That's about the same as the Ford or Chevy thing, just get one of each.

 

On the new market, the Mossberg is now avialble in a walnut stock, which compares to many 870 models, especailly from the past. Being a walnut guy, would probably pick up a well preserved 870 off the used market, these older Remington shotguns show a finer fit and finnish.

 

Such a great question that's asked often. First couple things to think about; what are you using it for, how often do you plan on using it, what is your likelihood of increasing/decreasing use over time?

Both are great for turkey and most small game, and if you plan on getting into waterfowl I suggest looking at semi's too. Personally, I own the Mossberg and it's my primary hunting shotgun. Bought it 5-6 years back and for a while it suited my purpose, however, I'm at the point in my hunting where I wish I had a nicer shotgun (Benelli, Browning) for hunting. Not willing to slap that kind of dough down now especially when I have a gun that works fine. Long and short of it, if you're new to the sport and seem interested enough to keep going with it I'd go with a mid-tier gun that is more than you need today and good for what you'll do tomorrow.

Performance wise they're near equal. Mostly branding difference at this point. If you like the look of the Rem go that way. If you're price sensitive the Mossberg is a solid bang for buck. The 870 is nice and I would have likely been just as happy with that too. I went with what fit my budget at the time.

 

The new variants are both about the same. The older Remingtons are a touch bit better.

 

I own both. I favor the Mossburg over the Remington, but just. The three things that puts the Mossburg over the 870 for me is 1. weight. the 500 is lighter. 2. balance. 3. magazine plug is easier to remove and install in the 500. I do not care for the Mossburg 835 series. Two people I hunt with both had the same feeding and ejection issues.

 

I own both. I favor the Mossberg over the Remington, but just. The three things that put the Mossberg over the 870 for me is 1. weight. the 500 is lighter. 2. balance. 3. magazine plug is easier to remove and install in the 500. I do not care for the Mossberg 835 series. Two people I hunt with both had the same feeding and ejection issues.

I own the 835 Turkey shotgun and haven't a problem with it. The only problem with the Mossberg 835 is you can't shot slugs in its barrel so if you want to shoot slug you must buy a slug. If you buy cylinder bore slug barrel you can also shot shots thought it.

Recently Dick's sporting goods had a sale on Remington 870 shotguns $299.99 and Remington had a rebate of $50. So 249.99 +tax I also have a Remington 870 too. I have friends that had problems with their Remington 870 but I haven't used mine long enough to come to that point. But, I can say I have owned my Mossberg 835 for 25+ years and I added a slug barrel cylinder bore this year for a special shotgun/ML Long Island January deer hunt. I'll say this about the Mossberg shotguns, they're strong you can use them in all kinds of weather and the accessories for the Model 500 are endless and affordable over any other shotgun I know.

PS. The two (500/870) are ugly but the Remington is the prettiest.

 

I agree with all the above but would consider trying to find a used Browning BPS or Ithaca model 37. My first Shotgun was a model 37 and loved it. I liked that it loaded and ejected from the same location very easily.

 

I've had Mossberg, Winchester and Marlin pump shotguns. All were 12 ga. I'd prefer the Mossberg or Marlin. I've used a Remington 870. Personal preference for me would be the Mossberg. I like the safety under my thumb.

 

I can find no fault with the 870 (the older ones), but, my favorite would be the Mossberg.

 

Your call, but for info we have a few 870's in the family we've used for decades hunting and never an issue with any; in both 12ga and 20ga model Wingmasters. Also have a couple Winchesters, and like them too though, ha! Never owned a Mossberg, so can't speak personally to them, but people seem to like them too. As far as various model/type, barrels, etc., it will depend on what you plan to use it for really.
Good luck to you...

 

I own one 12ga shotgun. It's a Mossberg 500 w/16” barrel. I shot a few boxes of 00 Buck through it and went bang every time I pulled the trigger. I like it. But, the purpose of this shotgun is home defense, so it may sit in the corner for the rest of its life.

 

There are an endless amount of accessories for both. I'm liking my 870 but would pic up a Mossberg if the price was right.

 

When I began my search for a pump gun, I was leaning 870. Then I found out that the 500 was the only shotgun to pass the military endurance test, that cinched it. That and the safety position on top of the receiver.

It's my home defense weapon.

 

I had an 870 a few years back and sold it.

I like my Mossy 500 much better!

 

Maverick 88. Under $200 it is a Mossberg 500 all parts interchange. So not wood but for the money you could buy the Maverick new types and different styles of stocks and a different barrel. And beat the price of a new 870 or higher end 500. But be able to switch as you please.

 

I have one of each, both are trouble-free, reliable, durable, yadda yadda yadda. If you find an 870 with real blueing and vent rib Remchoke barrel you won't be disappointed. If your on a budget and don't care about being able to change the choke the 500 would be the way to go, used slugsters and such can be found as low as $150.

 

I have owned both but prefer the thumb safety on the Mossberg. I sleep very well at night with a 500A in the closet.

 

If you are looking for a sporting shotgun, the Ithaca 37 hands down (just my personal opinion). Both the Mossberg and Remington both are very serviceable home defense guns and also would be good sporting guns. In general, older versions of most guns were made better than the guns of today.

 

The Mossberg 5XX series, Remington 870, and Ithaca 37 have all been purchased and used by the military in great numbers. I've shot dozens of military shotguns and I will tell you a steel receiver is what lasts through decades of use. They all shoot about the same and, once broken in, they all are just as fast and smooth to operate.

If you want a gun in military furniture then the Mossberb would be my choice. There are many accessories and options for setting it up as a military/police/defensive weapon. One negative for me is that it uses an aluminum alloy receiver. Since 1970 it has been made with twin action bars. Prior to that Remington held the patent on that. I do not enjoy shooting the Mossberg because the safety bites me. It cuts the web of my hand if I use a full wrap grip or jams my thumb if I use a four finger grip with thumb forward. It's inexpensive, and reliable. The plastic trigger guard and alloy receiver were designed to contribute to light weight but I would rather have the weight and a gun made of steel. It should be noted that the 590 has some improvements to increase robustness, particularly to reduce chronic breakage of locking lug pins. And the 590A1 is a beefed up version of the 590 with an aluminum trigger guard and a thicker barrel. Those were needed to reduce problems encountered with trigger guard breakage, barrel dents, and barrels bending. As a result, the 590A1 weighs a bit more than the 500 or 590. I believe it even weighs more than a similarly configured Remington 870.

If you want a gun for general hunting and shooting then the Remington 870 is a better choice. It has a long history of military use but civilians make up the vast majority of users. The 870 can be had with plastic or plain Jane wood but they are more often found with with beautifully finished checkered wood and nicely blued steel. They also come in various flavors of camouflage. There are models configured for Sporting Clays, Trap, Turkey shooting, waterfowl shooting, upland shooting, police and home defense. They are strong, reliable, slick operating and you will be able to find parts, barrels, and chokes at almost any place that sell guns. Remington held the patent for twin action bars and Mossberg copied it as soon as the patent expired. They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery.

If you want a gun with hunting first and foremost in your mind then the Ithaca 37 would be a great choice. It feeds AND ejects from the bottom. That leaves the sides of the action walls solid and helps keep water and debris out of the internals as you hunt the woods. The design has been around since 1937 with some improvements made in the 1980s. When it comes to swinging, point-ability, and getting on a bird, I find the Ithaca my favorite. The Ithaca was used by the military for many years and is extremely rugged but you can't drop a round directly into the chamber like you can with the Mossberg or Remington. Because it lacks that feature it would not be my choice for defense use. However, I would choose it over the others as an upland gun for pheasant, quail, grouse, etc. When it comes to slug and buckshot deer hunting guns, well, Ithaca wrote the book.

 

A lot of good info here. How many of you know the Ithaca 37 was copied from the Remington 20ga Mdl17 that had the bottom ejection etc?

 

I knew that! I have one that was my Grandad's. Must be nearly 90 years old and functions flawlessly!

Keith

 

Remington used to mass produce some fine guns.

 

The Remington 870 & Mossberg 500 of today are of about the same quality not much difference. The older Remington 870's were not only better on fit and finish they were put together a lot better than today's 870s. The Mossberg 500 hasn't got any better the 870 just slid back to the Mossberg 500 level. The Mossberg 500 used to be the bottom of the barrel of pump guns. It's still the same gun only in as many variations as snowflakes. I was dumbfounded when military adopted it. The trigger group is the weak point in a 500. The way it's constructed a broken trigger guard could put the gun out of action. So if I was in the market for a pump gun and had to choose from these two guns I would be looking for an older 870 in high condition. Prices on them are reasonable and probably less than a new Mossberg.

either one of these guns compares to a 37 Ithaca, which was a well-made gun of machined parts. When I was in the Army they had many brands of shotguns. Ithaca, Remingtons, Winchesters and all the newer issue ones I saw were Stevens never saw a Mossberg GI issue. I don't put much stock in what passed military trials. They are the ones that gave us the 92 Beretta, because of pressure from State Dept to buy Italian gun. Why? I don't know. I am suspicious of the Mossberg contract too. Check back to Desert Storm 1 aftermath, Mossberg was involved in hanky-panky selling to Iraq through a 3rd party to get around the restriction of arms sales. I don't think they got more than their hands slapped. So I believe they had some guardian angles somewhere in the government.

 

Can't speak for the 870, but I've had a Mossberg 500 Regal that has served me very well for nearly 35 years. Never had an issue with it. I wanted an 870 when I bought the Mossberg but, at the time, they were about $150 more. Performance wise, I'm sure they are equal so it's just a matter of which fits you best and that's what's more important.

 

Another vote for the Mossy 5XX based mostly on the naturalness of the safety placement. I had an 870 most of my life, but the first time I shouldered a friend's 500 and my thumb rested right where it needed to on the safety, I was hooked.

 

With shotguns, how the gun fits you will make a huge difference in how you shoot. I suggest you try mounting both shotguns and see which one comes better for you. If you are buying from a gunshop, the salesperson should be able to help to see if one provides a better fit over the other. If both fit the same, I would lean toward the 870. I do agree with the others in that if you find an Ithaca 37 that fits you well, I would pick that one.

 

Several guys have brought up the safety on the Mdl 500 Mossberg. I don't know if they changed it for military models but the Safety button used to be plastic. Under the bottom is a spring and the ball detent, the shank of safety passes through a slot in the receiver and is pinned to the safety block. The plastic button had a hi rate of failure and was prone to wear and breakage under cold conditions. I use to buy
Steel safety buttons from machinist and had a good market replacing them. The safety mechanism itself was ok. I always replaced the safety button screw also. The clutch head screw they used was a PIA, especially if a Bubba tried to get it out with a regular screwdriver.

Best deal for your money on a pump shotgun: Sears & Roebuck, JC Higgins Mdl 20 pump. These were Hi Standards and were durable well-made guns. They were solid frame guns which made excellent slug guns. A bit heavier than Mossberg & Remington but a nice gun for the money. I see them for $150 in nice shape. They sold thousands of them.