Reliability/upkeep between 870 and a 590a1

Both are fine choices. Get both because the Remington does some things better than the Mossberg... and the Mossberg does some things better than a Remington. It's a compromise either way you look at it.

Let's take a pistol grip stocks for example:

The safety is in a better position on the Remington, but the lock release demands you break grip.

The lock release is in a better position on the Mossberg, but the safety demands you break grip.

The Remington is much smoother... but a nicely worked-in Mossberg is hard to beat. Really it's one big toss-up. Ford vs Chevy... Dodge being a Winchester ;)
 
Phat Eagle said:
This^^^. I'm glad that my 870 at work was made in the 1970s...
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That's what I'm worried about really... but I don't know if I can pass up on the deal Cabella's is having now on it. It's $550 for an express tactical right now there.

Does anyone know if Mossberg 590a1 goes on sale regularly? And for what price? I'm not seeing a lot of them in stores (or on their websites) right now, but they seem to be around $750-850 for a similar style.
 
The Wingmaster is virtually unchanged since the 50's and all the parts interchange. You still see 50's guns on the EE all the time. They got it right first time out
 
My main 870 (cqb, 3gun, truck gun) is 12 years old now. Its has been abused: 1000s of rounds of all kinds ranging from light trap load to heavy black clouds just for fun but mainly 00 buckshots and slugs.

Only thing I changed thru the years was the extractor and it comes out everytime I go shooting or in the wood with me. I also work with 870s and they get their fair share of ammo, being tossed in trucks, dropped from multiple heights and taken appart by people who shouldnt be doing it that do noy have the knowledge to put them back together...

I have nothing against Mossberg, they look solid, but but been around 870s all my life and the 14 years of my military career.
 
SonicKaos said:
That's what I'm worried about really... but I don't know if I can pass up on the deal Cabella's is having now on it. It's $550 for an express tactical right now there.

Does anyone know if Mossberg 590a1 goes on sale regularly? And for what price?
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I got a 590A1 for $559 last year with the L3 light forend from WSS on sale. Sold the barrel/forend for $200, bought the 14" kit for $300 and voila... a brand new 14" 590A1 for $659+tax. If I hadn't missed the crazy deal on 14" barrel kits from SFRC, I could have gotten that number down into the $500's. The EE also presents some very good deals from time to time.

I've owned both Mossbergs and Remingtons (several iterations), and my current choices are the short 590A1 for a pump (used lots) and the Benelli M4 for a semi (used sparingly). Remington has built a solid reputation with the 870 over the years (it is still a service gun, used by the US Coast Guard afaik), but it's quality has fallen off in recent years and it has been a victim of resting on it's laurels.
 
One mistake I see people make all the time comparing Mossberg to Remington ..

They compare the 590a1 to the 870 EXPRESS. That's simply not fair.

Should be comparing the 590a1 to the NEW Wingmaster and NEW 870p.

All 3 are great guns, all 3 are in the same price range, all 3 are gtg out of the box, all 3 have the odd QC issue stories if you search around.
 
madashell said:
One mistake I see people make all the time comparing Mossberg to Remington ..

They compare the 590a1 to the 870 EXPRESS. That's simply not fair.

Should be comparing the 590a1 to the NEW Wingmaster and NEW 870p.

All 3 are great guns, all 3 are in the same price range, all 3 are gtg out of the box, all 3 have the odd QC issue stories if you search around.
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Well said.
 
The Magpull stock on a Mossberg is a game changer..... :)
Before that I always found the finger reach to the trigger a bit of a stretch with a traditional stock and I have average large hands for a person 6'1".

I think this is the reason some people run pistol grip stocks on Mossberg's as they also put the hand forward a bit more for a more comfortable trigger reach, but as pointed out above the Mossberg's controls are laid out for a traditional stock and don't work as well with a pistol gripped butt stock.

The Magpul shotgun stock is perfection on a Mossberg.
 
Still can't quite warm up to the Magpul stock & forend.

I'm not a traditionalist at all but can't stand the look of it. Have handled several but still not sold on the grip angle. Like the various features though. Wish the offered it in OD Green.

Maybe I'll just have to buy a set, live with it for awhile and see if it grows on me.
 
I know what you mean Madashell as far as the look of the stock goes....... when I first saw it I thought to myself it must be an ergonomic improvement for it to look so different! It's a kind of a hybrid between a pistol grip and tradtional grip stock which works great on the Mossberg. Do you have a Mossberg?

I haven't tried one on a Remington yet but it's night and day for me on the Mossberg.

Not really a reliability/maintenance difference but huge ergonomic difference.

Not sure if it's been mentioned already but in the unlikely case the ejector breaks on an 870 they are not as easy to replace as the Mossberg.
 
Can-down said:
I know what you mean Madashell as far as the look of the stock goes....... when I first saw it I thought to myself it must be an ergonomic improvement for it to look so different! It's a kind of a hybrid between a pistol grip and tradtional grip stock which works great on the Mossberg. Do you have a Mossberg?

I haven't tried one on a Remington yet but it's night and day for me on the Mossberg.

Not really a reliability/maintenance difference but huge ergonomic difference.

Not sure if it's been mentioned already but in the unlikely case the ejector breaks on an 870 they are not as easy to replace as the Mossberg.
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Yes, I do own a 590a1. Sometimes I think it's just the picture angles.... some look ok, some make it look weird. I've tried them on both 590a1's & 870's. Like I said, probably just need to have one around for awhile.

Indeed, the 870 ejector spring is more difficult to swap out than the mossberg. Be cool to see someone come out with a screw in aftermarket ejector for the 870.
 
One advantage of the Mossberg I don't believe was mentioned is that its much easier to load the magazine on since the lifter stays out of the way,.

That might be the single greatest factor in its favor in fact.
 
Phat Eagle said:
The 590A1 is a tank, and one of the most reliable shotguns there is. Before adoption the gun passed a 3,000-round endurance test with buckshot and slugs that allowed for just three malfunctions. It was the only gun tested that passed. Sand immersion, sal####er fogging and interchangeability tests were also part of the procedure. The 590A1 was adopted by the U.S. Army, Navy, Coast Guard and several Special Forces units and has since been issued by several hundred police departments, as well as state and federal agencies including the NYPD and the Texas Department of Public Safety.

870 Wingmasters are OK, but the Express versions are full of cheap parts. It's the Maverick 88 of the Mossberg lineup.
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870 was not entered into this testing... and just because a firearm was adopted by military or LE doesn't mean it was the best available but that it met their criteria, one of which is typically price.
 
Yes, I read somewhere that Remington had very little to gain, and everything to lose by entering the 870 into the testing. They were already the primary choice for most LEO's, etc. Not so much for Mossberg.

Don't know how accurate that is.
 
Just when I think I've come to a conclusion, I change my mind. Now I'm hesitant to pick up the 870 express tactical. Seems people favour the Mossberg here a fair bit.

I think I would as well, but I'm just not sure I can spend the cash on it unfortunately. Unless anyone knows of an 18" version with a 7 shot capacity and tactical rails. Seems I'd be spending $1k+ otherwise.

I guess the question now should be: is the 870 express tactical a god shotgun still? I won't be using it tons, but I don't want something that will be broken in a couple years even. I might have to wait a while for a 590a1 sale then...
 
The 870 is more versatile as far as accessories and easy barrel changes...... your best bet on a budget is to keep an eye on the E.E. and pick up a used gun that has everything you are looking for.
 
I just bought a mossberg 590A1 on the EE, 18.5 barrel+extension for 7 shells capacity and come with cylinder accuchoke so will make a even more versatile shotgun if i ever want another type of choke.
 
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