Mossberg 590 vs Rem 870...

[mountaindweller]

...which one do you prefer and why? I like the smooth solid feeling of the REm.....but I am intruiged by the 590. My Dad has a Moss 500 and it is cool, but feels a little "rattley" and not super solid....is the 590 the same way? I had a Win 1300 HD and continue to kick myself for selling it being that they are not made anymore. Going to buy one or the other in about a month and wanted to see what the experience has been out there.

[Grumpyoldretiredcop]

870, but that's largely due to many years of LE training with them. I've had a Mossberg 500; it's a good, solid shotgun.

[wilit]

870 only for the simple fact that the 500 and 590 have the safety on the top of the receiver. If you plan on going with a pistol grip, it's a pain to get to the safety. The 870 has it on the trigger guard where it should be.

[waitwha?]

I prefer the 590. I never plan on getting a pistol grip so everything is in the perfect place for me. Dont need to move your hand to operate all of the mechanisms.

[scr83jp]

I prefer the 590. I never plan on getting a pistol grip so everything is in the perfect place for me. Dont need to move your hand to operate all of the mechanisms.

Try to get parts for a mossberg in out of the way places,a friend of mine had the top mounted safety take a dump ,he had a heck of a time trying to get it repaired,he took my advice and bought a Rem 870 anyone can take it apart and get parts to repair it,a friend had a well used firing pin break while dove hunting near Blythe,CA he went to the local hardware store to ask if they had any parts,they brought him out a new firing pin for his 870 so he could continue dove hunting try to do that with a mossberg.I had a mossberg 9200 3" mag grenade as I was firing my Win AA 2 3/4 inch hunting loads,everytime the action cycled turnings of aluminum appeared in the receiver steel bolt and barrel light weight aluminum receiver never would buy any shotgun with an aluminum receiver after that experience,a new mossberg was sent to me after I complained and as I opened the box & looked in the receiver there were fresh aluminum turnings.Mossberg NEVER I took the replacement to Turners Outdoorsman & traded it for a Remington 11-87 with remchokes made of steel.Mossberg 9200 no longer made.

[Bruce]

870....cuz the Marines went back to them after their 590's wore out. 590 has an aluminum receiver, 870's steel.

[hkdad]

870 feels much more solid IMO

[forgiven]

870....cuz the Marines went back to them after their 590's wore out. 590 has an aluminum receiver, 870's steel.

[scott.cr]

I have both. Each model has their pro and con. The 870 does feel more solid; this is why I bought one. (My first shotgun was the Mossberg 500.) However the 500 is much easier to load, because you don't have the loading gate in the way, so if you mis-load a shell it doesn't lock up the gun.

Personally I prefer the "tang" safety on the Mossberg. It is easier to manipulate than the Remington in my opinion.

Another poster stated that there were aluminum bits in his Mossberg.... I don't see how this can happen unless the gun was either defective or improperly assembled. All the structural parts are steel. The aluminum receiver is similar to an AR in function; it just holds the trigger/hammer assembly in a place where the hammer can strike the firing pin.

Both guns lock the bolt to the barrel when in battery.

[Z ME FLY]

[wildog8812]

+1 Z ME FLY

Everyone has their own opinion personally I think an 870 is better some of my buddies think the 500 is better. It is all a matter of opinion, the best advice i can give you is hold them both, end see what feels better for you. ie. look at the safety and decide if you like it better on the top of side.

[aippi]

No, the 500 has an aluminum receiver, the 590 is steel. Dop this, you break both weapons down to their bacis components and lay them out on a table, then look at each one. Which weapon seems to be the most "Murphy resistant"? Which one do you think you would want to work on if you had to? A which one looks to be built the best? I say Remington for three out of three of the above questions......

[DuMO]

No, the 500 has an aluminum receiver, the 590 is steel. Dop this, you break both weapons down to their bacis components and lay them out on a table, then look at each one. Which weapon seems to be the most "Murphy resistant"? Which one do you think you would want to work on if you had to? A which one looks to be built the best? I say Remington for three out of three of the above questions......

This is a bit of a stray from the OT, but I am pretty certain that the 590 has an aluminum receiver. Just like the 500.

http://www.aimprotactical.com/faq.html#2

[aippi]

It is on the OT as a guy stated he picked the 870 as it has a steel receiver. The 590 is parkerized, correct? You can not parkerize aluminum. The 590 has a steel receiver unless the new ones don't and that is news to me. I do not own Mossbergs and have not even seen one in 8 years. But the 590 was steel back then.

[elSquid]

It is on the OT as a guy stated he picked the 870 as it has a steel receiver. The 590 is parkerized, correct? You can not parkerize aluminum. The 590 has a steel receiver unless the new ones don't and that is news to me. I do not own Mossbergs and have not even seen one in 8 years. But the 590 was steel back then.

I can't speak for the whole model series, but I did buy a 590 around 1991; that one had an aluminum receiver.

-- Michael