Moss barrel for 870???

[fyrfytrj]

Does anyone have any experience with an 18.5" Mossberg barrel for a Rem 870? Is the quality there? My 870 express's finish is like a matte, is that called parkerized?? Is the Mossberg barrel an exact take-off of the Remington??? Thank you...

 

[ToddW]

I recently ordered one from Cabelas but have not had a chance to shoot it yet. I read on another post that the Mossberg barrels were made by Remington anyway. From the other Rem. 870 barrels I own, the Mossberg appears to be the same high quality (which it should be since it's supposedly made by Remington anyway). The barrel fits perfectly on my thirty year old 870 and the finish is somewhat of a matte/subdued blue (not parkerized, not highly polished blue). After searching around, Cabelas had the best price, $79.99 plus shipping brought it to about $87.00 and change. The Mossberg web site also sells them directly but charges more (~$95.00?, but they offer parkerized or blue, Cabelas has only blue). Good luck.
Todd

 

[John Overbey]

Okay, first, parkerizing is (typically) somewhat rough in texture. This holds oil, but also holds dirt and lint. It has it's good and bad points, but is usually thought of as a "military-type" finish, like the finish on an AR-15, etc. I'm not sure what finish your Remington has, but I have seen VERY few parkerized Remingtons other than those built up by Scattergun Inc. Chances are you have a matte or satin blued finish, so the barrel PROBABLY won't match the receiver. That said, Mossberg replacement barrels are excellent in my opinion, and usually priced rather reasonably. If you're concerned about the finish matching, visit a gun store and ask to see a parkerized rifle/shotgun and you'll get an idea what it will look like. Everyones parkerizing is a little different in color, and Mossbergs tend to be a slightly greenish medium grey. Hope this helps.
-John