Done Mossberg and done 870.... my choice is the 870,
yet theMossy 500 is okay.

Still have AR and AK.... my choice is the AR,
yet theAK is okay.

i have both the 870 and the 500 in my opinion the 870 blows the 500 away. the one downfall of the 870 is that it is tough to load new shells because of that mag tube follower. one reason that i also think that the 870 is a better gun is the matte finish. the 500 has a finish that gives of a glare which is not the best thing when you are hunting.

hands down, ak

Kinda random, but having just watched Cast Away last night. This question got me thinking which of these firearms would last on a desert island for four years with minimal maintenance? I'd take the Mossy 500 and an AK.

wreck,
i was reading another forum about the 500 vs 870 and a person wrote that when he was in the service they were issued both the 500 and the 870 and he said that everbody wanted the 870 because only with a little amount of water the500 would jam, not fire or not eject.now i feel safe to say the 870 out performes the 500 in all aspects.

Id take the 870 and AK because i know when the chips are down both will go bang.

This isnt scientific but I get to talk with alot of servicemen that have had firefights in Bagdad/Iraq and the middle east and have been told by more than a couple that the Mossberg's have let them down while the 870's hang in there.

I will have to agree with doubleA on this one, I too have heard about the shortcomings of the Mossberg 500 in firefight situations, while I have heard nothing but good about the Remington 870

The mossberg the military uses is not your off the shelf mossy 500 for starters. It has been upgraded with some metal parts instead of plastic ones. However the action is pretty much the same. It also passed the mil spec tortue test that the military runs it's weapons through. Remington did not submit the 870 for testing. I am quite sure it would pass as well.

Functionally the guns are near identical, one is no better than the other as far as dependability goes. And take my word for it, a mossberg will fire when wet. It will also fire when covered in mud and ice, been there. If anything the mossberg would work better in these conditions because the tolerances are not quite as tight as an 870 (from what I understand). Much like the AK, it has loose tolerences so it can be made cheaper and function better in nasty conditions. It gives up accuracy for it though.

From what I have seen when a 500 or 870 fails to function it is usually operator error. They are pretty simple designs for the most part.

They are both being replaced by the Benelli M1014 semi automatic though.

Paul

My my, things are always changing