TriggerHappyJake
Senior Member
Mossberg 500 or Remington 870? Which would you trust your life on? Which would you trust your hunt on? Which is junk and which is genius? 
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Moss vs Rem
- Thread starter TriggerHappyJake
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weagle
Senior Member
Mossberg is not junk, but when it comes to pump shotguns, there's the Remington 870 wingmaster and then everything else.
If you are into vintage pumps then it's the Remington 31.
If you are into vintage pumps then it's the Remington 31.
Both have solid reputations as utterly dependable weapons with long track records of use, including military and law enforcement. I own both. They are both good shotguns, and I'd trust my life with either one. I hunt with both, and have had no problems at all with either.
With older ones, I'd give a slight edge to the Remmy, especially the Wingmaster. Newer ones, I would go with the Mossy for sure. I don't trust anything made by Remington/Cerebus Capital Management nowadays.
With older ones, I'd give a slight edge to the Remmy, especially the Wingmaster. Newer ones, I would go with the Mossy for sure. I don't trust anything made by Remington/Cerebus Capital Management nowadays.
transfixer
Senior Member
Mossbergs seem to be more " loose" in the slide bar area, the current 870's are okay if you replace the plastic follower with an aluminum one, and the ejector with a steel one instead of the powdered metal one it has. Also the safety should be replaced with an oversized one if its use is for home defense.
WaltL1
Senior Member
First - I have no idea if this is actually true but -
I read, and I think the writer was a former Mossberg employee.... that the "looseness" of the slide is an intentional design feature. Many of the pump guns were going to the military as well as the public and more play in the pump helped reduce snapped slide bars, dirt/grit etc slowing or jammimg and issues like that..
Think war time 1911s. Intentionally manufactured to "loose" tolerances for the same reasons. Pick one up and shake it.
So apparently Mossberg felt this was a positive feature across the board considering their shotgun line is based on a "workhorse" reputation.
Like I said, no clue if its actually fact or just a really convenient excuse but it does make sense.
I own both a new Mossberg and an older 870. Would reach for either one in a life threatening situation.
transfixer
Senior Member
Could be, I just know it didn't make you think "quality" when you could feel one rattle, that being said, I bought a Mossberg Shockwave a while back, just to check it out, ended up selling it to someone else, but it was actually a bit on the tight side initially.
Decades of constant use with no problems says quality to me. I shoot better with the Mossberg than the Remmy, too. The only complaint I have with mine is that it kicks like a mule.
wareagle700
Senior Member
The 500 is one of few firearms Mossberg has delivered on. Having said that, I'd still lean towards the 870 based on function, reputation, and the classic look. I don't there's a better pump out there.
WaltL1
Senior Member
Its certainly true that when we hear rattle rattle, we don't think "built like a fine Swiss watch".
Just a question if you don't mind -
Did you find with the Shockwave that to be comfortably accurate you basically had to get it up into a normal firing position?
In which case you might as well have a stock on it?
Of course if the intended target was 2 feet away blazing away from the hip is fine but how about 10 yards away?
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transfixer
Senior Member
Exactly ! It was a cool toy, but from a practical standpoint not very useful to me, I enjoyed shooting it, but you would have had to practice shooting from the hip so to speak quite a bit in order to be accurate with it. Shooting it right at dark the muzzle blast was awesome, but that would be a detriment in most cases.
I already owned two short barreled shotguns, so I saw no need in me keeping the shockwave, it might work fine for a storekeeper to keep behind the counter? or something like that.
I have Mossberg M500, 835, and a Maverick by Mossberg. Like nchillbilly said, they all kick like mules. I know all guns can mess up, but I've never had one of them hang up on me or anything like that. And I've been tough on them. The things I like about them is they all are relatively cheap, so when they get a scratch on them it doesn't matter to me. I also have an 870, and had good luck with it too. It has hung up with me a couple of times but that doesn't mean they aren't good guns. But man I do enjoy taking a cheap pump duck hunting with guys who have to have their Benelli super black eagles and killing just as many if not more than they do!
WaltL1
Senior Member
Ive never shot one but in considering getting one I figured thats what it would boil down to.
And yeah the under the counter storekeeper scenario would probably be its perfect use.
Buckman18
Senior Member
I have an older Remington 870, an older Mossberg 500, and a newer Mossberg 535.
With an OLDER Remington (mine was made before Cerebus Capital Mgmt), comparing to a mossberg is like the old Chevy vs Ford debate, it really boils down to personal preference. Both are fine.
With the NEWER Remington, they are on the equivolent of Dodge trucks. If you look up Dodge in the dictionary, what does it say?.
Answer: To Avoid.
Side note: The mossberg 535 will break your spirit with big turkey loads if you are recoil sensitive, I've never felt anything quite like that!!!
With an OLDER Remington (mine was made before Cerebus Capital Mgmt), comparing to a mossberg is like the old Chevy vs Ford debate, it really boils down to personal preference. Both are fine.
With the NEWER Remington, they are on the equivolent of Dodge trucks. If you look up Dodge in the dictionary, what does it say?.
Answer: To Avoid.
Side note: The mossberg 535 will break your spirit with big turkey loads if you are recoil sensitive, I've never felt anything quite like that!!!
transfixer
Senior Member
I grew up on 870's , so that's why I'm more partial to them, first gun my Dad gave me was a 20ga wingmaster, I've owned a few Mossbergs and never had any problems with them, just favor the 870's, wish I still had that old wingmaster, most LE agencies are split on what their guys carry, with a slight edge going to the 870's, I don't know if the current mossbergs need anything to make them more reliable, but I do know the 870 has the plastic follower on most of their line, and the powdered metal extractor, both of which probably won't fail except under extreme use, but if you're depending on it you sure don't want either to mess up at the wrong time.
My stepson received a 870 express tactical for Christmas a couple years ago, first thing we did was change out the tube spring and follower, an oversize safety button, and the extractor, along with installing a speedfeed stock, as it was going to be his duty shotgun.
I have an old 870 that I really like, but I have a very old Model 12 Winchester that I like even more.
Hillbilly stalker
Senior Member
The only thing more reliable than a 870 is a claw hammer. They are a lot easier to clean than the Mossberg's in my opinion . Both are good guns. I would trust either, but prefer older 870's.
WaltL1
Senior Member
Ive got a new 500 Persuader (standard stock/7+1, ghost ring sites, heat shield).
Plastic, not smooth safety "button". I am replacing with metal oversized.
On the standard 500 line the trigger plate is plastic. Has been known to break if dropped, through extreme use.
The Military line (590s) have a metal plate.
And as you mentioned for the 870 a plastic follower.
I think thats about it as far a quick and easy upgrades if you feel the need to..
I have a 500 that I shoot better than any shotgun I own. I'll wind up taking it to the dove field for just that reason. The downside is that I come back home with my shoulder and upper arm green, black and blue after running two or three boxes through it while twisted around at awkward shooting angles.
I had an old Wingmaster that I loved. Fit me perfectly, felt good, and I could shoot it good. It got donated to the meth heads during a home burglary about a decade ago. I miss it.
I've got a Winchester 1300 pump with a slug barrel that's a solid gun, for sure.
