Remington 870 vs. Benelli nova or other shotgun

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f22raptor92

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Oct 27, 2007
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Hi, I am looking to by a shotgun, and have pretty much narrowed it down to two choices. That is the Remington 870 or the Benelli Nova pump shotgun. This is close and I need help deciding...that being said anyone with their experiences/opinions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Oh, if you also have another suggestion of a shotgun that is better I would love to hear it.
Thanks
 
I don't know anything about the Benelli Nova, but I prefer the Ithaca Model 37 to the Remington 870.

It's a bit lighter, smoother, and the slide release is more ergonomic. The factory stock also fits me better too, but your mileage may vary.

The bottom eject is super cool too, and there's no ejection port on the side of the reciever so it should keep mud, dust, and dirt out better than the 870. However, if you are a tactininja, having to load through the loading port slows down "Pick-A-Slug" drills by a second or two.

The only real problems are that there are a lot of older models in circulation that won't accept interchangeable barrels, although additional barrels can be fit by a gunsmith. The barrels are generally more expensive than the ones for the 870 too. Also, you can't stick an extended magazine tube on the Ithaca.

Ones made before a certain date will also "slam fire," which means that if you hold the trigger down and cycle it, it will fire as soon as it locks into battery. It's great fun for rapid fire.
 
My friend has a Benelli Nova and sings its praises. I've shot it half a dozen times on various outings and it is a solid, workhorse of a shotgun. I've also shot a few Mossbergs (500 and 590) and Remingtons (870's) and the Benelli is the best in terms of fit and finish. The downside is that there are few aftermarket customization options for the Benelli. If you want a reliable pump shotgun for home and recreational shooting, I highly recommend the Benelli Nova.
 
The only shotgun that i like that comes close to the 870 as far as pumps are concerned is the winchester model 12. With that said i can tell you that the 870's i use most are older than i am (i am 38) and have plenty more miles on them too! An 870 is known for reliability, and failure in the field is unheard of! Another member mentioned the ithaca but i have had a bad experience with one that liked to release two shells with each manipulation of the slide... easy fix yes but unacceptable in the field.
 
870 all the way!! You won't be disappointed. I'm not putting down the Benelli I've heard very good things about them but have no experience with them.
I have been using 870s for years and have never had any problems. They are built like tanks and all the options available in barrels you can use it for almost anything you can think of.
 
I have an 870 and I love it. My brother has the Super Nova and he swears by it as well. My 870 was given to me but if I were to buy one I would get the Nova. It's hard to beat Benelli for shotguns. They are light and are designed to have very low recoil. Go for the Nova if you are wanting a field gun but the 870 if you want something versatile and a good american wooden gun to pass down.
 
my only experience with benelli is with one of their auto loading models. very nice gun, but a bit tempermental with ammunition.

i have been shooting 870's for about 20 years. i find them to be a marvel of simplicity and reliability. i dont care for the all in one loading/ejection port of the ithacas, just personal preference.

there are also an endless supply of products to "upgrade" an 870. from stocks, to mag tubes, to bbl's, sights, rails, etc.

and a brand new 870 wont break the bank.
 
I have both the 870 and the Nova. I say buy the one which fits you better (if you aren't familiar with fitting, have someone go with you). I have not noticed any significant difference b/w the two which would make me suggest one over the other. I do like the mag cutoff on the Nova but it isn't worth buying an ill-fitting gun over.
 
I prefer the winchester 1300 to the 870. One reason. The slide release on the 870 feels like a sharpened piece of sheet metal. On the 1300 it is rounded and doesn't cut into your hand. Of the two mentioned, however, the 870 is undoubtedly the most popular shotgun of all time, largely due to their lower price point. However, benelli has the rep for higher quality shotguns, but again there is that higher price. The best advice is always pick the one that fits you better, but all else being equal the nova is probably the "better" gun.

I personally shoot a browning bps pump and a ruger allweather over/under. My wife shoots a 1300, as does my dad, uncle, and cousin.
 
my brother's 870 actually failed on him...on the first shot!! well technically he got it off, but when he went to chamber the second one it got stuck for some reason. i think remington said something about there being file scraps(filings?) somewhere that caused it to stick. the customer service was great and we havent had any problems with it after. oh and it makes a nice slug gun too
 
bmilla35 said:
my brother's 870 actually failed on him...on the first shot!! well technically he got it off, but when he went to chamber the second one it got stuck for some reason. i think remington said something about there being file scraps(filings?) somewhere that caused it to stick. the customer service was great and we havent had any problems with it after. oh and it makes a nice slug gun too
Click to expand...

was the slide stuck? or did the casing get stripped?

if the slide appears stuck, just slam the stock on the ground while cycling the action.

it is machined metal, so there may be burrs either inside the chamber or on the brass. the burrs will grab and require extra force to eject the hull.
 
haha your asking the wrong person mori...but im pretty sure the slide was stuck. your solution makes sense though...much more than taking it all apart in the field. oh well...hopefully we will never have to do it
 
I have an 870 Super Express Magnum (2 3/4, 3, 3 1/2" - goose gun, wood stock, 28" barrel) and 870 Express Magnum (2 3/4 and 3" -synthetic with factory 18" barrell and tube extension) and love them both. I can swap barrels and parts (except for the receivers and bolts) between them and strip them down, clean them and put them back together with my leatherman, simple and user-friendly.

I've shot a benelli nova a few times (it's good to have friends with guns) and they are a beautiful, smooth, fast gun but the factory stock is too long for me to shoot comfortably and they have too much of a "plastic" feel (just my opinion).

I pretty much despise bottom-eject actions. I've seen nothing but problems with them, mostly jamming of the spent casing in the carrier (they tend to flip down and jam sideways in the receiver). A lot of guys seem to love Ithica, but personally, I'd buy a used 870 over an Ithica just because of the dependability of the action.

Just my opinion, have a good one,
Nathan
 
remington 870 over the nova anyday! i have used both on duty and the rem will out shoot it, functions more smoothly, and is just plainly stronger built!,,,VWB.
 
interesting trivia re: the remington 870. one tool they recommend armorers to have is a hammer for whacking various parts of the gun.
 
Just got mine! Woot!
870-03.jpg

870-01.jpg
 
I can not really comment on the Nova but can tell you my experience with the Remington. They are about as solid and reliable as you can get in a shotgun. It was all my family would shoot for a long time after we wore out our Winchester Model 12's

Any gun can fail, however if you look at all the posts so far there is a common theme about the 870. It is reliable! I will say that the quality of the recent Remington products is a bit lower than some of the older Remingtons. That being said I would look for a good used 870 and never worry again.

I have heard good things about the Nova however, it does not have the track record of the 870.

My 2 cents.
 
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