Remington 870 or Mossberg 500 for Home Defense?

n/a | today | Me

[gOOsefmalOOsef]

Hello Fellow Freepers!

I am young and a bit naive when it comes to firearms but am interested in a good home defense shotgun. As I am well aware many of you have experience in this area I was wondering what recomendations you might have to Remington 870 express vs the Mossberg 500?

[Domandred]

I have both. The 870 is easier to strip to subassemblies and customize. Also the 870 has a slightly shorter pull then the 500 (could just be the submodels that I have though).

The 500’s safety is really nice compared to the push button trigger block of the 870. The 500 is easier to swap just the barrel.

Would be a tough call between the two, but more often I lean towards the 870.

[andy58-in-nh]

I’m very fond of .45’s myself. I’ve had my eye on a Kimber Gold Match II, but the price is prohibitive, at least for the moment.

[Rokke]

Just bought one of these a couple weeks ago. The breacher barrel is for blowing apart door locks. I have no intention of using it for that. But it makes one heck of a face mangler, which I might enjoy using given the right circumstances.

[Professional Engineer]

A buddy of mine has a recording of the sound of racking a pump shot gun hooked up to his door bell I love it

This wouldn't happen to be his doorbell button,would it?

[onedoug]

Ping

[al baby]

Is that Palins house ?

[Longdriver]

A 3rd vote for the 870 Express model Remington.

[texrepub76]

I just bought and 870 and have been very happy with it. More relaible and much better if you ever decide to shoot skeet or hunt.

[pallis]

I’ve had both. Either one will do its job the way it is intended to to do it. The Mossbergs are usually cheaper, but I’ve seen some 870s at excellent prices. Find the best deal, and get lots of ammo.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Another A-5 fan. But for Riot gun use, there’s many surplus Remington 11’s out there.

The only militarized A-5’s I’m familiar with are some 8 shot models made for Rhodesia. You can guess what they bring if you can find one.

[joe fonebone]

I have the mossberg 500...you can buy alot more goodies for the remington than the mossberg ( extended magazines, etc )

[Goldsborough]

I like that Mossberg doesn't treat the "tactical market" like a necessary evil ala Remington and their "police" market in which "civilians" may dabble.

From having owned and used both, my impression has always been that the Remington 870 is a hunting shotgun adapted to fighting purposes, and the Mossberg 500/590 was a clean sheet design aimed at building a fighting shotgun.

The nicer walnut and blued steel Remingtons are indeed finely finished pieces. The Mossberg 590A1 flagship model is by comparison a pretty rude and crude parkerized blasting tool. But that's what I like about the Mossies, they're all business.

Some will say the aluminum receiver is a long term liability. Maybe so, but the Mossbergs are ruggedly built, so much so that the theoretical upper limit on rounds fired is rather an abstraction instead of a practical concern.

[wyowolf]

i was looking for a kimber when i came across this gem, it just came in that day, so beat down the 50 other people and took it home... its almost impossible to look around in a gun store here...people everywhere !!
thanks zero...

[devistate one four]

The Mark series is quite good. Have fun with whatever you buy.

[Red in Blue PA]

Just got a Mark III to save on ammo costs. Only $269 at Cabelas.

Wonderful gun.

[murrie]

Sounds like it was a bad time. One always wonders how
you will react in these types of situations. I thing I
have come to realize is that you might have a great gun
but if you have little training or skill it won’t do you
much good.

On that note, I think I need to go practise.....

[Pontiac]

It sounds as though the OP is taking an interest in their safety and will get to know the gun. You should not generalize when the genaralization is certainly not called for.

Not sure what you mean by OP but if you mean the Poster of this thread it would be commendable for any new gun owner to take the time to familiarize himself with his new shotgun. But I don’t know the poster so I generalize here because when talking about human nature it is all you have.

The average person does not read the owners manual of a new car and they are more likely to die in that car than they are carrying their new 870.

Shotguns will not miss their mark in the dark of 2AM. A pistol very well may several times over.

Anyone who shoots in the dark is a fool. They don’t know where the mark is or who.

Because, from the points I have listed above, you are not being factual. .

Oh! Did you post facts? I must have missed them. With the exception of the FBI data and shotgun pattern I never claimed to anything but opinion. You should stick to the same.

[devistate one four]

That’s a fine firearm. Enjoy!

[Pajama Blogger]

The Remington Model 870 12 gauge pump-action shotgun stands the test of time and extreme conditions, the 870 is the shotgun by which all pump actions are measured. It’s the overwhelming choice of law enforcement departments due to its historic dependability.

[oh8eleven]

A little dated (2000-2002), but still a good read ... "The Remington 870 and the Mossberg 500"