I plan on Trading in my Pardner which will fetch $100 towards buying a used pump action. Question is the place i'm trading it in at has a Mossberg 835 with the 3 1/2 inch barrel thats in fairly good condition and a Mossberg 500 with just the 3 inch barrel thats in a little better condiiton and he 500 is around $150 and the 835 is about $165, which one should i buy?

Please don't tell me to buy new because i don't have the money, i just wondered if that extra 1/2 inch matters that much for duck and goose hunting or if the 3 inch barrel would suffice.

3 inch chambered guns will work just fine. I have used a Rem 870 express pump since I started hunting years ago that shoots 3 inch shells. Has worked great. IMO I like my Remington 870 over my MossBerg 500.

Im not familiar with the 835. I had a Mossburg 500 for my first shotgun, and killed alot of ducks with the 3 inch. Folks been killin ducks with them evenlonger than I have. More than adequate. That is what I would get. Great intro shotgun.

3 inch will save you money on shells and pattern better than 3 1/2 inch. Buy which ever gun that you like, but just don't fall into the whole 3 1/2 inch shells will make you a better shot thing!

That's good to know on the shells Colorado. I had never heard that before.


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buy whichever one fits you best

Dang I like that shop... $100 for a used single shot and selling 835s for $165!

Its completely up to you. You don't have to shoot 3.5" out of an 835, but I will say that those over-bored barrels throw some pretty nice patterns. It also gives you the ability to shoot any 12ga shell... so if you ever did want 3.5" for any reason, you have the vehical to do so.

Handle them both a bit. Which ever is more comfortable to you, will work out better. It needs to fit right first and foremost.. I still kill lots of ducks with a 20ga every year... so as Colo. said.. you don't need a roman candle to kill a duck.

Well my Single shot has only had about 50 rounds through it if that and they told me they'd give me a little more if i traded it in towards the purchase of another gun. The 835 is $165 because the wood doesn't look the greatest but we looked at the guts pretty good and it looks perfectly fine. I'm sure i could just slap some stain or something on the stock to make it look "prettier" if i really wanted.

I have a friend and die hard hunting companion that uses a Mossberg 835, and he bought it used many years ago. One can always use 3" in the gun, no one says you have to use the 3 1/2". His gun has accounted for countless ducks and geese and always works.

I would have a hard time deciding between the redoubtable Remington 870 3" and the Mossberg 835. Both appear bulletproof.

DetSgt14[8D]
"if it flies, it dies"

Well i went down and bought my pump. I bought a Mossberg 500 with gold plated trigger and chrome plated action with 3 factory chokes(imp. cylinder,Full,Modified). I got one heck of a deal, they had it for $210 but i talked them down to $189, its a beautiful gun. I'll post a pic. when i get one taken. The gun doesn't even look like its been shot but maybe 20 times and the choke tubes are brand new.