Need some basic info on shotguns

[billy870m9]

i have a remington 870 express for hd, its a good gun but i must say u might want to give a thin layer of oil atleast once a month and after everythime u handle it. if not i found out that they seem to get a slight surface rust which is easy to fix but the oil will make it so it doesnt happen....besides that i cant see the huge difference in the higher end models especially if it always goes bang when u want it to....plus the 870 has a ton of aftermarket things so u can really make it one of a kind

[Brown-Bear]

when you say similarily priced I assume you mean that price could be an issue in making a decision. If so I have owned both and think that both the Rem 870 and Mossberg 500 are wonderful weapons. Either will suit your purpose and the moss 500 will almost cretainly be cheaper, for relatively the same gun.

BB

[fingers80002]

Originally Posted by Hawk

You may want to consider an 870 Express Combo as your first shotgun. I'm thinking the 20 inch deer barrel will work for home defense and the 26 or 28 inch barrel for clays.http://www.remington.com/products/fi...ess_combos.asp

Not a good idea to shoot shot in a rifled barrel.

[Hawk]

Originally Posted by fingers80002

Not a good idea to shoot shot in a rifled barrel.

It's for home defense, doesn't matter.

[Tomcat088]

I prefer the 870 express over the Mossberg 500's. If you've ever detail stripped one, you know the 870 is MUCH easier to completely take apart and put back together. I own an 870 Wingmaster and an 870 express, I don't really use the wingmaster. The finish and engraving on it are far too pretty, and my 870 express will do all the same things. The main differences are the finish, the express has a matte finish that as others said can develop surface rust. The wingmasters usually have graded wood on them (some nicer than others), with the older expresses being a very plain piece of wood, and the newer ones being a decent looking laminate. The express models also have kind of "fake" checkering, it's like reversed. It is there to lend some texture, but kind of some diamond shape intentions put into the stock, not raised diamonds. The express also has a plastic trigger guard/bottom "metal", the wingmasters actually have bottom metal. The plastic is tough, I've run it through the paces in the field ALOT.

Especially if you wanted to use the same shotgun for clays, I'd go with the 870. The 870 has a vent rib, which changes the comb and most clay shooters prefer. Basically what it results in, is that you can keep the barrel/bead more under the clay and continue watching the bird. With a field gun the bead will need to be almost covering up the target in order to get the same result. Keep in mind that all shotguns shoot slightly diferently, so this isn't a rule, but more of a generality. As others have stated, for clays most people prefer autos or over and unders. I prefer autos, but as knight stated, sometimes they are picky about loads and need some tuning done. In my experience the Over and Unders are a bit more reliable because they aren't as picky, but because they don't have an action that absors some of the recoil, so they sometimes recoil a little harder. As knight said, it's alot easier to just slap the trigger and go to the next target; but not have to cycle the action. Some have brought up the location of the safety on the Remington. I suppose that it's something that you are just used to or not, because the location of the safety is just fine to me. Something that I like better on the 870 that I don't like the position of on the Mossberg 500 is the "button" to reopen the action after you have pumped it. On the Mossberg it's a bit smaller and on the back lefthand side where the trigger guard meets the action. On the Remington it's right up front on the left hand side of the trigger guard and you can easily push it without adjusting your hand much at all. I also think that the 870's cycle just a little bit more smoothly than the Mossberg 500. In december I was at Academy, and I bought a Remingon 870 express for $217 with tax included, it was $247 with tax but it came with a $30 mail in rebate. I was seeing all the Mossberg 500's for like $325-350. Hope some of this info helps, and keep in mind that they're both great shotguns, just a preference thing. Feel them both and see what you think, pick one and don't look back.

Edit - oh yeah I forgot to mention the recoil pad on the 870 express. It is a pretty firm recoil pad that if you're shooting alot of rounds downrange, will probably want to change. The one that came on my older 870 wingmaster is much better, but I am not sure what they're like nowadays. Just something else to consider.