Thread: Mossberg Maverick 88 - any good?

I’ve a Bentley pump, cheap and cheerful and zero issues despite an exceptionally mixed variety of ammo being fed through it.

Downside? One, it’s shortish barrel limits it’s range at times.

The sights work well with slug loads ( which kill at both ends despite the recoil pad which has hardened with age - unlike an old man’s whatsit!)

Originally Posted by gsp follower

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.

Someone with opinion that differs from my own, on the Internet?
Unacceptable.

Seriously though, I've had my 500 for about 10 years, it was second hand when I got it and I've put thousands of rounds through it without a single malfunction that I can remember. Never had the a failure to extract. Getting shells out of the tube is usually a matter of pressing one of the interupters, then press the other and a shell pops out, that works most of the time. If I were worried about unloading without a round ever going into the chamber I could pull the pump back so one pops onto the lifter, then tilt the gun to sling said round out of the ejection port. Mine's as loose, rattley, and sloppy as you'll find on a worn-in pump action. I'd wager most starting getting that way after the first 2000 rounds or so. I wouldn't call the action bars weak as they've never failed, and the guys at the pistol club always remark how fast I can fire and cycle mine, but then again it probably comes down to practice............. I've been single for a long time.

as i ve said before the H&R pump I had was an awesome reliable shotgun...as was the winchester I borrowed early on ...MOST pumps are reliable if looked after.

oh you gunna love this.....all puns intended
different strokes for different folks.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

as i ve said before the H&R pump I had was an awesome reliable shotgun...as was the winchester I borrowed early on ...MOST pumps are reliable if looked after.

oh you gunna love this.....all puns intended
different strokes for different folks.

True that, as OP suggested: for the same money as a cheap semi, a pump is going to be more reliable. I've seen a lot of bolts and locking blocks shatter on Turkish semis, apparently they use leaded steel for those parts. Nice and easy to machine, you see......

I have an 88 maverick. Aluminium receiver makes it lighter to carry.
I have fitted a 500, 18inch turkey barrel with screw in chokes. Great wallaby gun off the quad or out of the truck.
Had it for about 10yrs, bought it second hand and its still going. Kicks a bit if shooting 36s, so I stick with 32 or 34s.

Not as hardy as the 500, which has a steel receiver. Those military ones are parkerised steel receivers and can take a bashing.

Originally Posted by scottrods

I have an 88 maverick. Aluminium receiver makes it lighter to carry.
I have fitted a 500, 18inch turkey barrel with screw in chokes. Great wallaby gun off the quad or out of the truck.
Had it for about 10yrs, bought it second hand and its still going. Kicks a bit if shooting 36s, so I stick with 32 or 34s.

Not as hardy as the 500, which has a steel receiver. Those military ones are parkerised steel receivers and can take a bashing.

The 500s have an aluminium receiver too, not that that's a downside, ARs have aluminium receivers and they run 5.56mm just fine despite 5.56/223 being loaded to about 5 times the pressure at 12 gauge

Originally Posted by tommygun

Seriously though, I've had my 500 for about 10 years, it was second hand when I got it and I've put thousands of rounds through it without a single malfunction that I can remember. Never had the a failure to extract. Getting shells out of the tube is usually a matter of pressing one of the interupters, then press the other and a shell pops out, that works most of the time. If I were worried about unloading without a round ever going into the chamber I could pull the pump back so one pops onto the lifter, then tilt the gun to sling said round out of the ejection port. Mine's as loose, rattley, and sloppy as you'll find on a worn-in pump action. I'd wager most starting getting that way after the first 2000 rounds or so. I wouldn't call the action bars weak as they've never failed, and the guys at the pistol club always remark how fast I can fire and cycle mine, but then again it probably comes down to practice............. I've been single for a long time.

lets not confuse the maverick 88 with the latter better put together 500.s of the last few years.
i dont want to belay the point but ive never hads a 870 forend go twisty

well no one else has brought it up..so I will...the H&R that I so loved..is an American brand...but the metal reciever,the guts of it,is chinese made by Hawke..... pretty sure the gunshitty 870s will be the same..they are so close to remington the bits are interchangable from all Ive heard/read..... so there is a heap of solid reliable pump shotties on the market...the cheapies have basically the same guts/engine/heart but the finish isnt the same and they are HEAVY which is good for shooting steel loads from maimai or lots of rounds off ute spotlighting but not so good for long walks.
that H&R barrel took winchokes so another interchangable thing.

I still use shotguns that others wouldnt dream of using...single barrel break open...and they still kill well,its all about gun fit.

one of my most memorable days after water fowl...I had our son and his teenage mate along ,the mate had shot first duck night before,a circling parrie,he was using my break open external hammer .12ga, my son a SXS Bakail and I had the pump,we put in great stalk up on mob in a ditch,spread out and jumped them up. i dropped 5 with pump,son doubled...his mate with the single,who had fired less than 5 rounds before in his life, dropped duck RELOADED and got another....
was a really special moment...we sat on bank plucking all our birds and just loving life.

Originally Posted by tommygun

The 500s have an aluminium receiver too, not that that's a downside, ARs have aluminium receivers and they run 5.56mm just fine despite 5.56/223 being loaded to about 5 times the pressure at 12 gauge

correct the 500"s are alloy receiver , plastic trigger group and plastic safety - the safety being the weak point i n my opinion as they split as mine has done but can be replaced with aftermarket alloy switch which mine is about to be . The plastic trigger group is also rumoured to be able to break the rear section off at the back that pokes into the receiver to locate it but I have not seen that happen personally .
The 590a1 is the mil spec version with metal trigger group , metal safety switch and heavy walled barrel . Rumoured to be the only shotgun tested by the military to pass all tests with virtual %100 score . Dropped from aircraft etc and still cycled something like 3000 rounds with only a couple of stoppages supposedly .

used them to duck shoot thruout my whole youth
used them for foliage sampling

put zillions of rounds thru them
some times two plus bricks a day
the only thing that aparently wears out on them is the magizine spring
Iv still never had to fix anything on a mossberg 500
cycle them firmly all pump actions hate bieng softly pumped

Originally Posted by Finnwolf

I’ve a Bentley pump, cheap and cheerful and zero issues despite an exceptionally mixed variety of ammo being fed through it.

Downside? One, it’s shortish barrel limits it’s range at times.

The sights work well with slug loads ( which kill at both ends despite the recoil pad which has hardened with age - unlike an old man’s whatsit!)

we have a bently in the family too
the barrel bulged after a few thousand rounds
the changeable choke seems like it dosent have enough steel there

very low opinion of them after the bulge
the rest of the shot gun works fine, im a real mossy fan tho
$50 more and well the bently is basically worthless now

Originally Posted by Bill999

we have a bently in the family too
the barrel bulged after a few thousand rounds
the changeable choke seems like it dosent have enough steel there

very low opinion of them after the bulge
the rest of the shot gun works fine, im a real mossy fan tho
$50 more and well the bently is basically worthless now

Mine has some longitudinal scores inside the muzzle area courtesy of previous owner, I suspect they had loaded steel ball bearings into some shells (it was before steel shot was around)
But no choke or bulging.

this happened in the days before steel was a thing

the gun still functions but it gives me the shits to use it

so the brother has it and uses maybe one shot every few years on a possum in his fruit trees

the rest of the gun functions fine sloppy like a rem 870 but works fine