Thread: Mossberg Maverick 88 - any good?

Can any one tell me about these? Just for casual hunting, rabbits, ducks etc. The odd clay I suppose. It looks a cheap and cheerful gun.
I imagine they pretty simple, but what reliability like. Seems a better bet than a simpler priced Turkish semi. Thoughts?

They go for ever.

For cheap and cheerfull they are hard to beat, extemely reliable.
If you abuse the shit out of it then it might only last 20 years or so

we used to poke 250 rounds a night through one,night after night ...only issue we ever had was the sloped rims on some falcon rounds would slip under ejector and we would need to poke wire of such down barrel to remove spent case....decent rounds and no issues at all.
they are reliable and IF they fit you well..a great gun.
the mossberg was more popular due to tang safety.

Thanks all. @Micky Duck good point about fit, most important thing with a shotty.

Also interesting comment about falcon ammo. I use to shot with a SKB 1300 which hated falcon, couldn't get through a mag full without at least two stoppages. It cycled perfectly with the winchester or Eley which was our other choice back in the day. It was a combo of the weird shaped rim on the falcon and design flaw in the chamber of the gun. This is the twenty years ago of course, and I imagine falcon have solved that issue now....?

yeah about the same era...from momory it was the cases used....guess they were early cheddites???/ had numbers and stars on base. it was only the bulk stuff that cane in plastic bags rather than cardboard boxes that was issue...it you looked at rim the forward section,that ejector gripped was on some 45 degrees it was like the machine didnt push them down hard enough when forming...I could sort by eye quickly and keep the bad ones for my break open guns and the pump would run all night without hitch...it would ,like your semi handle anything else flawlessly.
I found that shotgun too short in stock,a slip on recoil pad wouldve solved issue but boss liked it as it was....so I left him to beat himself up and just used my single break opens....and still out shot him by country mile.
I have run a H&R pump for last ???10 years?? only sold it last season due to inheriting a beretta semi.....that pump was awesome to use and never gave issues,keep the action oiled particularly the action bars and good to go all day.did have one box of 3" shells give me greif early on,but better lube in action sorted it.

cheap andcheerful yes but theyre no rem 870.
the two things i hate on them the piss poor twisty/flimsy action /pump bars and the usyually finger nipping budget shell lifter

They are bloody awesome. Chased a lot of fowl with my one as a teenager. Still going strong ten years later with my brother.

Awesome rifles, quite basic, but real reliable. They feel quite long tho, like the butstock is long, and almost stretching to keep hand on the fore stock, but that’s just me, I’m 6ft 4. But real good guns, and can get interchangeable barrels. I don’t use mine on ducks tho, just culling possums and rabbits rnd the farm, and never fails me.

got the original brother the mossberg 500.
Mine has a sticky chamber that gets a bit grabby when hot. Case gets well stuck in the chamber. I do believe that falcon ammo has a bit to do with that though.
It was always the go to for cheap and relatively effective (for a season at the bunny hunt it wasn't that flash) ammunition.
really need to see if i have a couple of packets of eley handy and go down the river and give it a solid thrashing to see if it still does it.

+1 for the mav88, Mavliable, simple no nonsense, it goes bang and you don’t feel bad getting it dirty…

Originally Posted by gsp follower

cheap andcheerful yes but theyre no rem 870.
the two things i hate on them the piss poor twisty/flimsy action /pump bars and the usyually finger nipping budget shell lifter

You're doing well to get a finger pinched by the shell lifter on a mossberg...... Seeing as they fold up out of the way when the bolt is in battery. You might be thinking of the remington 870, plenty of gloves and fingers get pinched by them

The mossberg/maverick design has a lifter which stays stuck in a recess in the underside of the bolt until you rack it rearward, then it pops down to scoop up a shell. The remington 870 on the other hand has the spring loaded lifter which is always down and always bitey

Also the Mossberg has the pump release located where you can press it with your middle finger without moving your shooting hand, with the 870 you take your finger out out the trigger guard to reach forward to the slide button. Mossberg are lighter, and hold one more shell compared to the same configuration in the remington I.e. 5+1 and 7+1 vs 4+1 and 6+1.
The safety on the maverick and 870 are comparable push button ones, the Mossberg 500 has one on the tang which you can work with your thumb without moving your shooting hand. Mavericks are great, I'd prefer a second hand 500 though if you can find one for similar money.

Originally Posted by GDMP

Mechanically they are better than a 870.....much easier to swap out parts such as mag tube or ejector.And twin extractors not just the 1 as on a 870......

i disagree whole heartedly like comparing raquel welsh to kim khardasian.
the 870 extractror will rip a stuck case to pieces if it cant remove it
so you can pop the rest out with a stick or rod.
the mossberg 88,s couldnt remove iceing sugar from a tart.
while the twisty weak forend and action bars maybe great for a contortionist theyre shit for a fast crankin goose hunter.
if i remember rightly getting shells in and out of thier mags without racking them out is a finger nippin /cutting time to.