home defense shotgun selection

[rock n roll kid]

guns i am pricing/considering....

mossberg 500 , 590 tactical or 590A , remington 870 express or police additions

am leaning toward the mossy in 590 models . like the top safety and features on the gun , speed feed , metal trigger guard and metal safety etc .

have located one 590 blackwater edition with light for $475 brand new.

if you own any of these guns or have shot them the feed back would be helpful.
i have shot and owned the remington model before and i think they are great guns . but then again the mossberg ones seem equally as good and i know the military uses this gun

 

[Evil Dog]

Never used anything other than a Remington 870 myself..... never found any reason to change.

 

[Old 44 Guy]

Both are excellent for the purpose. Depends on the best price. Go from there.

 

[A10]

I shoot southpaw, so the 500 series Mossbergs don't work for me. The positioning of the slide release turns it into an auto-eject upon recoil! The 870 has always been dependable, and they fit me right.

 

[Kanewpadle]

I prefer the 870. Have one in 12ga and 20ga.

If someone other than you is going to use it, you should consider whether it's right for both of you.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

Had a Mossberg, have a Remington 870. Even Steven, IMHO. A smooth action and true familiarity with the firearm are more important IMHO.

 

[Frank46]

I have 4 870's. Two ex police ones (wingmasters) one 870 with slug bbl and the el cheapo 870 with the sand blasted finish. Stay away from that one. Gritty trigger, and just plain looks cheap. Now the two police 870's,one cost $225 with the mag extension and the other $212 without. Great triggers, smooth working bolts and cheap. The slug bbld one I have had for over 25 years and the two police ones have the same smooth bolt and great trigger. I actually think there are more aftermarket "goodies" out there for the 879 than the mossberg. I had a mossberg pump in 12 guage and while it worked and I used it for some time, I always went back to the 870. Frank

 

[HAWKEYE10]

I have a Remington 887 Tactical for at least a year and it sets in my safe unfired. Don't know why I bought it. I guess I will sell it one of these days. I might not be the best person to give advice on shotguns. Don

 

[Glockman9mm]

I had a benelli but if I did it over again I'd go 870!

 

[ikor]

The 870 Police Model hands down. You might also look for a LE trade-in 870 at a lower price. Very few have been shot much but some will be less than perfect finish-wise. Most older LE guns were just Wingmasters with plain stocks and short barrels. Second place for me would be the Express.

 

[JJEH]

With Mossberg you cannot be that wrong. Just choose a 18 1/2" barrel or even a shorter one.

 

[mkk41]

I constantly see plain-jane Mossberg 500s for around the $100-150 in the used shotgun rack. Cut the barrel to 18 1/8" , add a shell holder on the stock and that's all ya need for home defense.

All them TACTI-COOL accessories are for mall-ninjas and fantasy-fighters.

 

[shutupdata113]

if you cant decide between mossberg or remington y not get both....thats what i did

 

[mg357]

I looked at your list rock n roll kid and honestly i don't have experience with the home defense versions of the shotguns on your list.

So i am going to suggest the only home defense shotgun that i do have some experience with.

The stoeger double defense shotgun it is tactical black double barrel shotgun chambered in either 12 or 20 gauge it has accessory rails on it

 

[Brian41]

I've had both Mossbergs and Remingtons and prefer the 870. My home defense gun now under the bed is an 870 Marine Magnum. The finish on them holds up and never a concern about rust staying under the bed.

 

[tork'd]

have a dressed up 500 and a wingmaster..
like each one for different reasons

 

[Hapworth]

Six of one, half a dozen of the other between the 500 and the 870; plenty of smart people are devoted to both platforms. Shoot both if you can, and let instinct choose for you.

Alternately, if you're only looking to use the shotgun for home defense, consider the .410 bore option. With the advent of the Judge and Governor, quality .410 defense load in 000 buckshot is plentiful and cheap, hits with serious stopping power, and delivers the payload from a lighter, more maneuverable and more controllable platform.

 

[Rule3]

guns i am pricing/considering....



am leaning toward the mossy in 590 models . like the top safety and features on the gun , speed feed , metal trigger guard and metal safety etc .

I like the Mossberg for the safety on top also.

Better double check about the metal trigger guard. I believe only the 590A has it. My regular 590 had a plastic trigger guard and group. But it was older so who knows what's there now?

 

[BearBio]

I've had both. I have a 590 set up for bear defense while camping/fishing.

One point that has been brought up regarding the Remington vs Mossberg discussion. The Mossberg has twin action bars, the Remington only has one. Supposedly, this can result in torquing of the action and jamming. I never experienced this with my 870 but I have seen it be a constant problem with Browning pumps if the action is not worked with a VERY vigorous movement.

I currently have several Winchesters, several doubles,a Mossberg, and a slew of hunting shotguns. My first Hunter Safety instructors were Long Beach PD. Something they told us: Doubles have an intimidation factor if people can see them; pumps have one in the dark (sound of racking of the slide)= otherwise, your looking at 2 shots versus 4-6 (or more). Can you load a double, fire, break it (short barrelled shotguns don't break open as easily as longer barrelled ones), extract two shells, pull two off/out of wherever, reload, aim & fire as quick as you can rack a slide? Professional hunters don't use ejectors for a reason==sound of shells being ejected and hitting the ground can disclose your position.

My defense shotgun (other than the 590 above) is an older Winchester Model 12. Bought it for $250, cut the barrel to 20". No disconnect, so it will "spray" shells, if need be. Plug removed, of course. Lousy wood and metal finish-cold blued to cover obvious deficiencies. Bayonet lug and sling swivels for fun (I collect WWI weapons).

 

[ol' geeser]

I personally prefer an 870, I have four barrels for mine to cover about any situation...my Dad gave it to me for my 14th birthday, 48 years ago, it has never malfunctioned
The wife has an Ithaca 37 that she really loves...20 inch bbl. w/ 8 hot magazine and is "slam fire" capable....the Department recently issued me a spanky new Mossberg 500, seems to be ok but I have only fired about 100 rounds thru it to date.