remington 870 express or winchester 1300?
May 16th, 2010 by eranio
both are 12 gauge pump shotguns, the remington 870 express is 0 new, and the winchester 1300 is 0 used (very good shape) I will be using it for dove hunting and skeet shooting, which one is better?
Posted in remington shotguns
May 16th, 2010 at 6:01 am
The Remington 870 is clearly a better gun. Most police departments use either the Remington 870 or the Mossberg 500. Winchester did make some "defense" model 1300 pump guns, but they never caught-on. I’ve seen some police model 870s that are 40 years old and still going strong.
I also agree with the fact that a used Win 1300 should sell for no more than $150. On the other hand, even $280 for a Rem 870 is slightly pricey. I can buy new Rem 870 Express models locally for $225 retail.
May 16th, 2010 at 6:01 am
Get the 870. They are very durable. The Winchester is nice,but the 870 is far more popular.
May 16th, 2010 at 6:01 am
Both are great shotguns, I have a 1300 defender and it’s mutliple uses have proved useful over the past few years.
May 16th, 2010 at 6:01 am
I had both and kept the 1300
But $250 is too much for a used one
$150 is closer to the right price
May 16th, 2010 at 6:01 am
The Remington 870 is better just because I own one. You can’t beat getting a new one for $30 more.
May 16th, 2010 at 6:01 am
The better one is which ever fits you better. I like the 870, but I’m real tall, and a lot of shotguns don’t fit me well. Ask to try the used gun. If it fits well and you shoot it well, buy it. That is the most important thing when buying a shotgun. A $10,000 shotgun won’t do you any good if you can’t shoot it well.
May 16th, 2010 at 6:01 am
I strongly prefer the 1300. I had one a few years ago.
The two things that stand out to me that make the 1300 superior is the placement of the safety, and the placement of the slide release.
I also believe the 1300 to be built to a higher standard of quality.
As for shooting clays, they would both work great. I used to get an average of 24/25 when shooting trap with my 1300
The 870 is a great gun, don’t get me wrong. I simply prefer the 1300 over the 870.
In summary, handle both, and see which one your hands just won’t put down.
May 16th, 2010 at 6:01 am
The Remington 870 is a superior shotgun. Why do I say this? Because it uses a steel frame, versus the aluminum frame found on the Winchester 1300. I have seen some older 870 Express guns that were abused, but the bluing on the receiver merely fades slowly. On the other hand, when the Win. 1300 starts to wear on the receiver, the anodized black finish just starts to flake off and it looks miserable. Plus, I have seen more problems with aluminum framed shotguns than with steel framed shotguns.
One last thing. If you pick-up the 1300, you will notice that the gun is a bit "barrel heavy". It seems to want to fall forward out of your hand. The Remington 870 is a much better balanced shotgun.