I decided to get a 12 gauge with 3" capability and because of price its come down between these two. Any reason to pick one over the other?
Yes - get the 870.
Tons (and I MEAN tons) more ammo will go down the bore before you'll need to have it worked on.. And it's got a better trigger right out of the box.. An even BETTER trigger can be had by obtaining the Timney kit and installing that..
Other than broken safety buttons on the Mossbergs, {which I recommend anyone replace immediately with a steel safety from Brownells} I can't say I've had or seen more problems with Mossbergs than Remingtons and I've put one helluvalot of rounds through both. I also worked on plenty of both back when I did general gunsmithing. Most problems with either were due to manufacturing defects {and Remington sure as hell has it's share of those} neglect or bubba gunsmithing. The Mossbergs will hold up a long time. Maybe not as long as an 870 but certainly through more rounds than even an active hunter will shoot in a lifetime.
The main issues I run into with the Mossberg are, with a lot of use, the action bars will need to be replaced. The bevels begin to round off and then it won't feed. If caught early, they can be repaired/filed to function again but once gone too far the entire unit needs to be round-filed and replaced due to timing problems.
Their triggers are positively HORRIBLE and many times the gauge pegs before the hammer trips.
Then the plactic trigger housing assembly can, with improper reinsertion, will break off the little tabs that fit on the receiver and it's a trip to the gunsmith to repair or replace..
As to the 870 ejector - as long as the owner is a bit careful when installing the barrel after cleaning it will last decades. I replace a few every year, but considering the staggering number of 870s out there it's pretty obvious that it's a somewhat rare occurrence...
I do agree that the Express models have a crappy finish - and the Wingmaster's the way to go - but (haven't checked recently) they're higher-priced than the 500..
FWIW.
