Mossberg 500 V Remington 870 A battle of Titans

Since writing about the 870, I have really been struggling internally with which of my pump shotguns I prefer. How does one create a meaningful criteria with which to compare these to colossi ? (I had no idea colossus pluralized like that by the way, though I guess it makes sense as it is a Greek root)

I think I have developed the beginnings of such a rating system. We shall compare the Remington and the Mossberg in 5 important areas. Reliability however- will not be one of them. These guns have proven their mettle to me on the range and in situations of neglect. Neither gun has had any shortcomings with the positive feeding, firing, and ejecting of any and all ammunition which can be safely loaded into it.These comparisons are fairly informal in their execution, but this is not to say that they are not, informative. I'm a pretty average shooter as far as ability is concerned, and I suspect what works for me will hold true for a great number of gun owners. Take this experiment for what it is- a point of consideration, not an axiom of truth from here to eternity.

The titans clash

Thus our criteria will center of the following:
1- Ergonomics
2- speed on the slide
3- speed on the reload
4- transitions between targets
5- maneuverability

First- ergonomics. Though a bit suggestive, I think the mossberg is a better handling gun. It is slightly lighter than the 870- saving a full 4 oz in reported weight from manufacturer's websites with comparable barrels.  The safety is ambidextrous on the 500, and and is easily manipulated with either thumb. The length of pull between the guns is comparable, and shooters should  be confident knowing that if one of these two shotguns fits them well with the standard stock, they will have little issue with fit switching to the other manufacturer. The feel of the slides is basically a wash between these guns, as both come stock with a full-length pump which can be easily changed out.
overall, slight advantage goes to the Mossberg- so score after round one is:

Mossberg 1       Remington 0

the bolts of the matter. .  and a cyclops joke

Area two for evaluation was slide speed. The ability to quickly manipulate the pump on these shotguns and get back on target for a follow-up shot is paramount for a working defensive gun. At left, you can see the difference in bolt construction between the two firearms, and here the remington offers a far superior action for speed and getting shots on target. Maybe it is because I shot 870s for more of my life than the 500, but the speed at which I can fire accurate shots at close range with the 870 is noticeably quicker than what I can do with the 500. The smoother cycling of the pump on the remington gun allows me tighter control of the gun while under manipulation gives me better results.

Not much else to debate on this point. The mossberg action isn't bad- but it is not in the class of the 870.

Mossberg 1       Remington 1

 The speed of reload, meaning not the manipulation of the slide but rather the replacement of spent shells in the chamber or tube, is an important element to consider when choosing a fairly low capacity defensive arm. Though the mossberg has a slight capacity advantage with a total round count of 6 as opposed to the remington's max count of 5, the availability of tube extensions makes the point of ammo in the gun 'moot' in my book.

close-up of pumps

While I went to basement, picked a sturdy looking wall, and started cycling shells. I tried feeding overhand and underhand directly into the chamber, and found the mossberg had a slightly more forgiving chamber that allows for less than perfect manipulation to get the shells in the chamber. Loading up the tube the clear victor hear was mossberg, which does not have the addition of a loading gate like the 870.  Loading in both the chamber and the tube was, for me, quicker in the mossberg.

Mossberg 2         Remington 1

Transitioning between targets required actual range time, and that occurred in some horrendous weather- so no photos. sliding between targets and getting rounds into them - was best done with the remington. I suspect the smoother slide manipulation accounted for much of the difference in speed between the guns.  Targets were approximately 3 ft apart and were 8.5x11inch pieces of paper.

Mossberg 2        Remington 2

two-headed Cerberus? these Greek puns working?

Finally we come to maneuverability. The slightly shorter barrel, and slightly lighter overall weight of the mossberg, made it the preferred gun in my little maneuvering test (AKA attempting to through my house room-to-room with each gun and comparing which one was easier to handle). Not the most formal test- but definitely a practical one.

That brings the final score to:

Mossberg 3      Remington 2

However, that assumes that each of these categories counts equally to every owner. Some people might find the faster transitions and smoother (quicker) shooting of the remington to outweigh the superior ergonomics, maneuvering, and reloading of the mossberg. For me, I think I will stick with the Mossberg as the primary defensive shotgun by my bedside. I have grown rather attached to it since purchasing it- and am comfortable with how it operates. I personally do not think the slight increase in speed and transitions is worth switching from the 500 to the 870.

Scylla and Charybdis, or trigger guard and safety close up

All in all, both are great guns- but for my purposes, the 500 is the better defensive choice. The 870, in my not so humble opinion, is a better hunting gun (especially for birds) where the added weight can help soak up some recoil, and transitioning between birds can be the difference between a nice double or triple, and a meager meal in the camp pot.

When it comes to keeping a gun at the ready for whatever scenario might come up while at home though- I like a lighter, easier to maneuver gun which can still put rounds where I point it- even if faster options exist.