I cant comment on mossberg vs remington, but after buying one and immersing myself with 870's ive learned the police isnt worth the extra price unless you really want it parkerized and want the receiver to say police.
if you read remingtons parts list you can see that nearly all the parts are the same. its all marketing from years ago that stuck around and people still think its true. like their "secret, secure facility that builds only police models" according to people that have visited remingtons factory the "secure facility" is an unsecured assembly line located 100 feet away from the regular assembly line. besides, in 2010 they made cross bolt safeties standard on all models, made barrel detents standard, removed the magazine tube dimples on the express so you can put any extension u want, plus police models no longer come with 8pound sear spring. those were four major upgrades for the older police model but no longer a selling point for them.
the true main differences that still remain in 2013 are the parked vs blued finish, heavier dog carrier spring for more reliable feeding, a machined steel extractor, and an aluminum trigger housing(unnecessary, some 870p owners end up replacing theirs with polymer after it gets dinged up from use)
one of the leading 870 armorers and enthusiasts is very vocal about all of this and i side with him over any other source because all he works on is remington shotguns for a living.
below are some quotes from his discussions ive read that talked me out of an 870p and saved me $200 buying a new #25077 express for $400 including shipping, ffl fees, and even the dogcarrierspring and machine extractor upgrades i got from midwayusa for less than $20. with that $200 in savings i could send it off to robars for nib-x or xring for cerakote with a little out of pocket.
"There is only one 870 and they only differ by finish and furniture. Every time this topic comes up somone down loads this marketing mess from Remington. No 870 is built with the ISS safety any longer. Every 870 that comes with an tube extension has the same mag tube mounted in the receiver as the P but it is a matte finish not parkerized like the P. The only difference in your 870 Express HD and the P is the finish, furniture and about $30 in small parts. In fact, go to the 870 retail parts list on
www.remington.com and you could build an 870P 4+1 with a synthetic stock for $46 less then you could build an Express 4+1 with the same stock Not that anyone would as they would cost to much). How, to start the 18.5" Parkerized police barrel with bead sight sells for $96 and the 18.5" matter finish Express barrel with bead sight cost $131. The bolts are identical but the Express has the $5 MIM extractor and the P has the $13 solid steel extractor yet both cost the exact same, $93.10. How the heck does that comput. The polymer trigger plate assembly for the Express is $80 and the metal P assembly is $86.90, why, because there are two different springs in the P. I have the polymer in all my 870. It is more durable, stays cleaner inside and if I ding or scratch it I don't have to worry about refinishing it like the metal ones that are painted. I know some other parts buy will keep that to my self. When you buy a new P you are getting a fantasic weapon but you are paying for a word engraved on the reciever and about $30 in parts. Think your P receiver is different? It is not. It is the same receiver as on the Express and Wingmaster. Go to the parts list and you will see the Police receiver cost $239.05, the Express receiver cost $239.05 and the Wingmaster receiver cost $239.05...why do those receivers all cost the same. Because they are the exact same receivers. If you own any 870 then your weapon is as good as the next guys no matter what is engraved on the receiver."
Every Express, every single one ever build is a 3" magnum receiver, every single one. Well except for the 3.5" super Magnums. So there has never been a non magnum Express model. So why state one of the difference between the Express and Police is that the Police is a Magnum when every Express ever made is on a magnum receiver?
??
where have you been for the past few years. All 870's come with the Orange High viz follower. All 870's come with the 4-5 pound sear spring including the P models. Remington stopped installing the 8 pound sear years ago.
One last time people. That pasted link is out of date and incorrecet.
The detent issue is only for 4+1 shot weapons as all the Express models that come with tube extension have the exact same tube as the P and Wingmaster and the barrels have the detent ball retainer for the mag cap.
Next thing you are going to claim there are no MIM parts in the Police model.........and all 870's, very one of them have MIM parts in them. So, yes the Express comes with a MIM extractor and that is the only different part then the P that cost different. All Express barrels cost more then P barrels, all of them. The 18.5" bead sight that comes on the Express HD cost $134, yet the 18.5" bead sight that comes on the P model cost $101. That is right, the Express barrel cost $33 more then the Police barrel.
Go to
www.remington.com and click on Support, the parts, then down load the part list. You will find only one of each part that goes into an 870 for most all the internal parts. That is because every 870 has the exact same parts, except for one or two small parts. For example the only internal parts difference in the P is the Extractor ($7) and the carrier dog follower spring and that spring is $3.20 and the sliver one in all other 870 is also $3.20. Since the black one use in the P model does enhance the action of the carrier and cost the same as the siliver one use in all other models, why does Remington not use the black in all 870's. The answer is that they lose the Marketing for the P model as all the other parts are the same. So, they do not put the best part in your Express, Tactical or Wingmaster even though it cost the same just so they can Market on the P model. Shame on them.
I am not going to stay on this topic as it is beat to death on these blogs. Use the search feature and you can find all the post. Many Post go into the lack of differences in these models and the fact that there is only one 870 and they only differ by finish, furniture and a couple small parts. I know these weapons as well as anyone on this site and have no reason to present false information to you. How is it that people refuse the truth when it is placed infront of them and even refuse to verify the facts for themself?"
J.D. McGuire, Owner
AI&P Tactical, LLC
www.aiptactical.comRemington Factory Certified
Law Enforcement Armorer