Quality control is suffering among all companies... that being said, I have Remington shotguns through the good and the “bad.” Older ones, never an issue. Just prior to it getting “bad,” my only issue was a polymer follower getting stuck in the cold... solution, all my Remington shotguns get stainless followers.
I’ve heard plenty of bad about Remington. I listen to a lot of Ryan Cleckner’s podcasts, who used to work for them. Best one that he said was a rifle (don’t think it was a 700, but one of the budget models) that was sent out with no rifling. If that was one of those 16” 700s... would have technically been a SBS. That is a mass production issue, and I’m sure you can find a situation similar with any manufacturer... if you look hard enough. But I never refuted Remington bobbles over the years.
Other than being very happy using my C&R, I thought I touched on the new R51 in another thread... which I also believe you posted in. I seriously don’t have any interest in Remington’s current handguns, but doesn’t mean I don’t have any experience with them. My father shoots his 1911 regularly (an earlier one... when they brought them back around 2010ish)... no issues. I bought my Ruger SR1911 a year or two after him... and no problems there, either (well, odd dovetails... which made replacement sights a little more expensive).
I couldn’t get a “firearm” from an earlier era, as they didn’t make them back then. Bit the bullet... and my TAC-14 was good to go (still swapped the follower). Even if the gun didn’t run, they are going to ship it to the factory, get it running, and ship it straight back to me. To say that Remington guns don’t work is a big exaggeration... but you buy them over the Chinese clones for that warranty.
I also don’t automatically take what is posted on the internet as gospel, being you’ll always hear the bad... doesn’t mean you’ll hear the good. That one TAC-14, been good to go... I can only attest to that and any new Remingtons friends/family have used (nothing blowing up my skirt, out of let’s say five guns; with how you make it out, four of them should be broken down... as well as mine).
Likewise, your Shockwave may be awesome... but does that wave away the half dozen 500s I’ve seen that looked like they were made in a sweatshop? And the few of those I cycled gave me the feeling of Kel-Tec (not a jab directly at Kel-Tec, but it is a product made for those who aren’t looking to invest in more expensive firearms... and quality does reflect that). I also used to hunt with an 835 UltraMag... light gun, and could chamber 3.5” shells. But with those... it was a single shot. Would not eject them without me pulling them out of the receiver by hand. Tried two brands, no change... then said screw it and stuck with 3” and 11-87s.
Does the 500 work? Yes, however I don’t view it with the same enthusiasm as you. Why did they win the military contract? They can produce a gun so cheap that Remington and others couldn’t compete. Is there anything wrong with that? Not at all, unless you plan on working the action over... which is why those companies build off 870s. 870s were used in the military for years... Mossberg winning by default doesn’t mean the 870 was dropped for any reason other than finances (how many other times has the dollar been the deciding factor). Nobody builds custom shotguns off Mossbergs for a reason... and usually the same reason some prefer 870s over 500s; ability to really work over the action. That is what happens when you put out an economic shotgun. Look at Ruger... uses a similar business model with some product lines.
To get back to my original point; who is right or wrong? Neither. Are there faults with Remington? Yes... which is why my TAC-14, and likely the future TAC-13, are going to head down to Robar (my 870 Police finish held up ok... but was redone in NP3 Plus). Are their faults with Mossberg? Even if you don’t want to admit it... there most certainly are. You can feel however you want, but those who refuse to see the bad in their own brand really don’t have a leg to stand on. “I bought it, so it is the best!” Well, I got a pistol grip on my TAC-14 that, as you point out, is not optimal on a Shockwave. I like that setup... so you “winning” is a moot point to me.
Sorry it took so long to reply, but really not digging the mobile site anymore on my iPhone. Got halfway through the second paragraph, and realized it was a run-on sentence. Will also add, there is slight comic relief in this post... Ray Ray, as always, no grief intended. Tried to do put emoji where I was kidding, but after this reply, said screw it.