machete

What do you guys think of a Maverick 88 in 20 gauge in general?

Marine Division Two

Got two,one 18 inch tube,other for small game,they work flawlessly feed anything accurate easy to take down,first one was $199,second was on sale at walmart recently for $179

Lobocop

Have had one with the 18" and it has worked very well for 10 years. Wreaks havoc with pumpkins :-)

lafflin rand

Good solid reliable pump. If you only shoot 100 or so rounds a year it will last forever. I prefer pumps with interchangeable barrels myself.

Lethalchem

I have a Mav 88 in 12 ga and use it as my HD gun. Works perfect for what I need.

Stock:



Upgraded:

Amishman44

I had a 12 ga 'home defense' Maverick for a few years...but the wife didn't enjoy the kick that it offered with defense loads.

I traded it for a Remington 870 Tactical in 20 ga, added a Meprolight tritium front night sight, installed a Speed-Feed, 'youth' butt-stock, and slipped a neoprene 5-shot shell holder over that!

With 12+1 rounds of #3 Buck in 20 ga (that's 20 x 1/4" buck shot per load) it's absolutely devastating in a hallway or doorway! I'm okay with it and I know the wife is comfortable enough with it that she'll grab it if needed!

Catman

I've got mixed opinions. I have a Maverick 88 ...IMO it is dependable and reasonably well made. I bought mine when Academy had them for $119 and they came with a free hardshell aluminum case. Now with them approaching the $200 mark there are MUCH better buys. I've bought several 870s lately and have not paid over $185 ...IMO the 870s are a MUCH better buy and weapon.


I bought my wife a youth model 20ga 870. It is loaded with #4 buckshot and slugs. It actually fits me better than a standard model. I prefer a shorter LOP.

Lewis128

Why not get a Mossi 500 and have a better selection of accessories?

220combat

The Maverick is 99% the same as a Mossberg 500, everything interchanges except the trigger group. You can put any MOssy 500 barrels or accessories on the Maverick 88. Generally they are a good buy for the money, but you can find good deals on used Mossy 500's and Rem 870's too.

machete

Thanks guys
cause i cant afford a 500, I want one but like I said i cant afford it

JAS

The NEF (New England Firearms AKA H&R) Pardner is a Chinese made pump that is functionally similar to an 870. Around here they sell new in the $150 range.

They are supposedly decent for the money if you can get around the China issue.

boomer1

Be aware that some of the "special distributor exclusive" Mossberg 500s are very similar to the Maverick design. For example, one-piece integrated forend slide, with no action slide tube assembly. As a result, if you want to change the forend, you have to install an action slide assembly first.

I picked up one of those "dealer exclusive" Mossberg 500 models, 18.5" cylinder bore barrel, 5+1 shot, parkerized, for a very good price. I got rid of the one-piece forend, installed a slide tube assembly and Hogue overmolded rubber stock and forend. Luckily, it was still less than a comparably equipped parkerized Mossberg 500, due to the parts being on sale at Midway.

There are also some reports that Mavericks have a snappier recoil than Mossbergs. Even though, Mavericks are Mossberg's second line of shotguns.

My Mossberg is now my main HD gun. There has to be a sinking feeling for the BG when they hear the distinctive sound of the slide action of a Mossberg...

YMMV,
boomer

Maximumbob54

Just keep in mind that the Mav 88 is a cross bolt safety while the Mossy is a slide switch on the back right in front of your face for your eyes to see... Either one is full of plastic that Gun Scrubber will eat up and destroy and I'm not keen on the aluminum reciever with a steel bolt holding on the butt stock. I had the aluminum threads fail on mine from the factory. The Remmy 870's use staked in pins that take a long time to come loose but it can and will happen at some point. The Remmy uses a single massive extractor while the Mav/Mossy uses double extractors. Their seems to be roughly half as many options for the Mossy and most will fit the Mav, but if it's made for a shotgun then you can bet it's made to fit a Remmy 870. The pistol grips on the Moosy/Mav's are not so easy to unlock the slide release as the 870's. Failure in either one is pretty rare, but mine was with a Mossberg 500A that I never even got to pull the trigger on. I'm a little jaded.

VINCENT1

love my 88, but not a fan of 20ga. mines a 12ga. if you like the round, then its all good