Mossberg or Remington?

[Grant Lamontagne]

I have yet another dirty little secret- I love shotguns.

And I really love nickel plated marine pump action 12 guage shotguns.  The ones that have always appealed to me are the Remington 870 Marine Magnum and the Mossberg 590 Mariner.

Mossberg:



Remington:



I'd probably keep the standard pump handle, but I think I'd go for a pistol/riot/tactical type grip, with or without a shoulder stock, I haven't decided yet, which is ok, because it'll probably be a while before I actually buy either (or both!) of them.

Anyways, I figured I'd see what thoughts anyone else may have on either of these.  Frankly, I don't think I could go wrong with either of them, but it's always nice to hear the thoughts and opinions of others.  Also, if there's any other ones I should consider, now would be a good time to mention it!

Def

[Swiss Man]

Not a big fan of the nickel plated shotguns but they are 

My first shotgun was a Mossberg 500 12 guage (bought it when I was in the service) 
was an incredible gun and I thought TOP of the line till I tried a Remington 870 when I worked in the prison.

I love the action of the Remington, the round bolt, the looks / lines. 

Both are great guns. The Mossberg is a little more user friendly on the wallet the Remington is a little more user friendly.

ONE of my fantasy shotguns is a:
http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/shotguns/model-870/model-870-express-synthetic-18inch.aspx

But my ultimate fantasy is this:

http://www.benelliusa.com/shotguns/benelli_vinci.php

[jim guy]

Ive had both of the shotguns, I like the 870 better. The 870 seems like a better built gun and the action is smoother. The mossberg is a TOUGH gun and I like the top mount safety better. Both guns are hard to beat though. You wont loose on either one of those, as I type this Im looking over at the 870 that guards my house.

[jim guy]

Not a big fan of the nickel plated shotguns but they are 

My first shotgun was a Mossberg 500 12 guage (bought it when I was in the service) 
was an incredible gun and I thought TOP of the line till I tried a Remington 870 when I worked in the prison.

I love the action of the Remington, the round bolt, the looks / lines. 

Both are great guns. The Mossberg is a little more user friendly on the wallet the Remington is a little more user friendly.

ONE of my fantasy shotguns is a:
http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/shotguns/model-870/model-870-express-synthetic-18inch.aspx

But my ultimate fantasy is this:

http://www.benelliusa.com/shotguns/benelli_vinci.php

that 870 in the link is the one I have

[cgk]

Flip a coin on quality.  Our department has 9 of the Marine Model Remingtons.  We moved our shotguns to the trunk years ago due to a loss of room in the front of the cars.  The standard and parkerized models started to show a lot of wear, the Marine models have held up much better.  I wont be able to do an individual sale (sorry) but I will be dumping all of our shotguns just as soon as all of our officers are rifle trained (knock on wood, by fall).

[Grant Lamontagne]

I like the nickel- it's pretty, and where I live, the atmosphere is very harsh on metals.  I like the marine versions for practical reasons (corrosion resistance) as much as I like the looks.

I have a slight lean towards the Mossberg because of a personal bias, but the Remington is probably a lot more common than any other 12 out there, so there has to be something to it.  Plus at SHOT there is always more goodies and addons for the 870 than any other shotgun.  It's right up there with the AR-15, AK and various .50 cal guns as far as aftermarket gizmos, and that alone could be a lot of fun.

It's also important to point out that I don't hunt (at least not animals!) and I'm really only looking at shotguns as something to play with- in a proper environment and observing all safety rules of course. 

My inner ninja really likes the Mossberg Rolling Thunder 500 though:



I'm just not convinced I could take myself seriously when playing with something like that!

Def

[Chako]

Now just imagine all the fun you can have custom making your own Def...and all the joys of clearing out jams...



 

[Grant Lamontagne]

The Mossberg is starting to look really good to me for some reason...



As for a full auto shotgun, I'd love to have one of these:



Who do I have to pay off to get one? 

Def

[Pacu]

Mossberg 590 with ghost rings.

I have the regular parkerized version and i love it. The military uses them. They put the shotgun thru a few thousand round torture test and subjected them to all kinds of weather. Mossberg 590 came out on top.

Don't forget to add a speed feed, heat shield and bayonet for the lug at the end

[ecfiffer]

m'eh get a barrett 50 cal

[Grant Lamontagne]

That would be nice, but I prefer shotguns- less neighbors complaining about the holes in their walls!

Def

[RaptorMan]

Ive owned an 870 for the last 20 years never failed me. Also had a Mossberg 500 that hasnt failed me either. My opinion and from what ive seen at gun shows the 870 will hold its resale value better than a Mossberg. You cant go wrong with either, however you will like the top mount safety on the Mossberg better. I shoot a Mossberg 935 semi auto for duck and goose hunting and can release the safety in under a half second versus my Remington takes about a second.

Also depends on what your doing with it. If hunting go with the Remington, if home defense take the Mossberg rolling thunder, however get the long barrel (28inch) if you plan to do some trap and skeet shooting.

As stated these are just my opinions.

[Chako]

It is Canada. We aren't allowed home defense.

[ducktapehero]

Between the two I prefer the Remington but really have no good reason why I do. I just like the way it feels a bit better but if I found a good deal I certainly wouldn't be too bummed out with the Mossberg. Both are absolutely rock solid designs that have been battle tested and proven. Whichever one you get, if you like your shoulder you might want to consider a Knoxx Stock for it.

http://www.blackhawk.com/catalog/Shotgun-Stocks,165.htm

[Grant Lamontagne]

It is Canada. We aren't allowed home defense.

Absolutely wrong.  Read the trespass to property act.  You have the right to use what you consider to be appropriate levels of force to protect your home and property, and in Canada the law is based not on a black and white, but what any reasonable thinking person would do.  So, if you do something to someone who is trying to break into your home, all you have to do is convince at least one person on the jury that they would act the same way you did in the same situation.  It allows for a LOT of leeway when it comes to home defense.

Besides, I don't need a gun for home defense, I have really big dogs for that.  And, if my dogs aren't enough, there's a Lab cross downstairs and a staffordshire bull upstairs, both of which love me, and I'm the house pack leader.  There's also a Pomeranian and a Beagle/basset cross, but I'm not counting on their help much!

I want a shotgun for target and skeet shooting, and some tinkering.  I may do some hunting- I'm not morally against it, just have issues walking in the woods with my bad foot.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Between the two I prefer the Remington but really have no good reason why I do. I just like the way it feels a bit better but if I found a good deal I certainly wouldn't be too bummed out with the Mossberg. Both are absolutely rock solid designs that have been battle tested and proven. Whichever one you get, if you like your shoulder you might want to consider a Knoxx Stock for it.

http://www.blackhawk.com/catalog/Shotgun-Stocks,165.htm

Funny story....

My father and I were out on the ATV's in the woods around his house a couple of years ago.  He had brought his big Brazilian Over/Under in case he saw anything he'd like to shoot while we were out- he's an avid hunter, mostly getting partridge.  Anyways, we stopped for lunch and he decided we should have some fun with his gun.  Now my firearms interest and my father's have always been completely separate- I looked at his guns as a kid but I was never allowed to touch them (of course I did when he wasn't looking!) and he never showed me how to shoot.  I always had an interest in them somewhat, but didn't really learn anything about them until I was out on my own.  Dad on the other hand had guns since he was a kid.  When he was young his family divided their time between the small family farm and logging camps, so they were hunting from the time they could walk.

Anyways, I was so amazed that my father was handing me this giant 12 guage that it never occurred to me to think of the old rule about accepting a loaded gun from someone- after all, this is my father, right?  Well, the fact that it was my father was proof that you should never accept a loaded gun from someone! 

He put a Pepsi can in a tree and stood back.  From about 25 feet away I couldn't miss, and the Pepsi can instantly disintegrated!  I had braced myself, figuring this gun was going to kick like a mule, but it actually wasn't all that bad, likely due to the sheer mass of the gun itself.  Anyways, even though I had nothing to aim at with the other barrel, Dad encouraged me to pull the other trigger.  I was somewhat more relaxed this time, not realizing the second barrel had a Magnum in it!  Scared the living sh*t out of me and I swear it knocked me back six inches!

Anyways, Dad has some nice guns, and as I'm the only member of my family in my generation to have a firearms license, they are all coming to me when Dad retires from hunting, which God willing will be a long time yet.  He inherited a lot of old guns from his uncles when they stopped hunting or passed on, so I'll eventually have some beautiful antiques.  As I said, I am in no hurry for them though.

Still, as much as that over/under will always have a place in my mind, a single barrel pump is more my style.

Def

[jim guy]

I have a story like that also. The first time I shot a 12ga I was about 8yrs old, I had shot plenty 22 rifles but never a shotgun. My grandpa had a winchester model 12 that had a hard plastic recoil pad on it. He let me shoot it one day, I didnt know anything about shot guns so he loaded it and handed it to me. Didnt give me any instructions or advice so I sighted it like I was shooting a rifle, big mistake. That damned old gun kicked me so hard it hit my nose made it bleed, gave me a fat lip and knocked me down. I had a winchester imprint on my shoulder for 2 days. Thats when I learned the difference between low and high brass shells. I didnt shoot a 12 ga for about 8 years after that.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Stories like that are great- teach kids to respect a gun when they are young, and they probably won't use it to hold up a liquor store later in life.  It's that whole "guns are bad" mystique that attracts the wrong crowd.

Yeah, you probably hurt for a while, but I'll bet you are careful and safe around guns these days!

Def

[cgk]

I'd probably keep the standard pump handle, but I think I'd go for a pistol/riot/tactical type grip, with or without a shoulder stock, I haven't decided yet, which is ok, because it'll probably be a while before I actually buy either (or both!) of them.

Get the collapsible stock (similar to the six-point ar stocks) it is very versatile.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I probably will.  As I said, I am really looking for something to tinker with, and different stocks are a good way to do that.

I would like to replace the pump handle with a pistol grip Tazer unit I saw at SHOT a couple of years ago, but that's a little too illegal for me to consider!

Def

[jim guy]

I probably will.  As I said, I am really looking for something to tinker with, and different stocks are a good way to do that.

I would like to replace the pump handle with a pistol grip Tazer unit I saw at SHOT a couple of years ago, but that's a little too illegal for me to consider!

Def

a tazer handle? never seen that before

[Chako]

Use of a shotgun for home defense? Good luck with that one. 

[Mike 56]

We shoot alot sporting clays with mossburgs and 870s i like the 870 better it is a lot lighter and that is a big plus if you do a lot of shooting. Get a standard stock pistol grips are fun for plinking but not good for hitting anything. You cat buy a grip for 25.00 and they are easy to swap. I don't like the AR style collapsible stocks i find it hard to mount and get a good cheekweld and the folding stocks just hurt.

Mike

[Grant Lamontagne]

I probably will.  As I said, I am really looking for something to tinker with, and different stocks are a good way to do that.

I would like to replace the pump handle with a pistol grip Tazer unit I saw at SHOT a couple of years ago, but that's a little too illegal for me to consider!

Def

a tazer handle? never seen that before

Here's the Greatest Moderator Ever, aka Mikey showing it off at the Mossberg booth at the 2009 SHOT in Orlando.

Def

[cgk]

I probably will.  As I said, I am really looking for something to tinker with, and different stocks are a good way to do that.

I would like to replace the pump handle with a pistol grip Tazer unit I saw at SHOT a couple of years ago, but that's a little too illegal for me to consider!

Def

a tazer handle? never seen that before

(Image removed from quote.)

Here's the Greatest Moderator Ever, aka Mikey showing it off at the Mossberg booth at the 2009 SHOT in Orlando.

Def

Im sure that shotgun was also intended to fire the Taser X-Rep round, which is a Taser projectile fired out of a shotgun.  I love the Taser but the X-Rep rounds simply are not consistent enough to call a success.  (Although at $100 a round Im sure Taser will tell you its a success.

[grimm_kaosboy]

Personal prefrence is the Mossberg, but both will do what you ask of them. +1 on the Knoxx Cop Stocks. They (used to anyways its been a while shopping for me) have both a "solid" stock and a pistol gripped with an over the top folding wire stock. From what some of my friends, aquaintances and cronies have told me the wire stock pistol grip is surprisingly comfortable to shoot. Between the flex of the stock and recoil absorbing grip it doesn't transfer nearly the ammout of force a standard set up does. Getting a good cheek weld is a little more difficult, and watch out for pinching as the gun rides back a little on the recoil buffer. Slight learning curve, but worth it.
My shotgun of choice is a Mossberg 590. Parkerized, ghost rings w/hi vis front sight, heat sheild, and bayonet lug. I added a aftermarket spool, no longer in production. It has a plastic knuckle guard, kinda like that strap on the rolling thunder, but obviously rigid.

[ducktapehero]

The 1st time I got beat up shooting a rifle was with a Marlin 45-70 lever action. I was 10 or so. My uncle was a handloader and had made some of his infamous "hog" shells. I was real skinny back then but since I had grown up around guns I didn't think that it would be a big deal. My Dad had a Marlin lever action(we love Marlin lever actions in my family) in 35 Rem that I had shot before so I figured it'd kick just a bit more than that. Well I was wrong.



Speaking of Marlin lever actions, look at this....

http://www.marlinfirearms.com/Firearms/1894centerfire/1894CSS.asp

Me likey 

[Grant Lamontagne]

There's something about the simplicity of a lever or bolt action rifle that I love too.  It's a simple and effective mechanism that works every time, and is easy to troubleshoot the very few instances where it doesn't.  They are like SAKs of the gun world!

That Marlin is gorgeous!

Def

[Styerman]

I'm a great fan of Marlin Lever guns , beat the poo out of the 94 . in re your original question , i'd go either Mossy 590 or the 870 . 870 has more aftermarket doo dads . both are great pieces . Outfits like Le Baron and bass Pro have spare barrels for the 870 , good feature if ya wanna go huntin ! The plateing on the Marine Mag wears well , good piece !

Chris

[ducktapehero]

Lever actions are great. I went to a pawn shop yesterday and was looking at a few. Sadly, with all the shoulder problems I've had my shotgun and rifle days are over. My right shoulder is completely trashed and my left isn't great. Yesterday when I was looking at them just bringing them to my shoulder resulted in a lot of pain. Now granted I could probably still shoot smaller caliber ones but I'm not interested in that. If I want to shoot small caliber stuff I'll grab a pistol.

It really sucks, shooting was always one of my favorite things. Growing up in small town Missouri rifles and shotguns are simply part of life. Handguns are to a point but most people around here prefer long guns for hunting purposes. Although I'm still thankful that I can still shoot pistols. I'd be pretty pissed off if I couldn't shoot "Comrade Makarov".




Granted the 9x18MM isn't the Hammer of Thor in stopping power but the Makarov is literally the AK-47 of handguns. This thing will keep working through abuse that would choke a Glock.