Mossberg 500 vs Remington 870: Which Pump Shotgun to Buy?

A rivalry older than most of the guns in it

Remington designed the 870 in 1950 and started building it in 1951, as a cheaper-to-make successor to its Model 31. Mossberg answered a decade later: the 500 arrived in August 1961, designed by Carl Benson. Since then, each has passed the 10 million mark. Wikipedia's tallies put the 500 at about 11 million by 2021 and the 870 at more than 11 million, with Remington marking its ten-millionth 870 on April 13, 2009.

Numbers like that mean two things for you as a buyer. First, both designs work; nothing sells eleven million copies by accident. Second, the used market is full of both, in every condition from safe queen to rusted fence-post. The real question isn't "which is the better shotgun". It's "which one fits your hands, and which specific gun in front of you is a good example".

This guide sticks to sporting use: clays, birds, turkey, slugs for deer where shotguns are required. If home defense is the job, our sister site homedefenseguns.co covers that comparison separately.

The differences you will feel

Safety location: the one that decides it for many

Mossberg's tang safety sits on top of the receiver, right where your thumb lands when you grip the stock. Push forward to fire, pull back to safe, with either hand. That's why the 500 shows up on so many "best for lefties" lists. Remington's crossbolt safety is a button behind the trigger. Right-handers push it with the trigger finger; left-handers often find it awkward on a standard gun.

Neither is wrong. If you grew up on a crossbolt, it feels natural, and plenty of other shotguns use one. But if you are new and especially if you shoot left-handed, the tang safety is easier to learn and easier to check by feel. Our left-handed buying guide goes further.

Action release: small detail, real consequence

To open a pump with a shell in the chamber, you press the action (slide) release. On the 500 it sits behind the trigger guard; on the 870 it sits in front of it. Again, this is about habit. Pick up both at a gun counter (with the action open and the store's permission) and find each release without looking. The one your hand finds first is telling you something.

Receiver material: steel vs aluminum

The 870's steel receiver is the heart of its reputation. It adds heft, which some shooters like for swing and recoil, and it's the reason older Wingmasters feel so solid. The 500 uses an aluminum alloy receiver, which keeps the gun lighter to carry in the field. For a bird gun walked all day, lighter is a real benefit. For a heavy-volume clays gun, a little extra weight soaks up recoil. Both receivers are built for the loads the guns are chambered for, so choose by weight and feel, not by the idea that one material is "stronger".

Build quality depends on the decade

This is where the 870 needs a footnote. The original 870 line was the Wingmaster, with polished blued steel and wood. Remington later added the Express as a lower-cost line, and in recent years the Fieldmaster has replaced the Express, according to Outdoor Life. Finish and fitting differ between those lines, so judge each gun on its own, and know that there was a documented shell-feeding design issue that Remington addressed with a revised "Flexi Tab" carrier.

The company's story matters too. Remington Outdoor Company filed for bankruptcy in July 2020. The firearms business was bought that fall and renamed RemArms; about 230 workers went back to the Ilion, New York plant in May 2021. RemArms then announced in December 2023 that it would close Ilion, expecting operations to end around March 2024; a 2021 announcement had already set out plans for a headquarters and new plant in LaGrange, Georgia. If you buy new, check RemArms' current catalog. If you buy used, know which era you are holding: a well-kept Wingmaster is a different object from a rough-finished budget gun.

The 500 has a simpler history. Mossberg is still family-owned and describes itself as the oldest family-owned firearms maker in America; the 500 has been in continuous production since 1961. The budget sibling, the Maverick 88, uses a crossbolt safety instead of a tang safety, which is why its trigger group won't swap with a 500's. If tang safety ergonomics are the reason you want a Mossberg, make sure you're looking at a 500 and not an 88.

Parts, barrels and accessories

Both guns have enormous aftermarket support. Stocks, fore-ends, barrels and choke tubes are easy to find for both. The 500's barrel swap is simple among models with the same magazine tube length, which is why Mossberg sells combo packages with a smooth-bore bird barrel and a rifled slug barrel in one box.

One 500 detail to know: the 500 and the 590 look alike but differ in the magazine tube. On the 500 the barrel bolts into a threaded hole at the end of a closed tube; on the 590 the tube is open at the front and the barrel is held by a cap nut. Sporting buyers almost always want the 500.

If you want a lighter-recoiling pump for a smaller shooter or for walking up birds, the 20 gauge 500 is worth a look.

Buying used: what to check on each

You'll see far more used 870s than new ones, so treat this as a used-gun decision as much as a brand decision.

On any 870:

• Look at the finish and roll marks to place the era, and ask the seller whether it's a Wingmaster, Express or Fieldmaster.
• Cycle the action slowly with the store's snap caps or dummy shells (never live ammo at a counter) and watch the feed. Hangs can point to carrier or magazine issues.
• Check the extractor area and the chamber for pitting. Rust in an 870 chamber can make extraction sticky.
• Look for a steel receiver free of cracks around the pins and the magazine tube junction.

On any 500:

• Work the tang safety; it should click firmly into both positions.
• Check the barrel-to-receiver fit and that the barrel bolt is tight.
• Inspect the aluminum receiver for gouges or dings around the ejection port; it's softer than steel and shows abuse.
• Confirm it's a 500, not an 88, if the tang safety matters to you.

For the full checklist, see our new vs used buying guide.

Ammo: same diet, no surprises

Both are pumps, so neither is fussy about shell power. Feed either one 12 gauge target and field loads or 20 gauge shells in the right chamber length and they'll cycle as fast as your arm does. Check the chamber length stamped on the barrel before you buy 3-inch shells, and use slugs only through barrels and chokes rated for them.

If you want to compare prices and see which Mossberg pumps are listed right now, browse the pump-action shotgun category. For Remington's ammunition lines, the retailer keeps a Remington brand page; new 870s are scarce there, so a used 870 is often the realistic route.

Resale: the quiet tiebreaker

Both guns are easy to resell, because there's always a new hunter or a club shooter who wants a proven pump. Clean, early Wingmasters often draw collector interest. Budget-era 870s and plain 500s trade as working guns, so condition is everything. Keep the original box, manual, choke tubes and wrench. Each missing piece costs you money when you sell.

Which one should you buy?

Whichever you bring home, store it unloaded in a locked safe or case with ammo kept separately, and check your state and local rules for transport.

Editorial note: This is an independent editorial overview built from manufacturer specifications, retailer listings and published sources. We have not performed hands-on testing of the products discussed, and nothing here is a performance guarantee. Verify specifications, compatibility and the law where you live.

Affiliate disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links to Ammunition Depot. We may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial choices are not influenced by commissions. Check current price, stock and specifications directly with the retailer.