Pump shotguns to avoid?

[H&SFarms]

I have a Rem. 870 now. and love it. It is a great shooting gun. it is easy to take down and do a deep clean. I would not recommend the Mossberg 500. I have had bad experiences with them. You just cant go wrong with the Rem 870.

 

[chraland51]

I have two Mossberg 500s and have shot them a lot at paper and milk jugs without the first hiccup or breakdown. No, they are not as refined as my Winchester with the much fancier wood and the threaded chokes. However, I have shot a lot of 3" mags down those 500s without a failure. With all the 500s that have been sold over the years, I would imagine that there would be some that have failed. I have looked at the fancier semi-autos lately, but just can not justify parting with my 500s. I can not say that I have shot them thousands of times, but I can say that I have shot them hundreds of times over the years.

 

[jeremy]

I believe the Mossberg 590 was the Only Pump gun to pass the last round of Military Acquisition Trials...

On a side note...

Nice write up from gunbunnies!

 

[chraland51]

I am really sure that we helped Delmar out a great deal. Now he knows exactly what to buy and what to stay far away from. After reading through all of the comments I do not know whether to take out my 500s and my Winchester and wrap them around the nearest large oak tree. I am just going to have to save my money up longer so that I can quit buying junk shotguns and get one of those Remington 870s. However, I do remember when I bought my first shotgun which happened to be a 500, that I compared it side by side with an 870 and for some reason bought the 500. Maybe it was because I was wanting to save a little money, or maybe the salesman recommended the 500 or maybe I just thought that it felt better in my hands. We need to make some site rules that if you are going to trash a particular gun, you have to provide details, details, and more details. Without details, it is only opinion and you know what those have been compared to. A good friend of mine has an 870 (I forget which model) and really likes it and has brought down a lot of game with it including waterfowl and deer. It is a nice shotgun. I just do not like it as well as I do my cheap old, unreliable and probably unsafe to shoot Mossberg 500s.

 

[willie69]

i've had 870's all my hunting days no problems keep em clean n oiled

 

[Delmar]

I am really sure that we helped Delmar out a great deal. Now he knows exactly what to buy and what to stay far away from. After reading through all of the comments I do not know whether to take out my 500s and my Winchester and wrap them around the nearest large oak tree. I am just going to have to save my money up longer so that I can quit buying junk shotguns and get one of those Remington 870s. However, I do remember when I bought my first shotgun which happened to be a 500, that I compared it side by side with an 870 and for some reason bought the 500. Maybe it was because I was wanting to save a little money, or maybe the salesman recommended the 500 or maybe I just thought that it felt better in my hands. We need to make some site rules that if you are going to trash a particular gun, you have to provide details, details, and more details. Without details, it is only opinion and you know what those have been compared to. A good friend of mine has an 870 (I forget which model) and really likes it and has brought down a lot of game with it including waterfowl and deer. It is a nice shotgun. I just do not like it as well as I do my cheap old, unreliable and probably unsafe to shoot Mossberg 500s.

I knew before I started this thread that opinions vary!

 

[Delmar]

Delmar, I would second the buyer beware when looking at the Chinese copies... besides for the money the brand name shottys can be had for a reasonable amount of cash.. new or used...

The 870 is a solid performer and a bit heavier than the 500 because of the steel versus alloy receiver. The 870's have a solid elevator so they will cycle the shorter shells if need be. The 870 is probably a better option for a pistol grip stock option as the safety position is in the trigger guard versus the mossy on top of the receiver. The 870 has been around long enough to make parts, barrels, and used models widely available and shouldn't break the bank to obtain.

The Mossy 500 as I stated earlier is less weight because of the alloy receiver and better used with a sporting style stock rather than a pistol grip style one because of the safety position. The Mossy is also alittle more difficult to do slug drills with than the 870 and the elevator on the mossy's are completely open on the bottom making the use of shorter shells a bit hard to cycle through it. Otherwise it's all the shotty you can handle and I believe just as reliable as the 870. The other little item on the 500 is the in-ability to add a mag tube extension which you can do on most of the other pump shotty's out there.

Ditto on the 590 but it's a bit more than the 500's generally and you can add to the mag tube...

The maverick's are just mossy 500's with a better safety position as they normally have the safety on the trigger guard... ala 870 style. They have the rest of the 500 characteristics...

The Benelli's Nova and Super Nova are very nice performers and have the standard option of using 3.5 inch shells added to the ability to handle all the other smaller shell length's. The Nova has the sporting stock style, but the Super has the option to change out the stock for a tacticool pistol grip configuration... Can't do that to the standard Nova.. Also the Nova's have a handy button on the stock that keeps the next shell from loading into the elevator when you slide the pump back... which allows you too save ammo and load a slug when needed... The Nova's are really light weight and you can feel the recoil readily... but you can heff that thing all day without much notice...

The Ithaca 37's were really reliable and kind of cool the way they feed shells from the bottom loading port and send the empties out the same location... Their getting a little scarce to find these days though for a low price... New ones are around though. They also have the ability to keep the trigger pulled and as you cycle the action of the pump on them it will fire the shell as it closes on the chamber, making it a quick to unload shotty... for a pump that is...

The Browning A5's can be picky about ammo, as most auto's can be...

There's a whole slough of other manufacturers out there but you will find them hard to find parts for and un friendly too the ability to change out barrel, etc...

Now you ask, how do I know this stuff, well everything in this list I own or have owned and put as much ammo as I could through....

You know me if you want to try one of these out come out to the next INGO meet and shoot in March and bring some 12 guage ammo and shoot to your hearts content...

I'll also have the Saiga 12 out again....

I'll try to make it. I have a fair amount of #7 12 ga to bring.

 

[Gunfever1986]

I have had both 870 and 500 and i like the 870 but in stock formation the 500 holds an extra shell and when i hold the 500 it is a lot more natural to hit the release to rack a shell in the tube where on the 870 you got to reach for it. I know in this situation you could dry fire it and rack it but i like not having to dry fire my weapon. I like my 500 alot and i can have six 3" shells ready to go to work with 6 in the side saddle. both guns are nice weapons. what you need to beware of is maverick and junk like that. buy the gun that fits your fancy and shoot it.

 

[gunbunnies]

What ever you want to try through them... fire in the hole...

The last shoot they held out there they just kept sending the Saiga 12 from one side of the range to the other loading and shooting all day long... I think they shot close to a 1000 shells through it, and not even a hic cup....

On the feel of the 500 versus the 870, I believe the 870 has a more slender profile in the receiver versus the 500... I do believe this is because of the need for more material in a alloy receiver versus the strength of the steel used in the 870... not sure, but you can feel it when you bring them up side by side...

I love the 500 just as much as the 870... I've got a old 500 I rescued from a sheriff's department down in Georgia some years back... it only has one pump action arm on one side of the receiver which really dates it... but it still shoots great...

 

[Zoub]

Based on OP's pic, I would predict he would prefer the feel of a Winchester in his hand.

Besides Chinese made, the only gun I say no way to is Ithaca, if this is for HD use. Watched way too many jam. Even those that have "never jammed in 30 years". I use Full choke when I hunt with Ithaca owners, so when it is obvious they can't shoot...........gun has jammed.........I can shoot the bird so my dog has something to retrieve.

 

[Robert Richardson]

Just get a used 870 wingmaster not an express and you can be happy for a few lifetimes.

I give up.What's wrong with the Express 870?

 

[Delmar]

Based on OP's pic, I would predict he would prefer the feel of a Winchester in his hand.

Besides Chinese made, the only gun I say no way to is Ithaca, if this is for HD use. Watched way too many jam. Even those that have "never jammed in 30 years". I use Full choke when I hunt with Ithaca owners, so when it is obvious they can't shoot...........gun has jammed.........I can shoot the bird so my dog has something to retrieve.

Are you saying the Winchester is more of a big guy gun? If so you may be right. I really love my Stevens 5100 SxS, but SxS is not the best thing for shooting trap and I would like something that holds more rounds for home defense.

 

[nickl16]

I give up.What's wrong with the Express 870?

I have both a wingmaster and an express. The fit and finish on the wingmaster even though it was built in 77 is nicer than the express. To be honest though I have no problems with either and they both seem better built than my buddies mossberg.

 

[redpitbull44]

From what I have seen and heard, the newer Remington 870s are pretty junky compared to the older ones.
I love Mossberg. I run a 590, and have not had any issues with it. I trust my life to it.

 

[Bounty Hunter]

My Mossberg 500 is a tack driver, with a smooth bore slug barrel and Remington sluggers. Yes the cheap ones. It hits everytime and have never felt the need to change or go to the more expensive slugs either for that matter. I have had it for 22 years. A friend of mine sold it to me with both barrels for 100.00. His neighbor asked him to sell it for her,because her son just bought it,and was being "stupid" with it. Sold -and Thank You!!! Never had any issues with it ever. The only thing I do not like is the forearm rattles sometimes. Not a big deal unless you are in the deer stand.

 

[.356luger]

Don't buy into all the hate on the Mossberg or Remington or Winchester shotguns. There are thousands and probably hundreds of thousands or the Remington and Mossberg shotguns that have been produced. You never know how someone you see at the range or in the field takes care of their equipment and keeps things taken care of.

Mossberg 500 and 590 models are both great as well as the Remington 870 in any form. Also, like others have mentioned....buy the American brands when it comes to quality shotguns for a good price. If you want to spend bigger money then Benelli and Beretta are nice but for sub $400 you will be great with any 500 or 870. Good Luck!!

Every one seems to forget the mossberg 835 in a world full of stopping power enthusiasts a 3.5" turkey load would rain supreme. Mine locks up tight shoots everything I put in it holds 7 2 3/4 rounds stock, its matte black and always goes bang. There are 18.5 barrels out there for them as well. I have owned an express and sold it and kept my 835 I'm not saying it's better than te old style wingmasters but the 835 I own is a hell of a work horse. Oh yeah F the moss 500 have shot tons of them standard and completely tacted out I like the remington platforms and the other shotguns mossy makes far better

 

[DanO]

In GENERAL:
Avoid guns with single action bars, or with safeties located in a counterintuituive location.

There are a lot of great American pumps for sale at good prices.

Milllions of 870s have been used by police, security and armies around the world for a reason. I have seen 870 WIngmasters in excellent mechanical shape and poor finish for as low as $175.00 in a pawn shop. I would not hesitate to bring that gun to a fight. Many modern police agencies, including the US Secret Service still use a short barrelled 870.

I like Mossy 500's and a lot of family and friends love them and use them hard. I never heard a bad word about one, and I like the tang safeties on them.

The slickest pump I have ever fired is STILL a Winchester Model 12, and one of those with a short barrel would be sweet. Some old and well maintained guns like these will be better than a new gun.

The best combat PUMP shotgun I ever had was an Ithaca PD featherweight with an 8 shot magazine built in. Fast, well balanced, reliable. My brother in law talked me into a trade I still regret, but at least it is still in the family.

So, for a reasonable price a good 870, Mossberg 500, or a used Winchester model 12 are easy to find and I see no need to look to foreign, especially Chinese, shotguns. They are pretty simple devices, they just need a good design, good materials and good workmanship - and that is what Americans do well.

 

[snapping turtle]

I have seen more than one 870 express rust while you watched. I think rem has fixed the problem but it turned me off on the express version. I admit it was surface rust but in one weekend of deer hunting in damp conditions they rusted while you watched.

 

[nate77]

After internet research, I had my heart set on a Mossberg 590. They had them on sale at Dunham's Sporting Goods last weekend, so I went over to put one on layaway. When I got there, they also had the 870 Express Tactical on sale. After handling both, the feel of quality from the Remington changed my mind. I ended up putting the 870 on layaway and even saving 50 bucks since the 870 was $329, and the 590 was $379.

 

[DMarines007]

I've been hunting with a 870 Express Magnum for 13 years and it is still going strong.