Paul L Mohr

Hmm, I've never seen an 870 with a key lock in the safety and I used to own one, as do a few of my friends. I don't remember seeing it the last time I looked at one in a store either, but I wasn't really looking for it either. I see no mention of it on remingtons description of the 870 on the website either. Is this a new feature?

As far as a reciever mounted scope, the barrel on a pump gun is not fixed to the reciever so it can move around, shift and float sometimes. And even if it doesn't when you take it off to switch barrels or clean it then your point of impact will most likely change and you will have to re-sight in your gun again. With the cantilever barrel the scope is fixed to the barrel as one piece so it will come off with the barrel. You just pull the barrel and scope and swap on your bird barrel. When you put the rifled barrel back on the scope is still attached so the zero will hold. Not a bad idea to check it again though.

The first thing you do when you accurize a pump gun for slug shooting is pin the barrel to the reciever. If you were going to buy a centerfire rifle would you get one with a loose barrel?

The eotech or other red dot will still work on a cantilever, it will just come off with the barrel is all. You really don't need a sight on a bird barrel. You are really not supposed to look at the barrel when shooting, you should be looking at the game and the gun should naturally point where you look. If you want though you could put some clamp fiber optic sights on the vent rib of the bird barrel. They work pretty nice, I use them for turkey and smooth bore slug guns.

I'll have to go check out a new 870 to look at the new safety feature to see what I think. If it bugs you that much just get a used one that doesn't have it. Probably save half the money as well and the action will already broke in for you.

Paul

Paul L Mohr

Ok, I just downloaded the owners manual for a new 870 and it describes the safety lock. No big deal really, just a key that lets you turn the crossbolt safety so it won't dissengage unless unlocked. If you don't like the feature just never lock it, pretty simple really. And I doubt it negates the need for a trigger lock legally.

And the only rifled barrels I see listed for mossbergs are 24 inches, so that would be it I guess. 24 inches is not that long though really. However the 870's have 20 inch barrels if you really wanted a shorter barrel. Both are good guns, just go with which ever one apeals to you and and feels right. That is the most important thing. I'm partial to mossberg pumps because I'm little and the bantam models fit me really well. I don't own a pump anymore though. I have a single shot slug gun, an A5 auto and a lever action 410. Oh, and a remington break action 20 ga.

My buddies 870 might have that locking safety feature and I just never saw it, doesn't look like anything real prominant. If it does have it, it sure didn't effect its functioning any. I have shot it several times both turkey hunting and sighting it in with a slug barrel (his is a special purpose super mag turkey model).

Paul

zuren1cs

I own an 12 ga. 870 with a smooth slug barrel, a rifled cantilever barrel, and a bird barrel. I'll try to answer your questions:

1. They do carry a fully riflediron-sight barrel that is 20". The area I hunt is wide open field but rifles are not allowed, somy gun is mostly set up like a rifle. My smooth bore slug barrel is also 20", but not very accurate (can hit a 12" paper plate at 50 yards). With the cantilever barrel, low end scope and Hornady SST sabots I can shoot a 3" group at 100 yds. So an ugly way to hunt deer? If set up correctly, it will hunt almost like a rifle but not out much farther than 100 yds.

2. Difference in price is finish and refinement. I have the base Express Magnum and it's made to be a work-horse of a gun. It's not that pretty, it's not that fancy, it's not made toimpress the snobs at the gun club. It's made to be an average yet solid gun that will be reliable to the end. The aftermarket support for this gun is staggering. EvenMossberg makes an aftermarket barrel for the Rem 870. Getting a pistol grip or some other grip to work with your prosthesis shouldn't be a problem.

3. The Express Magnum can handle up to 3" shells. I use 2 3/4" and kill deer with it. My buddy uses the same. You shouldn't need more than that.

4. I like the thumb safety on the Mossberg better than the 870 design. Other than personal fit, they are comparable. My father has had a 500 for 20+ yrs. and it still performs.

5. My 870 was a late 90s model so no key lock that I know of. Maybe they added this feature.

As far as recoil, I fire 1 ounce or less slugs/sabots. I tried some 1 1/4 ounce and I think a 1 1/2 ounce and those HURT, to the point that I shot the rest of them and vowed never to buy them again. If you stay at or under 1 ounce in 2 3/4" shells, it's just a normal 12 ga. recoil. The sabot ammo is expensive ($10-12/box of 5 shells) but it taught me to be a better shooter. You don't get so trigger happy at $2/pullso you wait for the one goodshot.

With consideration to your prosthesis, why not look at a Remington 11-87, Mossberg 930 or other semi-auto shotgun that accepts different barrels?The 11-87 has been around forever and can be tricked out just like an 870. The upfront cost would be far more, butyou may be much happier in the end for many years. And a semi-auto will reduce recoil if that is a concern.

CamoCop

i would personally buy the Mossberg. i've owned a 870 and i currently have 3 Mossbergs. i like the Mossbergs better. they are cheaper and more dependable, imo

Rebel Hog

Very True!

Catus Magnus

Interesting quote, this. What is it? A pledge of Spartan warriors before Thermopylae, or perhaps the Christian Byzantines holding off the Muslim hordes at the battle of Heiromyak?What? Just curious... sounds very soldierly.


In other news... 870 is a better shotgun that Mossberg, in my world, for this reason: 870s I've shot had better trigger than Mossbergs, and didn't rattle as much.

sjsfire

Well, the 870 comes with a key lock in the safety. I'm guessing that if I change this out for a big button safety, that fixes that. Anybody know for sure. Sometimes they make these key locks rather permenant.

Ditto on my 1187 I bought 3 years ago....My Model 597 17 HMR might even be that way

birdman686

possibly to compensate for your hand, the 11-87 is a semi automatic. even though usually used for ducks, they make a deer hunting version

BowHuntingFool

I have a 870 in the 12 gauge and love the gun. I have killed numerous deer with this gun, dropped everyone of them in their tracks with slugs!! This gun is VERY accurate with the rifle sights! Good luck!!!!

Water Swatter

Hello all I just came accross the site today. Great Site!

I have been going back to Indiana to hunt deer with my dad almost every year since moving to Colorado in 98'. I shoot a 2 3/4" Remington 1100 with a hastings cantilever rifled 24" barrel. I used to shoot 2 3/4" Winchester BRI Sabots which grouped 3" at 100 yards. Last year I came accross Hastings Laser accurate slugs. I shot the 2 3/4" mag sabots and was getting under 2" groups at 100 yards. In 2005 I shot 3 deer with 3 slugs. They also have a reduced recoil version in the 12 and 20 ga. Very accurate and 8.99 for a box of 5 from Cabelas.