Mossberg Vs. Remington, the ongoing battle
 

Ok well i just thought i would post this! i have a mossberg 500 field, and i must say for 300 bucks i love it! i think the 870 was around the same price but i love the safety on the mossberg, so convenient and i can always keep my thumb on it with out it being a hassle, i dont necessarily like the cheek plate but i dont mind it. My friend has an 870, it feels good and all, the both shoot the same to me. But i love my mossberg, how bout you guys? :biggrin:

The nice thing about the 500 is you can also get an ML barrel for it.

It's no different than the Ford/Chevy debate. One is great and the other is junk, simple as that. LOL No, just goofin around. I've had Fords, Chevys, and Dodges. They all seem to break down on me :) I'm a Mossberg guy but that's just because the first gun my dad ever got me was a Mossberg 500. I've always had them around, but if that first gun was a Remington, it would probably be the other way around. The Mossy's safety is better IMO, and the 870 has less rattle in the forend. As in most debates, the one that feels the best in the shooter's hand is probably the best bet. BTW... I drive a Chevy:s4:

rw

I personally love the 870 but agree with whatever feels best to you. Both are great guns for the money and can take years of hard hunting.

almost every remington i have bought ended up having problems. rem 700 would bind up the bolt like a old moisin nagant. rem 7600 plastic tube holding the barrel snug would loosen up and a few others. only one i own now and has been with me since 1998 is a rem 1100
i have never shot a mossberg but from what i have been reading mossberg has come along way.

Personally I like the fit of the 870 better. The 500 just doesn't 'feel' right. But both are reliable firearms. BTW, I found out last week from a couple of guys that attended a Mossberg repair class that a lot of the internal parts from the 500 and the 870 are interchangable. (Mossberg makes many of them for Remington.) That was a shock to me.

Thas actually pretty sweet!! i like both brands, both built well and meant to last. i just cant stand it when people thrash on mossberg when they havent even shot one. Both are amazing shotgun brands and will be around forever!

bout 3 yrs ago i bought both a 500 combo and a 870 combo, and well, it didnt take long for me to sell one!!! the mossberg stayed, the remington, it had to go! it costed $100 more than the mossberg and just wasnt worth it, to me! luckly i got back what i payed!!

haha great job man!:barmy:

imo expresses are JUNK. wingmasters are great. i have a 500 made probably around 1980 for hunting birds abd use my dads wingmaster with a slug barrel. made around the same time. both are great guns obviously the remington has a nicer feel and is better quality. the mossberg is great for duck hunting becuase im not afraid to beat the crap out of it. i have shot one express and it is a piece of junk. if the guy who owned it agreed. the thing rust like there is no tomorrow. i would buy a mossberg 500 any day. the only remington i would buy is a wingmaster made before 1985

You can keep both IMO. I'll take a Browning BPS over any other pump shotgun.

hmmm......how much would a bps combo cost me?
compaired to the $250 i paid for the new mossberg combo with a rifled slug barrel with scope mount!

An 870 goes to the duck blind with me. I have been given a gift the other pump, but did not like the way it handled and re-gifted it. The Mossberg felt like I was swinging a 2"x4" to me, although it did seem to be fairly well made for a gun in it's price range. The price certainly is right on the Mossberg combos.

A whole lot more!:s2: To me it would be worth it though. The Mossbergs just do not fit me well and I have no need for a rifled slug barrel with a scope mount.

I'm partial to Remington for shotguns but the ones I own were manufactured prior to 1975. :)

You know what they say about ole' say'ins................they wouldn't still be around if there weren't some truth to them !!!

870 is a entry level gun that have been just simply working, for a lot of guys, and for decades now.............

The BPS Hunter will go about 500.I would have to say it's well worth it considering all the use you'll get from a shotgun.

I have both.
The 870 Action feels a little tighter, 500's are known for having kinda rattley(is that a word? let's go with it) pumps and actions. both shoot great. And I use both equally. Just depends on if I feel like a wood stock or a synthetic that day.
-Jake

my dad bought me my mossberg 500 when i was 15 and im 22 now, took it hunting for the first time last week and took my first goose with it. yes it may be rattley, or not as refined as a Benelli nova but it did the job. for the price they can be bought for now i think its a great buy and the safety is way way way better then the remington 870. Other then the safety i doubt most could tell the difference shooting wise. hoepfully ill pass it along to my kids and theyll do the same.

I've shot the 870 express, but I own and prefer my 535. It's killed everything from quail to turkey to deer in cold rains and on hot sunny days and I have never had a problem with it. The tang safety makes it especially ideal for upland hunting and the front and rear-bead sights make it easy to aim. And to me, that looseness in the foregrip isn't looseness at all-it's flexibility; 870's feel stiff to me. Of course, this is just the gun I'm used to and it's one that I have had a lot more experience with in the field. I would say the only advantage an 870 has is that they don't make Hasting's Rifled barrels for Mossbergs. But, on the other hand, the $200 rifled barrel/scope combo still delivered crisp 'plinks' on 8"x8" steel targets from 130 yards every time.

My buddy has a Mossberg pump and i have a Remington 870 and 1100....to me my guns feel sturdier and better to shoot than his but his gun always seems to function as well as mine!

My 500 combo is about 20 years old. It cost about 225-250 then as I recall. It is pretty beat, but still functions flawlessly. It comes completely apart with the removal of one pin. There are about 5 parts, not including the trigger. I can clean everything and reassemble in about 5 minutes.

My buddy just used it in Ohio and shot a nice buck with the smoothbore/rifle sight barrel. I've shot deer, turkey, rabbit, a few ducks, grouse, woodc ock, pheasant, etc. with the barrels that came with the combo. I kill turkeys out to 35 yds easily with a newer accuchoke barrel using the standard full choke. Cheap and reliable, and you don't mind the inevitable nicks and dings. What else do you want for a hunting shotgun?

The same could probably be said about the 870. I have heard some bad things about recent 870 chambers being rough and ejection/jamming problems. There were some recent 500s that I just didn't care for the forestock design or the stock color in general.

I have, will, and continue to shoot both. Both are almost dead nuts similar for accuracy. Mossbergs that I got where just a tad bit cheaper ( in price ). I would not second guess either brand to bring hunting with me. I do notice the pump and slide are a bit rickety and rattle on the mossberg, but for the people who can't afford a more expensive pump shotgun, there is NOTHING wrong with mossberg. I also own Ithaca 37's, Browning BPS's ( both exceptionally fine guns ) As well as a slew of other (good) pump shotguns. All seem to shoot about the same (accuracy wise) I do however feel some are better made than others and some have better ( more thorough ) designs.

Detailed gun info
 

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Only thing I wish Remington 870 would change is to put their safety on top. I like mine. But I've always wanted to buy a Mossberg 835 the ones I've shoot that buddy's had worked just fine.

I have an 870 (I think everyone does... ;) ). My bro-in-law has a Mossberg. Occasionally we will switch when out skeet shooting at the range, just for kicks. I like the rear safety on the Mossberg, but, it just doesn't feel right to me. I don't know why... I guess it's just one of those things...

IMO, mossberg is about the lowest quality shotgun available, and they definitely shouldnt cost 300$. They usually run about 199$ at walmart and gander mt. The grip is as thick and blocky as a tree trunk, the forend rattles somethin awful, and the trigger is sloppy as hell. Ive owned a couple, one was given to me, one I bought, I gave them away after I bought better stuff. I wouldnt ever own one again, at least not for anything except home defense. an 870, although not the best pump, is a far more solid weapon, the only thing a mossberg has over it, is its a bit lighter.
The only pump I now own is a old Ithaca 37 . I carried it around in the snow all morning today, it carries and shoulders like a dream! Its amazing how much better quality, guns made decades ago are ,compared to whats available now.

Well,both are fine shotguns IMO iv'e handled & shot both. Good things about the Mossberg 500,i like the top tang safety & the slide release right behind the trigger guard,and the Mossberg is a little lighter. Things i don't like about the 500,they just "feel" cheap made & the action rattles something terrible! Pros on the 870,more sturdier built and the just "fit" me better. Cons on the 870,the safety is right behind the trigger guard & the slide release is in front of the trigger guard. Now thats just my $0.02 but id prefer a Remington 870 Express but the Mossberg is a good shotgun too.

I have 2 Wingmasters built in 68 and 69. I can promise you if they still built the 870 with the detail that those have...this question would be a laugher... Sad what Remmy has came to...

I have the Remington 870, and actually prefer the safety on the rear of the trigger guard. As I bring the gun up to shoot, I push the safety with the center of my index finger. As the gun reaches my shoulder, the tip of my index finger reaches the trigger. After shooting, I lower the gun and push the safety back on. I have done it this way so many years that I do it without thinking about it.

I find that a tang safety is not likely to be placed back to the safe position without thinking about it, (at least for me).

god i hate when people bring in the forend rattle, im 100% sure every pump action has forend rattle. The steel isnt any better than the aluminum, if the steel was better, im sure the 500 wouldnt be a mil-spec gun. i will give it to u with the looks but it depends what 500 u get. and yea the choke tubes to. both are good guns, i will shoot either just prefer the mossberg.

yea most gun makes have gotten worse over the years, just like the model 70's.

Preference
 

I talked about this with a guy who has bought/sold guns for over 40 years. While I do like the tang safety of the Mossberg, the aluminum receiver is not as strong as steel if you are going to shoot the gun A LOT! You know, hunting, claybird practice, trap, skeet, sporting clays. For a gun you are going to shoot, shoot, shoot, I would favor the 870. I keep hearing how Remington is going downhill, so that may be a factor. If I was getting an 870, I would buy used from the guy I mentioned in the first sentence. I have a very old Ithaca m 37, so I don't really need another pump, unless I wanted to deer hunt with it, and get a slug barrel (can't get one for the Ithaca, it's too old.)

I think the 870 is a bit better design but the mossberg receiver is not a pproblem because the bolt locks directly into the barrel. You can shoot it as much as you want. My browning silver is aluminum too. handles 3" magnum steel in the freezing cold, all day long.