If you only had 1 shotgun?

[Guest 5Legion]

I am thinking of the Rem 870 combo with the 20" slug barrel for deer and home defense with shot and the 26" field barrel with screw-in chokes for everything else. Shouldn't that cover all the shotgun I really need?

5L

[HillbillyMafia]

I would buy more

870 combo is a good chooice, but look at the mossberg as well, I like the safety placement better on the mossberg

maybe even the NEF handi rifle/shotgun combo

[141FE]

I'd go with the 870. Great shotgun!

[Oh Shoot]

I am thinking of the Rem 870 combo with the 20" slug barrel for deer and home defense with shot and the 26" field barrel with screw-in chokes for everything else. Shouldn't that cover all the shotgun I really need?

5L

Yep.

- OS

[Moped]

Hard to beat the 870. Mossberg is a very close second.

[Guest c.a.s.]

Depends on what you want the most.

The Mossberg also offers combos, and is lighter. It doesn't have quite as much aftermarket support, though.

The Remington is heavier, but has a steel receiver. It has better aftermarket support.

Both are good shotguns. They have various key differences, but they are largely about specific instances. The Mossberg has a "no jam" (Raised) elevator, which stays up for 90% of the loading process rather than in the port like the Remington. Some prefer this, because it doesn't pinch the thumb and it works better with gloves. It mostly comes down to personal preference and budget.

[gregintenn]

I am thinking of the Rem 870 combo with the 20" slug barrel for deer and home defense with shot and the 26" field barrel with screw-in chokes for everything else. Shouldn't that cover all the shotgun I really need?

5L

Sure.....but where's the fun in only one gun? Need is really a subjective thing.

[LA_357SIG]

I was in the market for a shotgun early last year and I was on the fence over getting another Mossberg or a Remington 870 express. I got the Mossberg 535 over the Remington Express because of the Mossy's dual extractors, dual action bars, safety position and I read that to install a magazine tube extension you have to file off some lips or tabs (permenant mod). I didn't check out every variation of 870's but the ones I did didn't prove to be any better than the Mossbergs. IMO

[Guest KarlS]

+1 on 870 combo

[Guest 5Legion]

I would buy more

870 combo is a good chooice, but look at the mossberg as well, I like the safety placement better on the mossberg

maybe even the NEF handi rifle/shotgun combo

I too like the Mossy safety placement (I have a 590). But the 870 I had was heavier and less felt recoil I think. Also, the Mossberg combos all have a 24 inch slug barrel - what's up with that? 22" is more than long enough I think for shotgun slugs, and 20" is better. Of course I could just buy a Mossberg with a field barrel - 24 or 26 inches and then get a seperate shorter slug barrel.

5L

[Guest grimel]

Mossberg 24" with screw in chokes. Do you REALLY plan on doing a house clearing with your shotgun? Hole up and the barrel length becomes a non-issue. The 24" repeater pump is about the same length as a 28" O/U so it should be just fine for flying birds, works good on turkey, coyotes, and deer with the proper choke tube screwed in.

If you want a pistol grip (AR/AK style) then the Remington has a better safety position and would be my choice.

Of course I do prefer semi-auto shotguns and really like the Browning A-5, but, the Mossberg and Remington offerings have more options.

[Guest m4coyote]

That 870 combo should do anything you will need. The 870 is very well proven, and I like them better than the Mossbergs.

Lately, I have been using my Saiga S12. I have equipped it with a Polychoke II, and gives me various shot patterns by merely twisting it to the various positions. Recoil is extremely light, the Ace folder makes it compact, and the magazines allow for virtually instant load type changes. Almost every imaginable accessory is available for the Saigas, and the amount of personal customization is almost limitless.

[Guest c.a.s.]

I was in the market for a shotgun early last year and I was on the fence over getting another Mossberg or a Remington 870 express. I got the Mossberg 535 over the Remington Express because of the Mossy's dual extractors, dual action bars, safety position and I read that to install a magazine tube extension you have to file off some lips or tabs (permenant mod). I didn't check out every variation of 870's but the ones I did didn't prove to be any better than the Mossbergs. IMO

Now, Mossberg doesn't have the tabs, but they do have something else.

The barrel retaining nut isn't the magazine cap. It is on the 590 (by Military regulation), but not on the 500 variants. There is a second magazine cap, which isn't much in the way of removable. And, the barrels attach in FRONT of the end of the magazing, with a bolt that goes into the front of the magazine, that doesn't exactly help with extensions. To extend the magazine on a Mossy, you'd have to put an entire new magazine tube (and spring) on it, and a new barrel that fits that magazine. By that point in time, you probably could have just bought another shotgun.

The 590, on the other hand, DOES have extension possibility because the barrel and mag tube attach very similar to the 870 without the dimples. But the 500 does not have that capability without replacing the mag tube and barrel (with either the extended 500 parts, or 590 parts).

I agree with the dual extractors and safety position, but not with the extension. (Oh, and dual action bars. Aren't dual action bars standard nowadays?)

[59allstate]

Ithaca Model 37 Deerslayer with 20' Smoothbore barrel. Good self defense

and large game hunter with bottom ejection, work well for right or lefthander.

[leroy]

I like all the Remington 870's, the Mossbergs, and the great Ithaca 37. You cant go wrong with any of them. My vote,if you can have only one, has not been named yet. It is the greatest of all pump shotguns, the Winchester Model 1897. Every shotgun man owes it to himself to handle and shoot a model 97. I know they are getting scarce and old now; but they are a great thing.

Attached is a picture i swiped from the Collector's firearms website:

Kind regards,

LEROY

[Guest 5Legion]

Mossberg 24" with screw in chokes. Do you REALLY plan on doing a house clearing with your shotgun? Hole up and the barrel length becomes a non-issue. The 24" repeater pump is about the same length as a 28" O/U so it should be just fine for flying birds, works good on turkey, coyotes, and deer with the proper choke tube screwed in.

If you want a pistol grip (AR/AK style) then the Remington has a better safety position and would be my choice.

Of course I do prefer semi-auto shotguns and really like the Browning A-5, but, the Mossberg and Remington offerings have more options.

No - but I like shorter long guns and 22 or 20 inches is handier than the 24 inch Mossberg I got my hands on today.

5L

[Guest mrl4ng]

I only have one nowadays...and im pretty sure this one is the keeper.

Saiga 12 for the win.

[First Strike]

Benelli M4

[Mark@Sea]

Gotta go with Leroy on this one. If I had to have only one, I'd go with my takedown model '97. If two, the '97 and the 870, but there isn't anything the 870 can do that the '97 can't (except 3" mag shells), and the ability to disassemble or reassemble in seconds, with a disassembled length of maybe 20 inches (hey, fits in a BOB or backpack handily) is a very nice feature. The action is at least as slick as the 870, to boot.

Plus, the exposed hammer has all those tackytool add-ons beat all to heck for coolness

[molonlabetn]

If I had to have only one shotgun... I'd go with a Mossberg or Remington pump.

[aquaman67]

I just picked up the Mossberg 500 Cruiser. I like it.

[mk19]

Only one shotgun is no fun, but if you insist. You can't go wrong with the 870. one thing to remember, Reminton only offers the combo with the 20in rifled bbl which is great for shooting sabot shots or non-rifled slugs out of, but not shooting shot out of. As i do not have any use for a rifled barrel, i bought a used 870 and then bought a 20in smooth barrel for shooting shot or rifled slugs. just something to think about. also you can buy a 3rd barrel if you do go the way of a 870 combo.

[Oh Shoot]

Only one shotgun is no fun, but if you insist. You can't go wrong with the 870. one thing to remember, Reminton only offers the combo with the 20in rifled bbl which is great for shooting sabot shots or non-rifled slugs out of, but not shooting shot out of. As i do not have any use for a rifled barrel, i bought a used 870 and then bought a 20in smooth barrel for shooting shot or rifled slugs. just something to think about. also you can buy a 3rd barrel if you do go the way of a 870 combo.

Yeah, I sort of went the other way, got 870 Express Synthetic with 18" smooth barrel cylinder bore for defense with buck/slugs, and picked up a spare 28" with RemChoke for possible hunting or clays.

- OS

[Guest 5Legion]

Only one shotgun is no fun, but if you insist. You can't go wrong with the 870. one thing to remember, Reminton only offers the combo with the 20in rifled bbl which is great for shooting sabot shots or non-rifled slugs out of, but not shooting shot out of. As i do not have any use for a rifled barrel, i bought a used 870 and then bought a 20in smooth barrel for shooting shot or rifled slugs. just something to think about. also you can buy a 3rd barrel if you do go the way of a 870 combo.

Really? I understood that shooting shot out of a rifled shotgun barrel was basicly like a cylinder bore and it would not hurt the rifling.

5L

[Oh Shoot]

Really? I understood that shooting shot out of a rifled shotgun barrel was basicly like a cylinder bore and it would not hurt the rifling.

5L

Doesn't hurt it AFAIK, just that it's been demonstrated that shooting shot out of rifled barrel is relatively inaccurate. It tends to make the shot pattern swirl and clump, so you could actually miss whatever's in the middle of your point of aim!

- OS