I saw this story on a firearms forum a while back while researching the best bear weapon. Seems some local officials in a certain part of Alaska that had a large bear population recommended that people not carry weapons. They said the smaller black bears are usually not aggressive, and the larger brown bears would only harm humans when they were surprised. So, they issued tiny silver bells and bear spray to anyone who wanted them and recommended that these be used instead of a weapon.
The recommendation was to tie the tiny silver bells on you clothing to make noise and warn the bears of your approach. The bear spray was a last resort.
A newcomer to the area, adorned with his silver bells and armed with his bear spray, asked a long time resident, “How do you know when you are in black bear country and when you are in brown bear country?”. The local said, “Oh, that is easy. You see, the droppings from the black bears are smaller and are full of berries.” The newcomer said, “OK, but how do I know if I am in brown bear country?” The local said, “That too is easy. You see, the brown bear droppings are much larger, are full of tiny silver bells, and smell like bear spray!”
Over the years I have put thousands of shells through both Mossberg 500/590’s and Remington 870’s. Both are excellent shotguns and are proven reliable. All the same accessories are available for both and you can literally make them into anything you want and all gun shops have anything you’d ever need for them. In my experience with them I have found that the 870 is slightly easier to tear down and clean/service over the 500/590. Honestly this is a trivial amount of difference.
The real difference is which type of safety are you more comfortable with? The 870 has a trigger guard safety and the 500/590 has a slide safety on the backbone of the receiver. The 870 is less prone to being able to being hit if in rough terrain and brush but the 500/590 is much easier to operate with heavy gloves on.
One other thing is that there is not a stock 870 that comes with the capacity of the 590A1. You will have to add the tube extension. Also none of the 870 or 500/590 factory pistol grip models come chambered for 3 1/2. You will have to build your own out of a full length gun. Not hard but just something to keep in mind.
As far as durability and rust prevention just get a standard blued model and get the steel parts parkerized. The receivers are aluminum and can’t be parkerized but they won’t rust anyways. Just matte or flat black them to match the parkerizing.
I don’t have a qualified opinion on which firearm to use, but just a comment. Rap, you mentioned wanting to possibly hunt with this weapon as well and being concerned about the finish.
Please don’t mix the two. You want this gun to be the absolute best at what it does (knock big things down and make sure they don’t get back up) and not some sort of hybrid/combo. It’s OK, and maybe a good thing, if the appropriate finish “sticks out like a sore thumb.”
A long long slow walk in the spartina gives you time to think big thoughts and put your mind back into order.
Watching that Alaskan Bush people show, I saw one of the guys carrying a 12 gauge pistol grip, with a regular 5 round tube, and the barrel sawed off at the tube. Carried it with a sling like a .44 magnum on his shoulder. Looked like a handgun, probably needs an SBR permit though, unless Alaskan bush laws are lax.
Has anybody here tried the new Remington 887? I looked at one in the gunshop a couple weeks ago, almost bought it, but I don’t really need 4 shotguns. Still might. It’s a nice looking weapon, if it shoots as good as it looks.
I had an 887. Slightly smoother action than my 870’s and kick is maybe marginally less with 2 3/4" and 3" but feels exactly the same as my 870 Express Super Mag with 3 1/2" in it. I sold it to a friend a few months after purchasing it because I knew I wouldn’t choose it over any of my 870’s. The foregrip wasn’t as comfortable to me as the 870 either. I didn’t see it as any better than the 870.
I have a Benelli Nova that I love. I use it just about anytime I need a pump shotgun. Personally for the money(under $500) I do not believe there is not a better shooting 12ga than the Nova.
I have heard good things about the Winchester SXP but I have yet to shoot one.
If you don’t like the Remington because it’s too long…
Ak-74 with 30 shot clip? Ak’s pack a punch, easy to clean, can take a beating, can probably shoot dirtier than any weapon in the world, and used to be pretty cheap( 47 at least was) likely still is.
My AK-47 isn’t very accurate, but it does shoot “moment of bear”! I doubt it would stop a big bear fast enough to keep me from being his dinner. He’d die - after I did.
12 ga. slugs would probably be a better “stopper” than a handfull of 123 grain bullets. Fortunately we don’t have to deal with brown bears in the lowcountry.
I did the 60 mile Philmont trek in the New Mexico mountains as a teenager. We were told to put all our food in a tarp every night, and pull the tarp up high on a rope thrown over a high tree limb.
One night we did not get it high enough, and a bear swatted the bottom out of our tarp. We had to listen to a big bear eat all our food as we huddled in tents. No fun.
I would have been happy to have had any kind of weapon - the bigger the better! The only “weapons” I had was a hatchet and a frying pan.
I did the 60 mile Philmont trek in the New Mexico mountains as a teenager. We were told to put all our food in a tarp every night, and pull the tarp up high on a rope thrown over a high tree limb.
One night we did not get it high enough, and a bear swatted the bottom out of our tarp. We had to listen to a big bear eat all our food as we huddled in tents. No fun.
I would have been happy to have had any kind of weapon - the bigger the better! The only “weapons” I had was a hatchet and a frying pan.
spec
1980 Skandia 21 w/ '93 JohnRude 150 gas drinker
A real man woulda gone out there with that frying pan and run that bear off.
I did the 60 mile Philmont trek in the New Mexico mountains as a teenager. We were told to put all our food in a tarp every night, and pull the tarp up high on a rope thrown over a high tree limb.
One night we did not get it high enough, and a bear swatted the bottom out of our tarp. We had to listen to a big bear eat all our food as we huddled in tents. No fun.
I would have been happy to have had any kind of weapon - the bigger the better! The only “weapons” I had was a hatchet and a frying pan.
spec
1980 Skandia 21 w/ '93 JohnRude 150 gas drinker
I was a Ranger (backpacking guide) at Philmont in 2010
