Mossbery 590A1 Blackwater or Remington 870 Police?
- Thread starter bacardi
- Start date
The blackwater is nice but I've heard complaints about trouble sighting them in because of the unusually high front sight. Apparently the rear XS ghost ring sight runs out of elevation.
The 870P and standard 590A1 would be better options.
You should decide which slide release and safety position you prefer first too. That will help a lot with you decision.
The 870P and standard 590A1 would be better options.
You should decide which slide release and safety position you prefer first too. That will help a lot with you decision.
juancarlos
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- The Island
I have both A 870P and a 590A1. The mossy is my favorite but I have never had a failure with either. The mossy has a higher capacity so that's a factor when I am shooting 3 gun.
I have both...never had an issue with either of them. Hard choice...I'm not fond of the Blackwater forend though...the rails on the sides are harsh on my hands. Gloves alleviate that...I might change it out...which would make the BW my first choice.
Another vote for the 590A1. Controls suit me better on the Mossberg(s). If you must have GRS consider the standard 590A1 in either 20" or 18.5"bbl. The 18.5" balances nicer (IMO) and if you need more fire-power add a 2-shot extension.
A 590A1 with a bead sight is all you really need. (I'm trying to find one with a 18.5"bbl but haven't had any luck yet)
If you want to hang "crap" on your SG's then the BW is the way to go with it's factory rails but you'll have to put up with the cheesy logo and all that extra weight.
As st1264 mentioned….a plain jane 500 will get the job done too.
A 590A1 with a bead sight is all you really need. (I'm trying to find one with a 18.5"bbl but haven't had any luck yet)
If you want to hang "crap" on your SG's then the BW is the way to go with it's factory rails but you'll have to put up with the cheesy logo and all that extra weight.
As st1264 mentioned….a plain jane 500 will get the job done too.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
I prefer the 590 to the 870. The 870's riveted ejector, and staked in shell stops means that a gunsmith has be involved in simple parts replacement, should there be breakage or wear. I've seen many 870s that have had the ejectors broken when used by people who knew less then they thought they did, and either ran the gun with the lock nut loose or had removed the barrel and jammed it back in without lining up the ejector with the recess in the barrel. The ergonomics of the 590 are better, the slide release can be functioned without changing your firing grip, and the tang safety is more intuitive than the cross bolt. Where the 870 is better is basing the barrel retention ring location for the standard magazine length, so any barrel can then be used with or without a magazine extension, where there are few barrels that will work with a particular 590. I prefer the ghost ring and post to the bead. I primarily use the shotgun as a powerful short range rifle anyway, and a bead mounted down on the barrel with no pedestal to match its height to the receiver, will cause you to shoot high. I haven't used the Blackwater version, so I can't comment on the usefulness of the sights on it, but the original ghost ring and post that the gun was introduced with is excellent. The 590's Speedfeed stock never fit me correctly, so now mine wears a Magpul SGA, which I epoxied a swivel stud to the underside of. If my 590 has one deficiency, its that it could use a set of thread in chokes, preferably choke tubes that extend slightly beyond the muzzle to help protect it from dings. It'll get there eventually.
wanstalls has the 590A1 mariner in 18.5
juancarlos
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- The Island
I would imagine the 590A1 has the heavy barrel.
Heavy barrel, plus steel trigger assembly and safety. 590 is hard polymer.
I also own both, they are both excellent shotguns. Depends on your preferences really.
Things I like about Mossberg:
- Safety and slide/bolt release position, better ergonomics in my opinion.
- High capacity, 9 rounds is sweet.
- Reliable and Durable, U.S. military approved
Things I like about the Remington:
- Built solid, steel receiver.
- Easy to fieldstrip, makes cleaning a breeze. Found it easier than the mossberg personally.
- Reliable track record, been used by law enforcement everywhere, hasn't changed much over the years.
I imagine their prices are around the same in the end, pick which one has the features you like. Either one has a strong fan-base, that many people can't be wrong.
Things I like about Mossberg:
- Safety and slide/bolt release position, better ergonomics in my opinion.
- High capacity, 9 rounds is sweet.
- Reliable and Durable, U.S. military approved
Things I like about the Remington:
- Built solid, steel receiver.
- Easy to fieldstrip, makes cleaning a breeze. Found it easier than the mossberg personally.
- Reliable track record, been used by law enforcement everywhere, hasn't changed much over the years.
I imagine their prices are around the same in the end, pick which one has the features you like. Either one has a strong fan-base, that many people can't be wrong.
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.
My Magpul edition 870 is great. Cerakote finish, choke, excellent operation.
The 870 slide release design is ahead of the trigger guard with safety in mind, to prevent the operator from accidentally taking the gun out of battery.
My 590A1 is a champ too. The action is smoother, and surprisingly about the same weight as my 870. Likely a trade off between the 590s heavy barrel and the 870s heavy steel receiver.
With regards to the ejectors, I have read more cases of Mossberg's ejector failing over the 870. Easier to repair, yes, but also more often from accounts I read. But who knows, this is the internet...
The 870 slide release design is ahead of the trigger guard with safety in mind, to prevent the operator from accidentally taking the gun out of battery.
My 590A1 is a champ too. The action is smoother, and surprisingly about the same weight as my 870. Likely a trade off between the 590s heavy barrel and the 870s heavy steel receiver.
With regards to the ejectors, I have read more cases of Mossberg's ejector failing over the 870. Easier to repair, yes, but also more often from accounts I read. But who knows, this is the internet...
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Have both.
If you get one, get one of the more basic models, not any special editions (unless it's the Magpul edition and you want the Magpul furniture).
The GR sights on my 590A1 are just the basic ones with the winged rear and they work great and are very high viz.
I do like the 590A1's action release. I feel that cocking the gun takes more effort with the 590 but once it's cocked, the action takes less force to cycle. The trigger pull is noticeably heavier on the 590A1 over the 870. I was initially concerned that, given the heavy barrel on the Mossberg and the aluminum receiver, that the barrel would eventually put wear on the receiver and cause it to crack at the locking point but I have yet to hear of that actually happening.
The 870 Police models I have are equally excellent. The models with GR sights are going to be more expensive. I think that the Express and Tactical models are a step below in quality and finish compared to the Police. Compared to my Express that I had and gifted away, the Police parkerized finish holds up well. The position of the action release on the 870 is more far forward and requires a more deliberate actuation, whereas the Mossberg's is more of a joy to use. Still, when you're firing it, this will be a non-issue.
The trigger on my 870P's seems to be quite good, especially for a tactical shotgun. It breaks noticeably cleaner than the 590's.
One thing about the 870 is both of mine wear walnut wood stocks so the LOP is around 14 inches, which is quite long. I don't have the heart to cut down a walnut stock (maybe I'll get a replacement and cut that down to keep the original) but with the Mossberg, it looks more at home with synthetic stuff. You could get synthetic for the 870 but it looks damn nice with steel and walnut.
If you get one, get one of the more basic models, not any special editions (unless it's the Magpul edition and you want the Magpul furniture).
The GR sights on my 590A1 are just the basic ones with the winged rear and they work great and are very high viz.
I do like the 590A1's action release. I feel that cocking the gun takes more effort with the 590 but once it's cocked, the action takes less force to cycle. The trigger pull is noticeably heavier on the 590A1 over the 870. I was initially concerned that, given the heavy barrel on the Mossberg and the aluminum receiver, that the barrel would eventually put wear on the receiver and cause it to crack at the locking point but I have yet to hear of that actually happening.
The 870 Police models I have are equally excellent. The models with GR sights are going to be more expensive. I think that the Express and Tactical models are a step below in quality and finish compared to the Police. Compared to my Express that I had and gifted away, the Police parkerized finish holds up well. The position of the action release on the 870 is more far forward and requires a more deliberate actuation, whereas the Mossberg's is more of a joy to use. Still, when you're firing it, this will be a non-issue.
The trigger on my 870P's seems to be quite good, especially for a tactical shotgun. It breaks noticeably cleaner than the 590's.
One thing about the 870 is both of mine wear walnut wood stocks so the LOP is around 14 inches, which is quite long. I don't have the heart to cut down a walnut stock (maybe I'll get a replacement and cut that down to keep the original) but with the Mossberg, it looks more at home with synthetic stuff. You could get synthetic for the 870 but it looks damn nice with steel and walnut.
juancarlos
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- The Island
The 500 barrels can be threaded. I have seen a few of them and they have a large following in the hunting community which uses chokes.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
The Mossberg 500 barrels can be purchased threaded for choke tubes or can be threaded by a gunsmith.
