then let target fly into the hornets nest!!

Mossbergs slug bbl for the 835 is a 24" unit, (not too ideal for an already long gun!) especially if you are trying to keep it  right and tight for use in cramped quarters in CQB!

It is also a bitch to get the finish matched, as so many 835s are proprietary camo'ed and most of those L-O-N-G (and lame!) slug bbls are shiney blued!!

I really like the Mossberg 590s are fighting shotguns, (Provided you switch out the crappy plastic parts like the safety and such!) but the 870 is just SO much more versitile for everything from Hunting up the bacon (I like to hunt wild pig here in TX!) to  Saving Your Bacon!

Thanks for your insight, time and knowledge in Moderation!

BIGGER_HAMMER

Mossy