I have a smoothbore 500 and they work just fine but......

[Robert]

.....man...if you can afford the extra bucks...get the Remington, you will never regret it.  I have been looking for a good deal on one myself.  A Mossberg is certainly functional, I have gotten a lot of turkeys and such with it, but, you have to ask yourself if you want functional...or excellent.  If you can find a good deal on an 870 Wingmaster, you will have the pride of the fleet.  That sounds like a bird gun, but it just happens to be a damn fine shotgun, and I cant see any reason why you couldnt get a rifled barrel for it.

[savageT]

Brian,

You know, I'm a little bothered by the Mossburg put downs!  I've tried the Remington 870 Express and to my thinking, the Mossburg 500 is a lot better deal and they are a quality company willing to give you a decent product at a fair price.  Their Young Shooter Deal start you off with a shorter stock length and reach and a 50% off coupon for another stock set when you are ready.  I think Mossburg deserves a fair shake for offering the public good products.  Just like Savage, sometimes they just seem to get kicked around and deserve better.

[Dand]

I'm a bit in agreement with SavageT - my 500 has been a good deal for me. I really like the safety location where I can keep an eye on it and its similar location to my over-unders.  It doesn't feel quite as smooth or tight as the 870s I've handled but I like the bolt release location better. The way the bolt releases upon firing makes it easier for me to pump in a second shot more quickly- something I like about Winchesters too. Overall its been a good gun to keep in the bottom of my boat and bang around in our mudflats and other rough duty.

But I have some observations: a) Sometimes I do wish for a little more high quality feel to the gun.  b) With some home made HEAVY  turkey loads the extractors would lose grip on the shell and fail to extract - maybe I had slight overloads? The shells  WERE resized. Never a failure with factory loads that I recall.

c) Mine has the synthetic stock and I wish the comb was much higher - I've built it up with duct tape and I shoot it much better.  Might be a consideration on one to be used with a rifle barrel.

d)When I clean the barrel it looks and feels like there are some flat spots in the bore and I wonder what effect this has on the shot string.  I would look at any rifle barrel bore real careful.

[Siskiyou]

I will go for the 870 anyday.  Having poured a lot of #8, magnum buckshoot, and rifle slugs threw the same 870 for years and never seeing it fail has convinced me.  I have seen many other 870's put under a lot of stress on the range and in combat courses.  They just do not fail.  I have fired it in butt deep freezing snow, and hot dry sand and it just keeps on working.

I am aware of one agency that forbids it's officers from carrying the 500 because of an accidental discharge that caused injury.  The investigation team was able to repeat the failure a number of times.

Siskiyou

[Oldtimer]

I have had two Mossbergs, one a 12 and the other a 20, and have gotten good service out of both.  The 12 has taken a number of deer,  using Brenneke slugs out of a smooth bore barrel.

Dand had some good observations.  I also had extraction problems, and fixed them by replacing the extractors and springs.  The receiver is light and that may be a problem if you use high performance sabots like the Winchester Supremes.  Remington once made some 1 1/2 ounce slugs in a 3 inch case and I still have three left.  I may will them to someone, because I am not planning on firing them in this lifetime.  The first two out of the Mossberg were all the fun I could stand.

I would see which gun fit me better and get that one.  Fit is really important with a shotgun. I don't think you would go wrong with either gun.