Mossberg 500 or 870 Express?

My 500 is great now that it has some modifications to it...luv the way it shakes rattles and rolls when it's pumped on a three point sling...
 
Too the OP... Apologies I love my 500. But for the sake of good advice please look at all options in your price range. Pick up, shoulder each one, shoot em if you can...then decide what YOU like. As I said " it is all about the fit" when you pick a scatter blaster.

Good luck.... Long live the Mossy 500..... LOL
 
I've had a Mossberg 500 field version. Came with this really beautiful "artificial", pressed checkering, wood stock that had no shooting ergonomics whatsoever. Maybe I should have liked that great creeping 10 lbs. trigger in the plastic assembly or the very precise rattling forend which acts like a game driver in the bush - but sadly I couldn't. Then I've almost made friends with the tire piece they screwed on the end of the butt stock. But sadly I had to care about the rust appearing on the well done blueing after a damp field day so my friendship with the butt pad couldn't really develop. So sorry... but still there was a shimmer of hope on the horizon in further "plastifying" the whole setup. Them critters, so I thought, would be tremendously scared, when I show up with all the gizmos dangling from my plastic bomber. They will drop dead by only looking at this cannon. Unfortunately, I was wrong! After two close calls with charging grouse and a dangerously close rabbit which was even not scared by the steadily emitted rattle of the gun I decided to end my love affair. Good bye my dearly loved Mossberg.
 
I like the 500 for stalking and walking. The weight is good, the safety easy to access and I don't get my gloves caught in the lifter when reloading(as I do with my 870.) The fore end does rattle a little, maybe that's why the rabbits are so hard to find!
 
Last edited:
I will throw my 0.02 in for the 870 as well. Don't know about the recent QC issues, but mine is only 3 yrs old and I have had no issues. Handled a 500 and did like very much, just not the rattle.

Shoot straight.
 
Neither! Both are junk, both feel like they were made in a back alley in Hong Kong, cheap rattletrap garbage. Do yourself a favour and save a few more bucks up and buy a QUALITY shotgun, perhaps a BPS , which does stand for Best Pump Shotgun by the way :)
Just my opinion, and sorry to those who own an 870 or 500, but the ones I have handled felt like garbage
 
edgy said:
Neither! Both are junk, both feel like they were made in a back alley in Hong Kong, cheap rattletrap garbage. Do yourself a favour and save a few more bucks up and buy a QUALITY shotgun, perhaps a BPS , which does stand for Best Pump Shotgun by the way :)
Just my opinion, and sorry to those who own an 870 or 500, but the ones I have handled felt like garbage
Click to expand...
I just traded a BPS for a Wingmaster, maybe for a south paw they are okay, but I do not like them.
They are not user friendly for a new shooter as far as loading them goes.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to smooth up a 870 Express, I've been able to do it at the club on the end gate of my truck in fact.
plus when you look at the price of a BPS new, I would be buying a Wingmaster first.
Cat
 
edgy said:
Neither! Both are junk, both feel like they were made in a back alley in Hong Kong, cheap rattletrap garbage. Do yourself a favour and save a few more bucks up and buy a QUALITY shotgun, perhaps a BPS , which does stand for Best Pump Shotgun by the way :)
Just my opinion, and sorry to those who own an 870 or 500, but the ones I have handled felt like garbage
Click to expand...

Do you own a BPS? How long have you been shotgunning?
 
One must take into account that the OP asked two particular shotguns, not every shotgun on the market .
there are however, many low cost pump guns out there and affordable semis as well.
i know two friends who love their CZ semi autos for instance, yet most think they are nothing but sub grade guns.
As far as the two asked about? I know many guys who love their 500's and have no issues with them , and kill lots of game as well as clay pigeons , just not as many who shoot 870's.
Cat
 
another vote for the mossberg 500.

the location of the safety and the slide release is what makes me like it best. when i use other shotguns now, the placement feels off on everything else. also got a 870 wingmaster, and an ithaca 37. mossy is my fave!
 
IMO...if you go Remington 870, go for an older model (this goes for all Remington guns, older > newer) or a Wingmaster model, I have owned a few in the past and I bought them used but in great shape for a good price, the EE would be a good place to start. My second gun I ever owned (first was a POS sporterized P14 with no irons, never again!!!) was a Remington 870 Tactical, 18.5" and while I enjoy shooting it and it looked cool...it was not worth the $550 I spent on it , which nearly 7 years ago, at age 18 was a lot of coin to spend. The thing rusted at the mention of water. One day I skipped class with a few buddies and we drove to a local creek to shoot it a few times, it was spitting ever so slightly out for all of 20mins. I got home maybe 3 hours later and the inside of the barrel and a few spots on the gun were bright orange with rust!!! I was not happy and I quickly traded it off for a new Ruger 10/22 at the local gun store.

If you go with the Mossberg 500...no worries there, new or old!!!

The Mossberg is lighter weight but it recoils a bit more because of this, it is easier to get the gun new with more than one barrel depending on what use/s you want it for, it has a tang mounted safety that most people seem to prefer and a sling mounts on more common on the Mossberg than the Remington on older models (an easy fix if not tho so no worries!!!). A possible downside for you MIGHT be that there seems to be less "cool" points in owning a Mossberg over a Remington it seems, Remington is a classic and more common brand...but they have been be ruining their own name/products for the last 5 years or so, so we will see where that goes :p

Overall tho both have 100s of aftermarket parts and support and millions of happy fans, enjoy!!! :)
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom