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Posted: 12/29/2006 4:58:25 PM EDT
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I was just glancing through the pic threads, and noticed there were far more remington 870s than mossberg 500s... Is this because 870s are better made? Or just preference? Are the Mossberg 500a, winchester 1300, and remington 870 express magnum basically equal in terms of quality, reliability, and ease of use/maintainance? Also, is the maverick model 88 any good? |
The reality is the Remington Wingmaster is better than the Mossberg. The Remington Express exists because of Mossberg. In other words Remington needed to make a cheaper shotgun or risk losing a large chunk of market share due to price only. As a kid I started out with Winchester model 12's and 42's made in the 50's and 60's. The Remingtons were just as good. Then Remington stepped it up another notch and added dual slide bars. Eveyoen else followed. When you hanlde those guns, you know there are no better. Actions smooth as glass. At age 14, 1977, I went with Remington when I made my first gun purchase. They fit me perfect, so do 1100's. Then Wichester had a lot of problems, they could not afford to make the Model 12 to those standards anymore. Remington hung in there and developed the Express models as well. Winchester returned with the 1300's. So the three you listed are all about the same in quality and price today, the 870 and Mossberg have more aftermarket goodies available than Wincester. I prefer the location of the safety on the 870's and Winchesters. Out of the box, the benelli Nova is a better gun than most realize. This is where the fun comes. You buy a used 870 WINGMASTER for $200, a $600 gun by today's standards and dress it out with new accesories. You might not get a 3" chamber but that is not a huge issue in defensive shooting anyway. The 3" chamber was designed for long range hunting shots on Geese and Turkey, not defense, but in typical Clint Eastwood fashion people think they need it. Within lethal ranges for shotugn use, dead is dead with any length load. Sorry about the long post here but hopefully it explains the reason you see so many 870's today. It is an earned reputation, but all three are good. Damn, now I am ready for the next gun show! Find a used Wingmaster at the show, strip the gun, sell all the parts and leave the show with the receiver and action only. |
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That pretty well says it. The Remington has a forged and milled steel receiver and heavy-duty steel internal parts. The Mossberg and Winchester have cast aluminum receivers with stamped and plastic internal parts. Really HEAVY duty shotgunners say the aluminum pumps from Mossberg and Winchester start to fail and wear out at around 50,000 rounds. They say the Remington MAY start to develop receiver cracks and may need to be retired at around 250,000 rounds, although many go longer than that. The best evidence of which is the best, is the fact that Remington has a 95% PLUS market share of the law enforcement shotgun business. Virtually every law enforcement agency in America use the Remington 870. This is NOT because they get a better deal, the 870 actually costs more. It's because the 870 has a 57 year history of being the only modern pump gun that can stand up to the abusive treatment cops give shotguns. In the hands of the average gun owner, the Remington, Mossberg, or now discontinued Winchester will serve for a lifetime. It's just that the 870 is the Cadillac to the Mossberg/Winchester cheap Chevy's. As for maintenance, the Remington is the easiest gun to field strip and maintain. |
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Remington is the most popular by far. Excellent gun. I was given a Mossberg 500 by a relative. Great shotgun. I especially like the position of the safety. Mine works and shoots great. I'm not bothered by the aluminum and tupperware parts. If those parts are inferior, I haven't had a problem. My gun dates from the 1970's? nobody knows for sure. My opinion is that the average guy won't come close to shooting out either a 870 or 500 in his lifetime. Both are good guns. ZM |
I chose the Mossberg over the Remington as I like the open feed opening on the bottom, the action release in the rear and the safety on top. I keep my set up as a "slick" with add on sights, pistol grips, etc... My only modification was to KG gunkote it and cut the stock down by about 1.25". However a friend of mine wanted a pistol grip and collapseable stock, so the Remington with the action release in the front of the trigger guard, and safety behind the trigger made more sense. I have a tendancy to get my thumb caught on that dang elevator like a mouse trap. |
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