While the finish and design on the 870 is sleek and solid, the 500 has some exposed mechanics and a strange slotted lifter design that I just don’t like. When racking the Mossy 500, it feels like it’s about to come apart. When you rack the 870, the gun feels solid and well-built. Compared to a Mossberg 500, for example, the gun is head-and-shoulders above the competition. Then, when you put the gun up against some competition, and you start to realize just how good you have it. It’s the same Rem 870 we’ve come to know and love, and it feels as solid as ever. The blued steel of the receiver and bolt both feel silky smooth, and I can’t find any signs of errant tool marks or rough patches. While the stock and forend might not seem to be of the highest quality, there’s no doubt that the action itself is up there with what we’ve been seeing for ages. It fits with the price tag and the overall style of the gun though, so I’m not complaining.

The forend of the scattergun is a minimalist design, using a rough textured plastic as the sole ingredient.

Out front, Remington seems to have skimped a little. At the top of the stock Remington has crafted in a good-sized comb that gives the shooter a solid cheek rest when aiming the gun, rounding out the fine design of the rear section of the firearm. Most of the stock is the standard slick black plastic, but there are some panels fitted into the gun around the grip area that are made of a squishy, grippy rubber material that give the shooter a much more secure hold on the gun.Īlso included is a rubber recoil absorbing butt pad, which is damn near required when shooting a shotgun this light - the gun weighs only a hair over seven pounds. The latest incarnation of the 870 uses the same style stock as the newer Remington 700 rifles. But for $350, you still get some nice features. This model is the least expensive version we could find, figuring that if there are any cracks starting to show in the old girl, they’d be most apparent in the lower-end varieties.

Remington 870 super shorty