870 or Mossburg 500

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Patrickshot

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I am wanting to buy my first shotgun. I want to mainly use it for Skeet and Trap at the Range and just learning to shoot. I really like the Mossburg 500 8 shot Persuader(12 gauge) and the Remington 870(12 guage). What do you guys think I should go for? I am a little broke at the moment.
 
Patrickshot said:
I am wanting to buy my first shotgun. I want to mainly use it for Skeet and Trap at the Range and just learning to shoot. I really like the Mossburg 500 8 shot Persuader(12 gauge) and the Remington 870(12 guage). What do you guys think I should go for? I am a little broke at the moment.
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That was me last spring I bought the 870 and have not looked back:)
 
That was me 2 months ago. I looked into it and at the moment there are some very good deals on remington 870 express magnums. A lot of what I looked at was in relation to quality, parts availability, function, and ease of maintenance/repair.

In almost all respects I found them very similar. It seems they both have their share of plastic parts, but remington has done a little better a job in making sure the plastic parts aren't in damage prone areas or molded in vulnerable ways. I also found the remington a little more comfortable, and is a lot better for spare parts, cleaning/keeping clean/functioning without cleaning, and repair. I now own an 870... was out with it yesterday and love it.

There are several side by side comparisons online and most of them come to the conclusion that while the remington is nominally more expensive usually, that slight cost is matched by increased quality. If you can get a mossberg 590 a1, get it though...;)
 
Owned literally tons of and every defence applicable model made by each;

Rem 870 Police
Rem 870 Wingmaster (Police 16" top folder on Wingmaster frames)
Rem 870 Express

Moss 500 Persuader
Moss 590 Special Purpose
Moss 590A1

...verdict from my point of view? Both are good, but choose the Remington.
 
This is right up your alley

Patrickshot said:
I am wanting to buy my first shotgun. I want to mainly use it for Skeet and Trap at the Range and just learning to shoot. I really like the Mossburg 500 8 shot Persuader(12 gauge) and the Remington 870(12 guage). What do you guys think I should go for? I am a little broke at the moment.
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Cat. No. 440173
Mossberg 500 Combo Pump Action Shotgun

This versatile shotgun features two barrels for a number of uses from hunting to security detail. Barrels included are 28” vent rib with fixed modified choke and an 18 ½” smoothbore barrel with fixed cylinder choke and front bead sight. The black synthetic stock features rubber recoil pad with checkering for improved handling. 12 gauge, 3” chamber.

Cat. No. 440173

Price: $ 249.99
440173.jpg

http://www.cabelas.ca/images/products/440173.jpg
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this topic has been done to death, twice.

What you really need to do is go to a gun shop and have the guy show you both. shoulder both of them repeatedly and play around with them to get comfortable with the features they both offer. One will fit you better, thats the one you buy. For a fair comparison, don't ask the prices.

Should you decide to buy one, I would heavily suggest checking the EE before buying new. there are 10 870's added everyday down there.
 
Both Remington and Mossberg shotguns are good quality, but both makes have let substandard guns slip through their QC. I prefer a magazine that has a screw on cap to facilitate easy cleaning of the magazine tube, but I have yet to see a 500 fail due to a dirty magazine tube. The 8 shot magazine is probably the most overrated item the new shotgun owner can consider. This is an opinion I have reached after packing a 20" version of the 590 many miles. The long magazine serves little purpose other than to make the gun heavier and in some cases longer than necessary and it screws up the balance. A 5 shot pump with a sidesaddle with the barrel the same length as the magazine makes for a nice compact practical gun. I'm not all that excited about the very short barrel guns because the magazine tube is necessarily shortened, reducing the capacity below 5. A trip to a gunsmith to install screw in chokes and to adjust the length of pull for a better fit might be in order.
 
I shot and goofed around with 3 pump shotguns before settling on the Benelli nova.
The Mossberg 500 was the cheapest feel of all 3.
The 870 was next.

They all made the same "BOOM" sound though. Funny.
 
Both are Excellent shotguns, i think it will boil down for you on how each feel in your arms and which works better for you, for example you might be more fond of the 870 style safety or like the Mossberg's safety better. These are both reliable and good shotguns and if price is the only thing affecting your chose then id say go for the Mossberg, but again which ever feels better to you.
 
I bought the 500A and I love it. It came with 3 chokes,recoil pad and loack for 290$. I have put atleast 200 rounds through it and it still works like the day I bought it. I like the tang safety compared to the trigger guard safety on the Remington and I also like the double claw extractor compared to the single claw extractor on the Remington.

Cabelas Canada (SIR) has the Mossberg 535 ( 500 with 3.5'' chamber) with a 28'' field barrel and 24'' rifled barrel for 309$! Jump on this before the price goes up!
 
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Remington 870 Expresss 7-shot synthetic 18" barrel is the answer....$350.00 NIB at Le Barons (they'll ship to you). Great for rifled slugs & sporting clays. Or, if the Mossberg 500 floats your boat...grab it, just as inexpensive, both great shotguns.

Good luck & happy shoot'n :)
 
I was in the same boat this summer, went to pick up a mossy, and they were out, so I bought the 870. I am very happy with my choice(lack there of)
 
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