Pump Shotguns

Mossberg 500 vs. Remington 870: The Classic Choice

The Mossberg 500 and Remington 870 are the two most widely owned pump-action shotguns in the world — both have been in continuous production for over 50 years and have proven reliability across millions of units. The Mossberg 500’s advantages: ambidextrous top-tang safety (preferred by left-handed shooters and faster for some), dual extractors, aluminum receiver for lighter weight, and a slightly lower price. The Remington 870’s advantages: steel receiver for more rigid feel, crossbolt safety at the trigger guard, and the deepest aftermarket of any pump shotgun with decades of police and military adoption. Both are excellent — the decision often comes down to safety placement preference.

Pump Shotguns for Home Defense: What to Look For

For home defense, a pump-action shotgun should have an 18–20″ barrel (maneuverable in tight spaces), a reliable action that cycles under stress, and capacity of at least 5+1 rounds. The Mossberg 590A1 is the tactical standard — MIL-SPEC certified with an 18.5″ or 20″ barrel and 8+1 or 9+1 capacity. The Remington 870 Express Tactical and Winchester SXP Defender are strong alternatives. Load with #00 buckshot for home defense — 9 pellets of .33″ diameter per shot at typical home defense distances. A weapon-mounted light is essential for target identification in the dark.

Pump Shotguns for Hunting: Upland, Waterfowl & Turkey

Pump-action shotguns are the most versatile hunting platform — the same receiver can be used with different barrel lengths and choke tubes for any application. A 28″ ventilated rib barrel handles upland birds and waterfowl; an 18.5″ cylinder bore barrel covers home defense; a rifled slug barrel with cantilever scope mount enables accurate deer shooting to 100+ yards. This interchangeability makes a quality pump like the Mossberg 500 or Remington 870 the best value in the shotgun world — one receiver serves every role. For waterfowl, verify the receiver and barrel are rated for steel shot before use.

Pump Shotguns for Youth and New Shooters

Pump-action shotguns are the preferred first shotgun for young hunters because the manual cycling action teaches safe, deliberate operation and the mechanism is immediately understandable. Youth models from Mossberg (Bantam series) and Remington (870 Youth) feature shortened stocks (12–13″ length of pull) sized for smaller frames and are available in 20 gauge for manageable recoil. The pump’s simple operation — no gas system, no inertia timing, no springs to overpower — means it cycles correctly regardless of how it’s held, which is important for young shooters still developing consistent technique.

Short-Shucking: The One Pump Failure to Train Against

The most common pump-action malfunction is short-shucking — cycling the forend incompletely, which fails to fully eject the spent shell or chamber the next round. It occurs when the shooter is in a hurry, under stress, or has a loose grip on the forend. The fix is training: firm, full strokes every time, all the way to the rear stop and all the way forward. A short-shuck doesn’t indicate a mechanical failure — it’s an operator error that proper training eliminates. This is the only meaningful reliability disadvantage vs. a semi-automatic shotgun that cycles automatically.

Pump Shotguns & Related Pages

For the Mossberg 500 specifically, see our Mossberg 500 page. For the Remington 870, see our Remington 870 page. For the Mossberg 590A1 military-spec tactical pump, see our Mossberg 590 page. For semi-automatic alternatives, see our semi-auto shotguns page. For short-barrel pump options, see our short-barrel shotguns page.