This website’s reviews don’t pull any punches. Why would we? Firearms are a matter of life or death. Equally, our name is a promise to our readers. A promise to tell the truth about guns that our dead tree competitors do not share. Most of the time you have to read between the lines of the gun mags turgid prose to see their editors’ pathological aversion to biting the advertiser hand that feeds. But not always. Sometimes you happen upon gems like this headline at outdoorlife.com: Mossberg 500 vs. Remington 870: We Settle the Debate Once and For All. Wow! Once and for all? That’s like, forever! The photo caption sets the stage for this battle of the ages . . .
We took two classic pump guns and beat the snot out them to determine which is tougher: the Mossberg 500 or the Remington 870. Check out our Battle of the Boat Paddles.
So the contest for supremacy between the Mossy and the venerable 870 comes down to which one can better withstand a torture test? No comparison of ergonomics, shot pattern or features? Ohhh kay. As long as that test includes real world challenges like rust, dust and simple neglect (i.e. no maintenance) – the unholy trinity of gun death.
Nope. Outdoor Life subjected the guns to the:
– Dunk Test – “Both shotguns were dropped from 3 feet into a clay-mud hole with the action open. They stayed submerged for one minute, and the process was repeated three times. Afterward, each shotgun was rinsed out, loaded, and shot.”
– Deer Stand – “We launched the shotguns from 5, 10, and then 15 feet above the ground, stock first, with the action open.”
– Speed Bump – “We placed the shotguns on the ground, action up, and drove a Jeep Wrangler over the synthetic stocks twice, then over the receiver area twice.”
– The Drag – “We attached the guns to the bumper of the Wrangler and dragged them at 5 mph for 100 yards up and down a muddy, gravel road.”
– Oar Test – “We used each to paddle a sit-inside kayak 100 yards.”
The final results will surprise no one who understands the dynamics underlying the gun mags’ business model.
Overall winner: Since both guns survived, we could easily call it a tie. But we hate the “everyone is a winner, so give little Johnny a trophy just for showing up” attitude. A champion shall be declared. We crown the Mossberg the King of the Boat Paddles because it is, in fact, the better boat paddle. That said, either of these guns will go to hell and back and keep on shooting.
The Truth About Guns is only one voice out of hundreds of thousands of firearms enthusiasts on the internet who tell it like it is. We salute all like-minded readers, writers and bloggers and thank you for keeping us honest. And, by doing so, keeping us all that little bit safer. Oh, and . . .
I prefer the Mossberg. But only because they build guns in Texas. I’ve commissioned Nick to go out and buy both guns and run a proper comparo. Watch this space.