Remington barrel's are outrageous. I bought an 18.5" for my 500 from cabelas, for $79.99. My Dad wants a 20" for his 870, it's like trying to find a needle in a hay stack. I'll put my 500 up against any 870 for HD, or shooting clays.
Both are great guns and very reliable, my pick is the 870 of which I have several. From trap grade to field grade and from 12 to 410. They just feel like a old friend to me. Either choice is a good one.
I voted for the 870. It was my first gun, other than BB and it's been performing well for the last 12 yrs. I've not owned a 500, i'm sure there fine guns as well, but the Rem has my vote.
i still cant get over the infamous mossberg 500 "wobble".i have a 500 thats been shot thousands and thousands of times.yeah that wobble wobbles even more now.id still take an 870 over a 500 any day of the week.i will still continue to shoot both though.
My first shotgun was a 500A. It was a good gun but when I bought my 870 I was hooked. My dad has a newer 500 and we both bought the Primos tightwad choke for turkey. My pattern is much tighter. He even bought another choke with tighter restriction and he was able to pattern better with mine with the same ammo.
I prefer the the layout the "controls" on the 870 better than 500. IMO the safetys in the correct place as well as the eject switch to open the chamber. The is even more true if you have pistol grip on. But for my money they both go bang.