The 500 has an alloy receiver, which does not hold up for the long run. Not to mention the action is a rattle trap at best. I have owned 3 and was displeased with all of them. Not to mention one literally fell apart.
The 590 has a steel receiver and is all that the 500 should have been. Its not a bad gun, but I only had one for a few months.
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The M590 does NOT have a steel receiver. It is the same aluminum alloy as the standard M500. This, however, is a non-issue. The bolt locks-up into a recess on the barrel extension, for a steel to steel lockup. There is very little stress on the receiver, and you'll never wear the actual receiver out. The M590A1 has a steel trigger group, which distinguishes it from the standard M590 and M500 trigger groups, which are plastic.
The main reason to choose between a 5+1 (mag capacity) M500 and the 8+1 M590 is barrel versatility. The standard 5+1 M500 will take any of numerous barrels Mossberg makes, from rifled and ported slug barrels with cantilevered scope mount, to 28" vent-rib barrels. In other words, if you are only going to buy one gun, and you want to use it for hunting also, get the M500. Also, the standard 5+1 magazine tube can't be extended, because it is plugged, rather than capped, and the barrel attaches to the plugged end of the magazine with a thumbscrew.
The 20" barrelled M590 has the 8+1 magazine tube, with an entirely different barrel mounting system. The M590 will not accept standard M500 barrels because of this. Also, if you get the military version with the bayonet lug, a Surefire fore end will not fit without milling off the bayonet lug.
I believe that the Mossberg spork is referring to in his original post is neither the M590 or the standard M500, but the one that is in between. It has a slightly longer magazine tube than the standard M500, so none of the regular M500 barrels will fit it. This would be the last one I would pick, because it offers none of the versatility advantages of the standard M500, and none of the goodies that the M590 has (ghost rings, 8+1 magazine).
As for Mossberg vs. Remington debate: The M590 offers one real advantage. You can buy the full-blown military version, complete with ghost sights, for a couple hundred bucks less than it will cost you to set-up a Remington with the same gadgets.
In the end pick up both of them, handle them, and see which one you like more. They'll both last you a lifetime.