The American pump shotgun market is ruled by two guns, the Mossberg 500 and Remington 870.
These guns have been subject to at least as much debate as to the 9mm vs. 45 ACP or the Glock vs. 1911.
While they are very similar, they are also very different. Just saying Mossberg 500 or Remington 870 is a bit misleading. Both guns have dozens of variants.
These guns are not just a single line but a series of shotguns.
With Mossberg, we have the 500, the 535, the 590, the 590A1, the Shockwave, and so on.
With Remington, we have the Express, Wingmaster, Tactical, the TAC 14, the DM models, and more.
We are keeping this generalized to the specifics of these family of shotguns. When necessary I’ll mention exceptions within these families if rules are broken.
I want this to be a look at both the inside and outside of the guns and what’s important to shooters.
Both guns are similar, and they come in 12 gauge, 20 gauge, and 410. Both are pump-action shotguns, both are American made, and both can be used for home defense, hunting, and police and military use.
There are quite a few differences, though. That’s what we are going to explore today, the differences between these two guns.
Table of Contents
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The Controls
The most significant difference any shooter can easily pick up on is the difference between the safety locations on a Remington 870 and a Mossberg 500.
The Remington 870 uses a traditional push-button safety located on the trigger guard. Mossberg uses sliding safety located on the tang of the receiver.
The Remington 870’s safety is positioned behind the trigger and easy to reach.
It can be used with any stock system with ease. It is much more friendly with right-handers, but that being said, a left-handed friend of mine uses an 870 and destroys us at shooting clays.
The Mossberg 500 safety is completely ambidextrous but challenging to use on shotguns with pistol grips. This includes practical pistol grips that utilize stocks as well.
It takes a mighty reach upwards on Mossbergs with pistol grips
While the safeties are the easiest difference to spot, the other difference is the slide release. Both the Mossberg and Remington position the slide release on the left side of the trigger unit.
Remington places there forward of the trigger, and Mossberg positions theirs behind the trigger.
The Remington 870 suffers from the fact that you have to break your firing grip to reach forward and release the slide. The Mossberg 500 series can be activated without breaking the firing grip.
The Difference in Actions
One difference you can’t see, but you can feel is each gun’s actions. Both use twin steel action bars for increased durability.
You notice how handy those twin action bars are when you handle something like an old 1897 and feel how fragile a single action bar is.
The Remington 870 uses a robust, one-piece design that combines the action bars and pump. The Mossberg 500 series uses two pinned action bars that are anchored to a separate slide assembly.
The end result is the Mossberg pumps tend to feel sloppy, and they move around quite a bit. You can feel the slop in your hands as you pump the weapon.
The Remington 870 tends to be tighter and smoother. It gives an overall higher quality experience. If you want to tune a gun up, get a Remington, and you’ll be shocked at how smooth a competent smith can get a Remy action.
The 500 series does make it easier to replace and repair the action. Should a bar get bent, it’s easy to unpin the bar and remove and replace it. If a Remington 870 bar gets bent, it can be challenging to pull out the entire system and replace it.
Material Differences
One of the most significant differences you can’t see is what material makes up your shotgun’s receiver.
Don’t feel bad.
Most people can’t look at a metal and tell you what it is.
This material difference is one of the biggest differences you’ll likely never notice.
The Remington 870s use good ole ‘fashion American steel. Well, I don’t know if it’s American, but it is steel. This gives the 870s a more substantial receiver overall.
The Mossberg 500 series uses aluminum receivers. While steel is stronger, there is likely never going to be a time you can break a Mossberg 500’s aluminum receiver. While the difference exists between the materials, there is no practical advantage to using steel over aluminum.
AR-15s are made from aluminum, and we trust it’ll work.
The most significant practical difference is the weight of the guns. Remingtons, on average, tend to be heavier guns by anywhere from a pound to half a pound when like vs. like is compared.
More weight isn’t exactly a good or bad thing, it’s just different. Stalking deer? Lightweight is nicer. Skeet shooting? Heavier makes for a smoother swing.
Magazine Tubes
Another somewhat hidden, but often desirable feature for shotguns is extending the magazine capacity. Shotguns are typically restricted to a relatively low ammunition capacity. The ability to add a few extra shots can be highly desirable.
With the Mossberg 500, it’s complicated. Adding more capacity is difficult because of the magazine and barrel design. To do so, you need a new barrel and matching tube to do so.
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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You can’t just screw on an extension and go for it. The barrel attaches directly to the magazine tube and not around it. The Mossberg 590 series corrects this and allows you to connect a magazine extension directly to the tube.
The Remington 870 is traditionally a simpler weapon to utilize when it comes to adding an extension. Remove the magazine cap and then screw on the extension.
Well, that was the old days. Now on a lot of models, they are dimpling the magazine tube.
This makes it impossible for the spring and for rounds to travel into an extension. It’s likely the tactical models don’t have this dimpled magazine tube, but a lot of the non-tactical models will.
The only solution is too remove the dimples yourself via power tools or pay a gunsmith to do it.
You can’t swap the magazine tube for another without a dimple because Remington solders the magazine tubes in place.
These soldered tubes can be a major hassle if you damage the tube and need to replace it.
With Mossberg designs, you simply have to heat up the Loctite and unscrew the magazine tube.
Extractors / Ejector
Improper extraction and ejection are likely the most common cause of firearm’s malfunction outside of ammo related issues. Needless to say, it’s an important function. Shotguns deal with an odd round when you think about it.
It’s a bulky hybrid of plastic and brass that’s often cumbersome, comes in various lengths, and can be all sorts of different weight and projectile types. Being able to extract and eject any and all shells are essential.
Remington uses a single extractor that grips the rim of the shells and rips them outwards.
Mossberg uses two extractors to help guarantee reliability. The dual extractors are great because if one breaks, the other will still work, and you can run the gun until you can repair it.
I’ve fired a lot of rounds from shotguns, especially 870s and 500s, and I’ve never had a single extractor break, but redundancy is often an effective safety measure.
The good news is both can be replaced at home with both guns.
Each gun’s ejector is a different story. Mossberg continues its tradition of being user accessible with an ejector that screws in. Remington continues to be the iPhone of shotguns with a riveted ejector making it challenging to replace.
I stripped a Mossberg 590 receiver for a friend, and it took a little heat gun action and a flat head screwdriver to remove the ejector. I wouldn’t know where to start with an 870.
The Shell Lifters
The shell lifters aren’t exactly something you think about when you first handle a shotgun.
Once you start loading and shooting a lot, and primarily when you shoot Mossberg 500s and 870s a lot, you notice that the Mossberg is more comfortable to load.
The Mossberg uses a patented shell lifter that is both skeletonized and in the always up position.
The Remington uses a standard shell lifter that stays down and acts as a gate to the gun. It’s a solid slab of metal that sits below the bolt and action. To load a shell, you press the shell lifter up and slide it into the tube.
The shell lifter can slow you down, and when you are going fast, it likes to pinch you.
The Mossberg skeletonized and always up shell lifter is out of the way, and you can smoothly load one or two shells with little effort.
The skeletonized lifter also allows you to fix malfunctions easier. You can reach through the bottom of the gun, and this can help you free a stuck shell.
The Small Things
Here are a few small things you may want to consider when purchasing either gun. These didn’t fit into any other category and are not significant enough to warrant their own category. So let’s not forget about the small things.
Adding an Optic
The Mossberg 500 series are all tapped and ready to add a scope rail and an optic. The Remington 870 is not universally tapped, which means a trip to the gun smith, or a Burris Speedbead system needs to be installed.
Check out more in our Best Shotgun Sights article.
Mini Shells
Mini shells are tons of fun! They are low recoil, easy to shoot, and decently affordable.
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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Both guns can fire them, but the Mossberg 500 series can be fitted with an adapter from Opsol.
This mini clip allows the mini shells to feed 100% of the time. The 870 cannot be fitted with this adapter.
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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Barrel Thickness
The Remington 870 has a thicker barrel than a standard 500. It’s equivalent to a Mossberg 590. You can buy the upgraded Mossberg to get the thicker, stronger barrel.
Price
The Mossberg 500 tends to be cheaper, but the Remington 870 is only a hair more expensive. It’s also fitted with a steel receiver and a thicker barrel. The 590 series are more expensive than the 870 Express models, as well.
A US Army Testing Procedure
The US Army has a testing procedure called the MIL-SPEC 3443 test, which is a brutal 3K round test that pushes shotguns to the edge.
The Mossberg series has been the only shotgun to pass this rigorous test.
Here’s us with our 590A1 and some Winchester 00 buckshot…
The requirement calls for a metal trigger group, so only the 590A1 and 500 MILS qualify to fit the criteria.
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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Customizability
If you want to customize your gun, you can go with either model and be quite successful with that goal. There are crazy amounts of parts out there for both weapons.
You can do almost anything.
You can swap stocks, pumps, add sights, side saddles, and more to each gun. You can do a ton with either, and it’s hard to say which is better overall.
Both guns are straightforward to customize, and you have plenty of options to do so.
Of course, we have articles to help you with both!
Which One is For You?
That’s a good question.
My chosen home defense shotgun is the Mossberg 590, but my favorite shotgun ever is my antique Ohio National Guard Remington 870.
Both guns have their favorites, and I will say Remington guns have been rough since 2007.
Once Freedom Group took over, quality went downhill noticeably.
However, they seem to have turned that around!
A lot of their new guns are looking, feeling, and shooting much better these days.
If you are having trouble deciding, let’s examine a few considerations.
- If you want a gun, you can service and fix yourself, choose the Mossberg 500 series.
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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- If you want a gun that uses a pistol grip with stock, then choose the Remington 870.
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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- If you want a gun that you can abuse and not spend a ton of money on buy a basic Mossberg 500.
- If you want a gun, you can beat up and likely pass on down to your kids, buy an OLDER Remington 870.
- If you’re left-handed, go with a Mossberg.
- If you want a gun that’s tight, smooth, and feels ultra-lux, go with the Remington 870 Wingmaster.
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Prices accurate at time of writing
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- If you want what the military uses, go with the Mossberg 590A1.
And if you want even more options, we also have a video on the Best Pump Action Shotguns for Beginners.
Conclusion
Both the Remington & Mossberg are super popular and reliable pump action shotguns. Mossberg has the ambidextrous safety, double-extractor, nicer shell lifter, tons of upgrades, and is used by the military. While Remington has the smoother action, steel receiver, and better pistol grip setup.
The right one for you is a personal choice, but now you have the tools to make that choice.
My big question to you is, which one is for you, and why? Let us know in the comments! Don’t forget to get some feed for your new shotty, take a look at The Best Shotgun Ammo: Home Defense & Target Shooting! Or if you want to upgrade it…Best Home Defense Shotgun Upgrades.
41 Leave a Reply
I shot a moss bird 500 most of the time when I was growing up. Bird hunting dot country quail. My biggest problem with it is failure to feed. It did it's supposed to shoot 3 inch. Magnums, but you put 3 inch magnums in it. And you're gonna have a failure to feed every time I shot him. 2 and 3/4 inch once in a while. I'd have a failure to feed. I also shot of Remington 870 not as much but never had a problem with it. Was always much smoother, much felt much slimmer. And the extra weight I didn't notice it as much because of the thin thinness of the stock. And the overall thickness of the shotgun, where the moss bird was bulky and difficult to get shells to feed at times other than that, I don't know what to say.I prefer 28 seventy
Seit 1995 hab ich eine MOSSBER 590 Mariner Kaliber 12/76 Magnum und würde die Waffe nicht mehr hergeben. Auch die REMINGTON 870 ist eine sehr gute Pump-Flinte. Bei der MOSSBERG überzeugte mich die Sicherung mehr, als bei REMINGTON.
short stroke the slide on an 870 you have a jam, not so on the 500.
Thank you for this useful information
The location of the slide release is certainly more intuitive with the Mossberg. As a righty, I am ambivalent about having a safety on the tang, BUT if I do have a crossbolt safety, I find it FAR more logical for it to be forward of the trigger and not behind it (click it, drop your finger into the trigger guard, pull). When it's behind the safety, the process feels odd. For these reasons and the ability to do basic self repairs, I prefer the Mossberg. In technical terms, I REALLY like the Maverick 88 because the safety allows the use of third party stocks. While I am neither for nor against shotguns with pistol grips, most adjustable stocks have them. That matters in a home with three shooters who have different statures. I do dislike that it's harder to extend the mag tube.
Final thoughts: side by side, I'd take a 500 over an 870, JUST BARELY. With the price break, it's a no-brainer for me. No insult intended to the awesome 870. Smoothest pump I ever fired was a Wingmaster. I just like the control group of the Mossberg better and given my propensity to WANT to modify firearms but never doing it, I am ok with the set mag tube.
Your article notes that the Mossberg is the only gun to pass the MIL-SPEC 3443 test. You do not mention that Remington did not enter the test and the military carried Remington 870's for many years before the Mossberg was accepted.
i like the glock 43x
Me too!!! Definitely my most comfortable EDC.....
Something else to consider. If you want to run a 500 with a Pistol Grip, get a Maverick 88. They're made by Mossberg and are essentially a "cheaper" 500. In the name of cost cutting, they have the crossbar safety instead of the top slide. There's plenty of YT reviews about their reliability and durability and are definitely a shotgun worth having around, especially if you're looking for something that can take a beating and keep on shooting.
I went with the High Standard Flite King Riot Gun. Tough to find, but they are like the Energizer Bunny. They have that tight, slick feeling like the 870 and the stay-up skeletonized shell lifter like the 500.
I made it easy on myself and just bought both of them . I also own Beretta 1301 and a Benelli M-4. I'm complicated.
Military uses Remington's as well. I was in infantry fire team and we had both.
I just bought the Remington 870 Express Tactical 12 Gauge w/ pistol grip. With the rioting going on and a so called "peaceful protest" nearby I went out to get a pump action 12 gauge for home defense. I wanted a Mossberg 500 cruiser but the gun stores only had a few shotguns left. I always wanted a Remington 870 and now have one. I always tell anyone looking for a home defense shotgun to go with either the Mossberg 500 series or Remington 870. The are both not expensive and I picked up my 870, with pistol grip and 7 round capacity with 18" barrel for only $379.00 at Dick's Sporting Goods. ( I HATE DICKS SPORTING GOODS) and they can to hell and out of business for all I care. They were the only place that had what I wanted in stock and able to take home before noon.
those two are very exciding
If Mossberg did not have a sloppy loose feeling like the pump action was going to fall off i would go with the Mossberg. DON'T KNOW IF THE 590 aI IS TIGHTER OR NOT ?
The action is lose for a reason. Trust me it's not going to fall of. The reason the action is lose is so if sand gets trapped in the action it won't interfere with the working ot the forearm. And the sand will fall out easily. Good for military use
THIS!
Yeah, the Mossberg is loose fee ling, but nevertheless, a very durable firearm. I have owned a basic 500 for many years and have fun it very hard, with hundreds of trouble free rounds down range.
the pump arms are designed to be a bit loose. its part of what makes them the most reliable shotguns made.
Idaho. Dept. of corrections got rid. Of mossbergs and. Gone to 870s
I went with the mossberg 590 shockwave SPX . Mossberg USA is located in North haven CT. the next town over from me.
I know there moving to TEXAS. Mossberg is more user friendly in minutes I can field strip it and resemble it. No hang ups with the mini shells. CCDL CARRY ON!!
I own both guns, the 500 and the 870 and for years the Remington has favorored well for me. Wanted to respond to your comment on the Remington 870 "suffers from the fact that you have to break your firing grip to reach forward and release the slide". I shoot left-handed and the forward release is perfectly positioned for the left-hander. My LH index finger reaches the release lever without any difficulty. The finger is on the LH side, same as the release. That allows me to reach it without any change in either hand position. Try it>. Steel is better than Alumimun for long wear and longevity. Steel on steel is my preference. Did you shoot it left-handed or right-handed? Just my take on that subject. Nice review. Thanks for sharing.
Hi James, thanks for your comment. I got questions about left-handed usage.
Did you flip your safety in some way? If yes: how? If not: how do you reach it in order to put it in FIRE position?
I am left handed, I don’t think the safety is reversable. I agree the action release on an 870 is fine for a southpaw. For the safety I usually select fire position with my left thumb over top or middle finger underneath. I have one firearm that I reversed the safety, and I think I’m going to put it back as I have become accustomed to the standard cross bolt safety orientation.
Of course, steel on steel is what you get with the Mossberg as well. The bolt locks up in the barrel, which is steel.
Excellent article. But some clarity. The 870, and for that matter, the Winny 1300, really can't run minishells reliably, regardless of whether the Opsol adapter would work. As you noted, the shell lifter stays "down". With 870s, the lifter, after "lifting", drops to the down position as a 2.75" shell just enters the barrel. With a mini, the lifter drops to the down position before the shell is even close to the barrel. So, as many have noted, you have to rack the gun, "just right". or the shell follows the lifter down, and you jam the shell into the receiver wall. Also, 870s release the spent hull so that the ejector spring hits the 2.75" shell at mid body. With a mini, mid body becomes the top of the hull, and hulls tend to rotate out and the brass hangs on the ejector port. Mossbergs, by sheer fortune, keep lifter up through firing cycle, and the spring ejects down near/on the brass.
They make LF safety's, for all 870 Remingtons. Not difficult to change, but you need to know how to do that before you go ahead. Few people shoot mini shells. The extractors are not designed for that shorter length of the shell. Buy the extension tube if you want more shells for either 2 3/4 or 3-inch shells. Some modifications are a must. Done that with little difficulty. Changing the extractor for a longer 3" shell and lengthing the port to the rear a touch is no big deal. Take it to the gunsmith if you don't feel knowledgeable. And for those that are going to say, you can't modify the receiver, you're wrong. Any barrel will load a 3-inch shell. The receiver must be modified to receive and cycle the longer shell. The barrel may be stamped only 2 3/4" shells because the receiver is not ready for the longer shell.
Mossberg 590A1 Military Spec 8+1 Trench warfare Gun is the best pump action Home Defense Gun hands down! Better quality than the 500 series...
Remington & Benelli will have to play for the second place spot in the Iron Bowl!
Good luck!
Don’t everybody chime in with their non-500/590/870 preference. They’re pump shotguns and on sale all the time. Get both. I use the 500 with the longer barrel and choke tubes for trap. I have the 870 Police Special in the short barrel, for home defense or just blasting stuff. Just got a great deal on the new mag-fed 870. Haven’t even shot it yet. My point is... they’re cheap enough, get some. Both are great and tons o’ fun. And, the Ithaca guy and the Benelli guy... you guys have an 870 somewhere I’m sure.
I love my Mossberg 590A1, it shoots great and I am really happy with it!
I'll stick with my Ithaca 37, thank you.
Me, too.
I actually thought of buying another barrel for my Ithaca and having it cut down. The price of the barrel alone is the price of a Maverick 88. Plus I don't take my Ithaca out that often!
The Mossberg 500 and the 590 are both made my the same manufacturer and are both pump action shotguns, but calling them the same gun is misleading at best. Once you look any closer than the location of the safety these are quite different guns in several of the areas you describe. Your article bounces back and forth sometimes comparing the 870 with a 500, other times comparing the 870 with a 590, occasionally describing all three.
I inherited my grandfather's Remington 870, serial numbers from 1954. It has the fancy hand-checkered black walnut stock and a modified choke. My grandfather took exceptional care of that shotgun and it is in super condition. Many people have commented upon it when we've had it out on a local skeet range...all wondered if it might be for sale. At some point, I look forward to passing it along to one of my sons.
Nice post. You have a great gun there. Keep it in the family. Take pics with it through time with every family member that shoots it. The making of an heirloom.
Hard to beat this puppy: Benelli SuperNova Tactical Pump-Action Shotgun
I have a Remington 870 Express 12 gauge. I like it.
For me, since my 12ga is primarily used for hunting, the choice was easy - Remington all the way. Mainly since the action is quieter than the Mossbergs. Holding both, the Remingtons just feel like better quality. I personally think the Mossberg 590A1 is a bit overrated. Not saying it doesn’t do what Mossberg claims, but why does the average person need that? Those guns can handle severe abuse and keep banging. Myself, I don’t have a habit of slamming steel ship doors on the barrel or dragging through miles of mud and water. All that said, a 590A1 with MOE furniture is a sweet weapon, but it comes at a price
So, on the fact that the Mossberg was the only one to complete military testing. Its because it was the only one submitted. It didnt beat out any others in a head to head test. Also, the article states "The requirement calls for a metal trigger group, so only the 590A1 and 500 MILS qualify to fit the criteria." This is incorrect. All of Remingtons Police guns have metal trigger housings/parts.
Ive always owned 870s, but dont generally have a problem with Mossbergs. I agree they feel somewhat "cheaper" in the hand due to the action.
I will say that while quite a few proponents of the Mossberg guns say they like that the ejector is removable vs Remington, its not generally an issue for Remington. The only one Ive seen "fail" was from someone inadvertently bending it beyond repair by pulling a rag out of the receiver when cleaning it. Remington fixed it for free. My old 870 Express has nearly 10,000 rounds through it, and the ejector has never been a problem.
I did have a good friend lose his on a Mossberg 500 when shooting skeet. He got half way through and the gun would no longer eject rounds. It was nowhere to be found. Between finding the part online and ordering it, it took about a week less to get fixed than the Remingtons broken ejector. Still faster, but still a hassle, unless you had an extra on hand.
My bottom line would be, buy what you like. Either will outlast you, and whoever you pass it down to with even haphazard maintenance.
Thanks for clarification.