Help With New Shotgun Purchase

[MoBoost]

Benelli Nova. Superior to both in every respect.

How?

Ambi safety - nope - better spot than 870 not as good as 500.
Bolt release accessible - nope - same as 870 not as good as 500.
Rotating bolt - pretty cool, till you have to clear a jam, and if it's anything like AR or Garand - NO THANKS.
Mag cutoff - why? you can change ammo by loading straight into the mag instead*.

Superior complex ... not superior.

* One scenario where mag release is handy - you just loaded WRONG cartridge into the chamber, then you topped off your magazine with another WRONG cartridge: break grip with shooting hand - find action release, start racking - wait stop!, break grip with support hand, find mag cutoff ... now you have both hands off the darn gun, empty chamber and you are looking for the RIGHT shell ... seriously!!!!???? You loaded two wrong cartridges, have both hands not in shooting positions (don't tell me you just "ride" the mag cut off button - nothing will go wrong there LOL) and an empty chamber - now! that's what I call tactical superiority

 

[Oklahomie]

Looks like the comments and opinions are 50/50 on this. I think they both are great weapons - the availability of accoutrements for both guns are good, so either way I think you'd be happy. I do tend to lean towards the 870, but there is no logical reason behind it .

 

[Shadowrider]

How?

Ambi safety - nope - better spot than 870 not as good as 500. The safety is great for me. I can slap it with my trigger finger on the way to the trigger. It don't get no better than that.
Bolt release accessible - nope - same as 870 not as good as 500. Same as the safety. I just reach under with my trigger finger and it's right there.
Rotating bolt - pretty cool, till you have to clear a jam, and if it's anything like AR or Garand - NO THANKS. Ever had a "death jam with an 870? lol.
Mag cutoff - why? you can change ammo by loading straight into the mag instead*. Kind of agree. It a neat feature to have and might be great for cruiser ready, but it's just not going to get used much.

Superior complex ... not superior.

* One scenario where mag release is handy - you just loaded WRONG cartridge into the chamber, then you topped off your magazine with another WRONG cartridge: break grip with shooting hand - find action release, start racking - wait stop!, break grip with support hand, find mag cutoff ... now you have both hands off the darn gun, empty chamber and you are looking for the RIGHT shell ... seriously!!!!???? You loaded two wrong cartridges, have both hands not in shooting positions (don't tell me you just "ride" the mag cut off button - nothing will go wrong there LOL) and an empty chamber - now! that's what I call tactical superiority

See above. But to expound the Benelli virtues just a bit.

1) Chrome chamber
2) Cryogenically treated chokes. Make sure you get a field model, the tacticals are fixed choked.
3) Superior ejection. No matter how hard I racked my 870 Express it would just drivel the empty hulls over the side. The Nova will throw them 6 feet if I want it to.
4) Superior speed loading. The lifter stays up once a shell is loaded. There simply is not a faster loading mag tube fed shotgun of any type out there than a 3.5" chambered Nova or Super Nova. Period.
5) Fibre Optic front sight with mid bead.
6) The Nova is the smoothest and fastest cycling pump on the market today. That's why it dominates the 3gun heavy metal division, well that and #5.
7) Just general manufacturing quality beats both hands down. No burrs or machine marks in either Benelli that I've had. The attention to detail is much better with Benelli.

Note that all of this applies to the Nova and not the Super Nova but most all of it will apply there also. The bolt release might be a long reach on the Super, I've not handled one of those, but it does have the advantage of the butt stock being adjustable with their cast and drop shims and it's a comfortech too. That's why it even more dollars. Customer service is likely going to be vastly better with Remington and Mossberg. That's been an issue with Benelli and the 3gun crowd in the past. That's a lot of bang for one more Benjamin. I picked up a like new Nova with a Nordic +6 extended mag tube off of this forum for $325. It came with the box, all chokes, tools, manual and everything. If I were looking for a pump gun and had my choice of the 3, I'd pick up the Benelli every time.

 

[technetium-99m]

I wouldn't take a new Express if it were given to me. It's the only gun I've ever purchased to earn the POS title. There is no way to really load it quickly and the gun would refuse to eject with boring regularity. It was a fun jam to clear that required a hard slam against the ground.

Google 870 ejection problems and you'll see that it's a common issue that Remington isn't planning on fixing.

 

[93 FOX]

I've owned both and I prefer the 590a1, just personal preference.

 

[Grumulkin]

I have a Mossberg 500 and I like it.

I have a Remington 870 and I like it.

I really have no complaints about either of them. For home defense, I prefer my Remington 870 but only because it has the long magazine and the side saddle for extra shells as it was a former Ohio State Highway Patrol shotgun. Best of all, the price was right at $300.

 

[MoBoost]

See above. But to expound the Benelli virtues just a bit.

Sounds like you've had some issues with a Remmy, which is fair. Most of Benelli virtues you listed apply to Mossy as well:
No death jam, loading gate up, excellent ejector/extractor.

So far the only objective "plus" is chrome lining, and I don't think that's warrants a $100 hike; plus by then you are in 590 territory and it's the Pump King

 

[Shadowrider]

I wouldn't take a new Express if it were given to me. It's the only gun I've ever purchased to earn the POS title. There is no way to really load it quickly and the gun would refuse to eject with boring regularity. It was a fun jam to clear that required a hard slam against the ground.

Google 870 ejection problems and you'll see that it's a common issue that Remington isn't planning on fixing.

Moboost this is EXACTLY the issue I had with mine. If you ran the gun like you were attempting to break it, it ran just fine. But if you got the tiniest bit soft or heaven forbid short stroked it the slightest amount it was game over. I wasn't going to risk that in a SD situation. The difference in the feel of the action between the two I've had and this Nova was stark. The Nova is just an easier gun to shoot and especially at speed. Frankly I like shooting it better than my tricked out FN SLP. Of course the SLP is faster but hell, it should be...

 

[ASP785]

I have a Mossberg 500 and Benelli Supernova. The Benelli is certainly a nicer shotgun. 'Nicer' being a highly technical term in fit and manufacturing, not function. I kept the Mossberg under my bed for years, but I grab the Benelli for hunting work. I probably won't ever own a Remington 870.

 

[Phildo64]

I love the Mossberg, main reason is the safety location. I typically put speedfeed I stocks on everything I own so it feels best. I'm gonna try out a Remington...hopefully it doesn't end up in the classifieds.