Todays Remingtons are garbage compared to those of old. The QA with Remington sucks. Their guns are ####. I have only had one that worked well, with all types of ammo, and that was a Wilson Combat Border Patrol Shotgun.
Even the cheapest mossberg, will work better then a Remington. I see posts all the time about problems with remington shotguns, hell there is one up now about a Marine Magnum.
Although it may be correct saying they aren't what they used to be, I know many shotgunners with new 870s that have no issues with them. For example, I would hardly call my 870 crap based on it's performance so far. While I do prefer the Mossberg shotguns more than the Remington, they have also been known to put out lemons from time to time (just like any other company). While I respect your opinion, I am convinced that, on average, the 870 is a solid shotgun, even today.