DA Grizzly vs Mossie 500 vs Rem 870

Tomochan

Tomochan

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While not new to shotguns ( think , late 60's trying not to show how much Dad's 12 bore really pounded my shoulder and wanting to tell him that my BSA air-rifle was really more fun ! ) I am new to the tactical style shotgun. I have read a lot of favourable comments about the DA Grizzly but was hoping that someone out there who has had one for a while can comment on how they are when compared to the 500 and 870 models put out by the big boys. In particular, comments about fit+finish/workmanship, ease of operation, reliability etc would be most helpful.

Cheers.

Bob.
 
i own/have owned all 3.

i have a wingmaster, a grizzly, sold my mossy 500 and am storing my friend's 870 express for him.

in terms of fit/finish and smoothness a wingmaster is light years ahead of any of them. both the grizzly and the express have a matte blued type finish which needs to be kept oiled or itll get fine surface rust on it. this isnt a really big deal on a hard use shotgun. the mossy 500 has an aluminum receiver which wont rust and the barrel on mine was gloss blued (thin cheap blueing, but holds up much better than matte bluing).

out of all of them, the wingmaster just feels the best in your hands (seems to be a bit lighter too), and has the smoothest action.
the grizzly by far felt the beefiest. when it arrived the action was rough but i did a few things to smooth it out: when i replaced the forend with a wood 870P forend, i also slightly radiused the inside of the forend tube edges so it would more evenly ride the mag tube and wouldnt gouge it up. after cycling the action a hundred times or so, and firing a couple boxes of ammo, it really smoothed out. its still no wingmaster, but its nice and smooth now. the trigger housing is aluminum, like the wingmaster (but softer) - unlike the plastic trigger housings of the mossberg and 870 express.

the mossberg was smooth at the start, but i bought it broken in so i have no idea how they are from the factory. the aluminum receiver held up very well (not a single concern about alum. vs steel wear like so many mossberg haters whine about on the net), and was a bit lighter, however i did not like it because you are not able to refinish it. ie: if you want to get your gun parkerized, reblued or even painted at some point down the road, your black anodized aluminum receiver will stick out like a sore thumb. i much prefer the mossy 500 safety up on the tang, and the unscrewable mag tube that lets you change from a long - short mag tube and their respective barrels and also makes cleaning easier and lets it disassemble into a smaller box.



-if i was not on a budget, i would spend a bit extra and base my build on either an 870 wingmaster or 870P.

-i dont see much of a 'value' difference between an 870 express and a mossberg 500. if both were at the same price, i would buy an 870 express just for the steel receiver and wider range of aftermarket parts availability... but the mossy 500s are generally $50 cheaper which makes them a good deal. if deciding between these two guns, price and included barrels would be the cincher - not the brands. there are some very good deals on multi-barrel combos for both the 870 and mossy 500 and this would let you pick up a gun very cheap, sell the extra barrel for $100-150, and recoup a good portion of your investment to spend on aftermarket accessories.

-if you are looking for a short-barreled gun for a camp gun or zombie build the grizzly is an awesome deal. IMO it is built sturdier than the 870 express models, smooths out just as well or better after some use, and takes almost all 870 accessories. chokes on the newer grizzlies are nice and give you more flexibility (my older grizzly wasnt tapped for chokes). $300 incl. shipping is a steal.
just keep in mind that the short grizzly barrel will not index perfectly on a regular 870 receiver (and i assume vice-versa). the bead is twisted a LITTLE off to the side.
 
I own a 500 and 870 and for some reason I find myself leaving the Remington home almost all the time now. I got it for super cheap, but just don't find any fun in it. The action feels sloppy when you open it. It kind of jumps. My brothers, which is brand new, does this as well. I like to stick with my 500. It hasn't let me down yet. Funny thing is that I bought the Mossberg for $110 and the Remington for $200.

The only reason why I keep my Remington is for the choke options and 3 1/2" capability.
 
for ergonomics, i prefer the Mossberg 500/590. the safety is in a better position and the action release doesn't require as much movement as the 870 to manipulate. i also prefer the lighter weight of the Mossbergs too. the US military has adopted the Mossberg 590. the 590 was found to be more reliable than the 870.

that being said, there is nothing wrong with the 870 style shotguns. i own a Scattergun Tech. 870 and a couple of D.A. Grizzly's. they are great shotguns and the Grizzly's are fantastic knock around guns for the price. the Grizzly's finish is definately not on par with the Remington or Mossberg, but what do you expect for $350-ish? otherwise, the Grizzly's work just as well as the other brands.
 
Thanks for the replies and advice fellas. I just ordered ! I went with the DA Grizzly 18.5" Mag folding stock version - I couldn't get over the cool factor LOL !!! Thanks again for the replies.
 
Mikjk said:
the Grizzly's finish is definately not on par with the Remington or Mossberg, but what do you expect for $350-ish?
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IMO both the 870 express and DA Grizzly fit/finish are equally rough. the only advantage i see to the real 870 is the perfect fitting of factory 870 parts: barrels that index perfectly, forends that can be installed without sanding the hole larger, bolts that can just be swapped, etc.

for the average user that just wants a zombie project gun to add something like a folding stock, heat shield, etc to the grizzly is a great deal especially now that the barrels come tapped for chokes - which you dont get on the Mossy or Remmy short barreled models.
 
DA Grizzly is a super beefed-up Remington 870.

Have a look at its stock. That's how thick the wall is.

2758279492_7d9a61efbd_o.jpg


Here is a pic I borrowed from Mangil, my Stoeger 2000 has same quality stock.

tomahawk077.jpg


tomahawk086.jpg
 
Mikjk said:
for ergonomics, i prefer the Mossberg 500/590. the safety is in a better position and the action release doesn't require as much movement as the 870 to manipulate. i also prefer the lighter weight of the Mossbergs too. the US military has adopted the Mossberg 590. the 590 was found to be more reliable than the 870.

that being said, there is nothing wrong with the 870 style shotguns. i own a Scattergun Tech. 870 and a couple of D.A. Grizzly's. they are great shotguns and the Grizzly's are fantastic knock around guns for the price. the Grizzly's finish is definately not on par with the Remington or Mossberg, but what do you expect for $350-ish? otherwise, the Grizzly's work just as well as the other brands.
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All the shotguns I saw in Iraq and Afghanistan were 870s. The Canadian Army uses 870s as well. I like the 870, I have used them for years and have no complaints. A used 870 wingmaster is the way to go personally. I love mine.
 
A used 870 wingmaster is the way to go personally.
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there are great deals to be had on 2 3/4" wingmasters. you can leave them as is (nothing wrong with 2 3/4" for a camp gun) or if you are willing to get your hands dirty the conversion to 3" is relatively cheap and easy to do.

its still cheaper and easier to just buy a grizzly though, especially as a first shotgun. most good deals on wingmasters i see generally are 2 3/4" with something like a rediculously long 28-30" fixed choke barrel. its a lot of work and $$ to convert that to a nice tactical or zombie rig. yes, in the end, it will look and feel much nicer - but will cost you 2x as much.
 
Morpheus32 said:
All the shotguns I saw in Iraq and Afghanistan were 870s. The Canadian Army uses 870s as well. I like the 870, I have used them for years and have no complaints. A used 870 wingmaster is the way to go personally. I love mine.
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yup, the 870 is still in use and still going strong. new purchases of shotguns are Mossberg 590s. i have no doubt that the 870s in US inventory will be around for a good long time before they are retired.

i have no complaints in regards to use of the 870. i just prefer the ergonomics of the 590 better.

manbearpig: i was pointing out the finish of the Grizzly's are not that good. the 'bluing' rubs off and is quite thin on my examples. i'm not even sure if i should call it bluing... but it isn't phosphate and i don't think it is paint. the point is, don't expect a pretty gun when you buy a Grizzly. i have not seen a Remington or Mossberg, even in it's cheapest models, have the same finish as the Grizzly.
 
The DA Grizzly is a knock-off of the Remington 870, so obviously the quality is not going to be near the 870. The workmanship is definitely sub-par to that of Remington. I own both the Remington 870 Police and the DA Grizzly. My Grizzly's action is pretty stiff, and even after a few hundred rounds it still hasn't loosened up much. The finish on the Grizzly is a black oxide that looks kind of like parker, but it isn't nearly as tough. The left shell latch in my DA Grizzly came unseated, and it needs to be re-pinned to the receiver. I also broke the factory buttstock on my DA Grizzly. Not a big deal though, as I was planning on throwing a SPEEDFEED stock set on it anyways. There is no ball dent on the barrel, so I end up having to tighten my magazine tube cap from time to time. If you want to put a Happy Face magazine cap on the Grizzly, you're going to have to put a shim in there to get it tight enough, or really force it on, as the mag tube doesn't appear to be threaded enough.

For $300 bucks, the DA Grizzly is a great little shooter worth every penny; never had a jam. If you're looking to get a proper tactical/combat shotgun, stick with what the big boys have to offer.
 
ive owned one express 870, and two mossy 500's.
mossberg has a tang safety, where the safety for the 870 is just behind the trigger, someone above mentioned they like the mossberg, i like the remmington. also, remmingtons have ALOT more aftermarket stuff availible if you want a stock selection, extended mags

the grizzly is an awsome gun, a member here came out with me for a day and i got to play with his all afternoon. awsome peice, and as far as i know, anything that fits the 870, fits the dominion. only beef ive heard from owners, is the finish leaves alot to be desired in terms of durability.

after shooting all 3, i like my 870. but if i got stuck with the dominion or the 500, i wouldnt cry either.
 
hafetysazard said:
The DA Grizzly is a knock-off of the Remington 870, so obviously the quality is not going to be near the 870. The workmanship is definitely sub-par to that of Remington. I own both the Remington 870 Police and the DA Grizzly.
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A Remington 870 Police costs about double (or more) than the price of a Grizzly. It would be more appropriate, price wise, to compare the Rem Express ($380 ish) with the Grizzly.

I have owned, and have seen, a number of Express 870's that had issues with feed/function. Yes, most of them work fine - but some do not. The fit and finish of the Express is rough, and the finish on the Express rusts quite easily. I haven't hear any complaints around here about the reliability of HP-9 or Grizzly 870's. While the finish on the Grizzly will show scuffs and marks, it does not seem so prone to rust as an Express.

My Grizzly has probably 700 rounds through it at this point and has given me no problems. The action has smoothed out nicely - smoother working than the action of my Express.
 
P.E. Islander said:
A Remington 870 Police costs about double (or more) than the price of a Grizzly. It would be more appropriate, price wise, to compare the Rem Express ($380 ish) with the Grizzly.

I have owned, and have seen, a number of Express 870's that had issues with feed/function. Yes, most of them work fine - but some do not. The fit and finish of the Express is rough, and the finish on the Express rusts quite easily. I haven't hear any complaints around here about the reliability of HP-9 or Grizzly 870's. While the finish on the Grizzly will show scuffs and marks, it does not seem so prone to rust as an Express.

My Grizzly has probably 700 rounds through it at this point and has given me no problems. The action has smoothed out nicely - smoother working than the action of my Express.
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The OP didn't ask about price, he asked about quality/workmanship/etc. If he's lucky enough he can probably find an old 870 Police, or a or a nice Wingmaster, for a price not significantly higher than the Grizzly. As for the look, feel, and attention to detail, an 870 Express is going to be a bit nicer.
 
hafetysazard said:
The DA Grizzly is a knock-off of the Remington 870, so obviously the quality is not going to be near the 870. The workmanship is definitely sub-par to that of Remington. I own both the Remington 870 Police and the DA Grizzly.
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youre comparing the Grizzly to a gun that costs more than double the price.
a fair comparison is a Grizzly to an 870 Express -- and if you are comparing apples to apples like that, the grizzly is not any worse. in fact in some ways it is better than the Express - some parts of it are significantly beefier, and it has an aluminum trigger housing like the more expensive Wingmasters and 870Ps, and actually comes with swivels installed/swivel cap thats an extra $30 on an Express.

its main downside compared to the Express is the fact that Grizzly barrels do not index perfectly on an Express, and vice-versa... whereas if you buy an Express you get 100% perfect compatibility with all the 870 aftermarket and take-off parts. i also could not fit a Wingmaster bolt/carrier into my Grizzly.

hafetysazard said:
The OP didn't ask about price, he asked about quality/workmanship/etc. If he's lucky enough he can probably find an old 870 Police, or a or a nice Wingmaster, for a price not significantly higher than the Grizzly. As for the look, feel, and attention to detail, an 870 Express is going to be a bit nicer.
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do you own a recent production 870 Express? if so, did you type the bold part with a straight face? i cant believe anyone would use the words 'attention to detail' and 'look and feel' in the same sentence as 870 Express unless they are immediately preceeded by the word 'cheap'. the Grizzly and Express are equally crappy in the fit/finish department :D

and yes, you can find a used 870P or Wingmaster for the same price as a Grizzly - this is an excellent suggestion. however make sure to consider that it will undoubtedly come chambered for 2 3/4" shells and will have a 28-30" fixed choke barrel also chambered for 2 3/4" shells. now you can convert it to 3" and rebarrel, and it will undoubtedly be a superior gun when you are finished, however this requires at least another $150 for a barrel, $12 for the 3" ejector, $10 for the two ejector rivets, and some time.

and good luck trying to sell a 2 3/4", 30" fixed full choke Wingmaster barrel. been there done that.
 
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