The 870DM is just a modified Version of the old-as-dirt Remington 870. The only real difference is the detachable magazine; to many this feature might just seem tacticool or kitschy but I think its an absolutely amazing feature that opens up new fun options for Californians’.
The 870DM retains everything good about the Remington 870. The 870DM detachable magazine system however looks like kind of an afterthought in terms of vision design. It looks simply like an additional slab of metal slapped directly to the receiver to hold together the magazine and receiver together, however in reality it has quite a bit of new design and innovation. The magazine capacity currently is limited to 3 round or 6 rounds, however 3 round magazines are arguably useful for hunters (more on that later). Other than that the 870DM functions just the same as an other old Remington 870. What makes the 870DM so interesting, is that it is one of our only detachable magazine shotgun options in California, with absolutely no restrictions whatsoever. Pistol grips, Rifle stocks, Vertical fore-grips, you name it, you got it (except short barrels). Pump shotguns in California are exempt from “assault weapons” bans that have swept California over the last several years, which allows us to have some freedom within the market to really enjoy the customization we have lost in various other platforms, and since its just an 870, there is a huge and wildly diverse customization market.
The 870DM comes with main one competitor, and of course it comes from their lifelong rival: Mossberg’s 590M. The 590M sports similar traits to the Remington. Same design as the original 590 with a redesign to the receiver, and of course competitive pricing to the 870DM. This too is a completely viable shotgun. Well made, equally highly reviewed and all that jazz, I personally have shot both, and thoroughly enjoyed both. I personally however have an affinity to the 870DM and decided to buy one myself. the extra weight of the 870 makes the recoil more manageable and honestly, I couldn’t handle the look of the 590M magazine. It is by far and away the ugliest of the two, and feels much much looser in the receiver than the 870DM. The 590M does have a slight edge over the 870DM however, offering larger capacity magazines, including 10 round mags and up.
Lets talk about hunting for just a second, we are limited to 3 round capacity in shotguns here in California per State law for any game hunting. For amateur hunters that need perhaps more rounds for bird hunting the reloading process should in theory be much quicker. I also feel like the 870DM, and the 590M for that matter, are fantastic beginner guns for anyone looking into exploring shotguns for the first time, wanting to freely explore customization of a firearm with limited to no California legal intervention, or even wanting to practice using a detachable magazine before exploring into rifle territory.