Mossberg 500 vs Remington 870

Mossberg 500 vs Remington 870

Mossberg and Remington are both companies well known for their shotguns. The Mossberg 500/590 series and the Remington 870 are both classic firearms that act as flagship weapons for their respective companies. Both are pump-action, magazine tube-fed shotguns with a long history behind each of them. This inevitably leads to a potential shotgun shopper to ask which is better? So let’s dig in and help you make that decision. Durability and Materials The Mossberg 500/590 series uses an aluminum receiver with a steel barrel. The Remington 870 uses a heavier steel receiver. Steel is stronger than aluminum, but aluminum will not rust. The big question is, does it matter? I’ve never seen an aluminum Mossberg receiver break or bend under normal use. The steel receiver makes the Remington 870 heavier, but that’s not always a bad thing. 12 gauge shotguns pack a good bit of recoil, and weight absorbs recoil. The heavier receiver and weight differential can be very beneficial to a shotgun. On the durability front, the Mossberg 500 series is the only shotgun to pass the military’s strenuous testing procedures. Internal Mechanics While both guns are pump actions, they do have some differences. The Remington 870 has a much tighter action than the Mossberg 500 or 590 series. This tighter tuned action features a lot less slop than the Mossberg series. The Remington 870’s magazine tube is easier to extend than the Mossberg 500. You have to move to the Mossberg 590 series to get an extendable magazine tube. The Mossberg 500 does have two extractors that are user-replaceable. The Remington 870 has a single extractor that requires a gunsmith to fix. The ejector of the Mossberg can be replaced by the ned user, but the Remington requires a specialized tool and knowledge to fix. The Mossberg also uses a skeletonized shell lifter. This design allows you to more easily fix a malfunction should one occur. The Remington’s shell lifter is better at keeping debris out of the gun. Ergonomics Both guns are pump-action designs that have very similar ergonomics, but there are key differences worth noting. The most prominent is the safety placement. The Mossberg uses an ambidextrous tang safety positioned on the back of the receiver. The Remington 870 uses a push-button model located on the trigger guard. The Mossberg is much more friendly to lefties. The Mossberg has a pump release behind the trigger guard, and the Remington 870 has the pump release from in front of the trigger guard. The Mossberg is easier to reach and activate with a natural firing grip. Other than that, the ergonomics are similar and can differentiate between various models. Who Wins The Mossberg 500 series is the choice of the military for pump-action shotguns, but the Remington 870 is the law enforcement shotgun of choice. Both guns are iconic American shotguns, each with a history of success and service. It’s a tough choice, to be sure, but either way, you are getting a rock-solid shotgun for home defense, hunting, or competition purposes. I’m a Mossberg man, but I still own a Remington or two, or ten.