Mossberg 500 vs Remington 870 express

I wonder why the US military chose the Moss 590A1?
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It's all about the lowest bidder. In any aspect of purchases by the military, they set standards of what they are looking for, and the bidder who says they can do it for the least amount of money gets the contract.

And it depends on what branch and what unit. I've seen plenty of Remington 870's in the hands of military members.
 
Not sure the US Military picking a particular gun is a selling point.
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Why not?

Wouldn't that mean that Mossberg passed the military's tests?

If it's good enough for our fighting GI's, it's good enough for me. :)
 
The Moss 500 isn't a bad shotgun. I know they can last a long time.

I can tell you that more turkey hunters shoot a 870 Express camo version than any other shotgun out there. It's by far the most popular shotgun on the market. If they were in fact junk, these guys wouldn't use them. They would go to something else that did and shot just as good. Remington 870's have stood the test of time. Do they make some with problems? You bet. But the majority of shooters who buy one 870 Express either owns another or probably plans on getting another.

Some of these guys that own these guns, shoot and test loads all year round.

These guys love them.

Very few are using a Moss 500.

I know.
 
You just need to shoot a good one that is trouble free like mine. It has functioned flawlessly over the last 12 years or so. It shoots dead on and throws a mean pattern. It fits perfectly in my hands, and cycles smoothly. The forearm doesn't have all the slop in it, and the barrel is machined to perfection.

I sure like it. :)
 
good enough for the military does not mean it's the best.

And who's to say that other mfgs couldn't have passed the test!???
Pass the test and come in cheaper, bingo. This means the overall best out there? Let's see now, then of course since most of the governmental autombiles seem to be Ford Crown Vics and Taruses, ok then of course Fords must be the best out there otherwise of course the govenrment would not consider them...makes me wonder how Mercedes, BMW, and Volvo are able to stay in biz.
 
When the Army looked into replacing the M16 and the M4 they hosted a test that reviewed many different rifles. One in particular was the HK M416. During the test one of the things they looked at was number of failures per 10,000 rounds. Only two different rifles didn't have a failure in the first 10,000. Only one didn't have a failure in the second. In fact during the rest of the test over the next few days the M416 did not fail at all. It proved to be better than all the other rifles competing for the spot.

The US Army chose not to accept any of them, but they refused to even seriously consider the HK. Why? Because it was too expensive. Could they afford it? Without a doubt. The US Military (all branches) very rarely choose the best product. They choose the cheapest. And when it comes to passing the "test"... those test don't really have a pass/fail score. They simply test several different competitors against each other and the one that gives them the cheapest price wins. IMO There's nothing wrong with Mossberg at all and it's a great choice, but there are several weapons that are good enough for the military, but you can't pay me to own them.

Also the military is not concerned with the same criteria that a person looking for a HD shotgun is concerned with. Seriously, do you ever expect to use that bayonet?
 
Is there a difference between the Mossberg 500a and the Mossberg 500 that Walmart sells?

I saw a used 28" wood Mossberg 500a at a local pawn shop for $229, while Walmart sells a new 28" 500 for $207. Am I missing something?
 
Is there a difference between the Mossberg 500a and the Mossberg 500 that Walmart sells?
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No. There might be some dealers that offer a fancier stock (wood vs plastic) but the internals are the same.

That being said, there have been some changes throughout the years so the ones sold at Walmart today might look somewhat different than a 10 year old version you find at a pawn shop. Some of the changes haven't exactly been for the best.
 
No. There might be some dealers that offer a fancier stock (wood vs plastic) but the internals are the same.

That being said, there have been some changes throughout the years so the ones sold at Walmart today might look somewhat different than a 10 year old version you find at a pawn shop. Some of the changes haven't exactly been for the best.
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Thanks. I've just started looking into these and didn't know if the used ones I saw were better or if the pawn shop was just trying to pull something. I'm not sure what year the used one was but it did look to have a nicer stock than the Walmart version.
 
Get the Browning BPS in 26 inch ... infinately better than both the Mossberg and the Remington. I have one and am very very happy. BEst pump on the market hands down !
 
The Mossberg 590 was chosen by the military because they were the only ones who submitted a shotgun for testing. Remington didn't need the contract as they had the LEO and civilian market pretty tied up.

It should be noted that the military sent the first 590 prototype back for changes, because the first one didn't meet their specs. It was based on the 500 model.

The Mossberg is a decent gun, but it isn't nearly as good as some are making it out to be. The plastic safety tends to fail a lot, and that's usually the first piece replaced. The fit and finish isn't all that great, even compared to an 870 express. They are fairly reliable, though, if you don't count the safety.

I would say that the 870 is a better shotgun, though. Better fit and finish, and a slightly more solid design. That includes the Express line. You pay for the more solid design in weight, though. It is not a light gun, mostly due to the steel reciever vs. the aluminum one on the Mossberg.

The placement of the controls is slightly more convenient on the Mossberg, but with practice the 870's controls are very easy to get used to.

I have an 870 express, and the only real complaint I have about it is the blueing. They bead-blast the blueing to finish it, rather than the polishing they give to their Wingmaster's series. It makes for a fairly rough texture, and it tends to pick up dirt and grit a little too easily. Other than that it has worked flawlessly since I got it. I haven't had any rusting problems, either, and I don't baby my guns.
 
I had both Mossberg 500A 28" with wood stock and Remington 870 Express in 12ga.

Sold the Remington after I landed my hands on the Mossberg.
They both were great gun, but the Mossberg is cheaper to play with!
 
I'm no expert in shotguns.... so when I was looking for a good pump I asked my local gunsmith. He pointed me to a 870 12ga w/28" barrel and for the price of $300 I didn't question him. :D
 
Don't ask your gunsmith, he's going to lead you to the best...

...regarding longevity more then likely, which the 870 (depending on which "870" were are talking about). You should be looking at which of the two in question, 500 vs 870 has control layouts more conducive to what I guess may be dubbed, a combat layout. There lays the major difference between the two models, that is to say which of the two models has a slide release one can access without fiddling with or switching hands to access, and which model's safety is to your liking. Difference between sitting in a duck blind and sitting in your easy chair, awaiting ducks or trouble.
 
Is there a difference between the Mossberg 500a and the Mossberg 500 that Walmart sells?
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500a, 500b, and 500c refer to the action sizes and gauge. I think 500a is 12g, 500b is 16g, 500c is 20g and and 500d is the 410 action, assuming this is correct: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mossberg_500 I seem to remember there being a 500e also though. Maybe that was later named the 505 action.
 
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