Remington 870 vs. Mossberg 500: Part 2

Remington 870 Tactical

Someone really smart once said “The best gun to get is the one you can shoot well.”  That being said, do you want a Chevy or a Ford? Shotguns are so versatile that you have to consider exactly what you want to do with it.  In most cases, if you get a tactical shotgun, it is probably not going to be a good hunting, trap or skeet rifle.  This is not necessarily the case when you buy a typical pump shotgun such as the Mossberg 500 or the Remington 870.  Just bear with me.  Since I have owned both, my opinion has some weight to it.  I have owned the Mossberg 835 utilimag, Mossberg 500, Mossberg 590A1, and the Mossberg 590 Flex.  My current shotgun is the Remington 870 Express.  Quick background, the 835 Utilimag with wooden furniture was my first shotgun and I loved it, but eventually I got a wild hair and did some trading and selling and ended up with a Mossberg 500 with synthetic furniture.  The 835 Utilimag was excessive for me as I never really intended to fire 3 1/2 nitro mags at anything.  However, I bought it used for $180, put well over 5000 rounds through it and got $150 for it almost 10 years later.  The Mossberg 500 seemed a bit light to me and although I never had any problems with it, didn’t seem very rugged.  Got another wild hair, sold the 500 and bought the Mossberg 590A1.

Mossberg 590A1

This gun is the epitome of rugged and let me tell you, was very fun.  Eventually I had to sell it because of the economy and all.  After saving up money, my wife gave me the thumbs up on a new shotgun so I went and bought a brand new Mossberg 590 Flex.  After having a 590A1, I wasn’t very impressed with the finish or the ‘assessed’ ruggedness of the firearm.  Not being familiar with the difference between the 590 and the 590A1, I rejected it because it lacked the aluminum trigger gaurd, aluminum safety, and heavy barrel.  All told, Mossberg shotguns are very dependable, light weight (except for the 590A1), and just a little more affordable than a Remington 870.  If you are looking for a lighter shotgun that will serve as hunting, sporting, and tactical then the Mossberg 500 is for you.  If you want a ready to go ass-kicker out of the box with a 9 shot capacity and bayonette lug then the 590A1 is for you (Not the 590 which uses polymer trigger gaurd, polymer safety, and normal barrel).  Mossberg’s however have aluminum recievers which is weaker than steel (not really of much consequence) and cannot be blued or seemingly refinished ever again and unless you have a parkerized 590A1, the finish will wear off of the receiver.  The other downfall of buying a Mossberg is that the 500’s seem ‘cheap’ to some people and if you pony up and just buy the 590A1, there is no versatility as you cannot put a longer barrel on it for sporting.  Mossbergs overall are very dependable, affordable, and very popular with law enforcement and civilians alike.

Reminton 870 Express is truly the Ruger 10/22 of the shotgun world.  Not only is this American icon very dependable, it is extremely versatile and rugged as well.  Although it is a bit pricier than a Mossberg 500 to start off with at $330 (Mossberg 500 combo with a 28″ and a 20″ barrel for $300), I looked at down the road costs and true versatility of modifications.  After holding a Mossberg 500 and Remington 870 it was pretty easy for me to see the quality of a Remington, and the main differences between the Remington 870 Express and 870 Tactical is the barrel and tactical stock.  My Reminton 870 came with a 5 shot capacity (1 less than a Mossberg 500), but for $65 I can purchase and easily install a screw-on 3 shot magazine tube extension, and for an additional $180 I can get an 18.5″ or 20″ tactical barrel.  Aftermarket parts and accesories are vast for this weapon.  No, the math doesn’t compute but when I compare Mossbergs to Remingtons, the only Mossberg that I believe feels as rugged is the 590A1 and those are anywhere from $500 to $750 if you can find one.  So for just under $600 I now have a shotgun that has a 26″ barrel with a modified choke tube and 8 shot capacity which can be switched to an 18.5″ or 20″ tactical barrel in minutes.  Mossberg 500’s do not feel as ‘tough’ to me and the 590A1 does not enjoy that kind of versatility.  Of course that is just my preference.  Overall Remington shotguns are dependable, have durable finishes and are extremely versatile with the sheer amount of easliy adapted aftermarket modifications. To be quite honest with you, if I had the money I would have a Mossberg 590A1 and my multi-purpose Remington 870.  If you have the money and like a solidly constructed shotgun, go for the Remington, and if you want to save a little cash and still get a quality firearm, get a Mossberg.  Here is what you do, find friends who have one or both and shoot them.  You will figure out very quickly which one you like better.