[MikeJ]

I was just wondering if the Mossberg Maverick is a decent and reliable shotgun for home defense purposes. Thanks, Mike

[HSMITH]

They are worth what you pay for them, but they are NOT a heavy duty shotgun. The Mav 88 line is good candidate for burial storage IMO......If abused or even used hard they will fail. If you want a shotgun for a lifetime pick an 870 remington, 590 mossberg or an 835 mossberg. Cost is really pretty low for what you get with the models I mention, and they will last your lifetime and another. The lesser models will not last.

[MikeJ]

Thanks for the response, HSMITH. I will take your advice and get something better. Mike

[ruger357]

I second the 870.

[foghornl]

The Maverick series is Mossberg's "entry level value price" shotgun line. I have owned and operated a Maverick 88 filed model since 1991 without any problems, but then I am not the guy shooting 5,000+ rounds a year.

As hsmith has pointed out, it is not the heavy duty weapon that the 590 Mossys or the Rem 870's are, but for a limited duty low cost shotty, works fine. Better value than that Chinese imported knockoff of the Ithica.

[fspic]

I bought one of these in home defense form and got a stock and 28" ribbed mod barrel for improvised low level trap and skeet shooting (hand thrown). I note the barrel seems to cant to the right as far as the ribs on the receiver relate to the ribbed barrel. This is minor and can be forgotten as the two beads are what we focus on in a fast bird launch. Anyone have this problem and an idea as to what caused it? May not exist on another barrel.

[Quickdraw Limpsalot]

Wow. Don't tell my Maverick that it's not supposed to keep working under heavy use.

[Onmilo]

Yeah, don't tell my Maverick that either.
100 rounds of Winchester Ranger Low Recoil Buckshot every month along with a few slugs, some trap loads and more than a few 1 1/4 ounce fieldloads over the last 36 months give or take a month and it still hasn't realized it is supposed to have broken itself by now!

[CaCrusin]

We fire thousands of rounds through our test shotguns every month and have yet to have a Maverick fail. They are built on the same receivers as the other Mossbergs and are assembled in Texico to reduce costs. There have been some QC problems but once you get one that works, it works forever. We have Remington, Winchester, Mossberg and Maverick guns and have yet to have one fail, even after switching parts around between guns and shooting nothing but 3" slugs and buckshot.

Don't be a gun snob. They all work and when the SHTF any one of them will be able to handle the situation if the shooter can do his/her part.

I'm buying Maverick 88s for my kids and have a 590 in my safe with a Maverick trigger group in it. I like the trigger group mounted safety with my SpecOps (Test unit).

CaCrusin :cool:

[Fumbler]

The Mossberg 88s on the market now are not the same as the old ones. The old ones had single action bars and the new ones have two. The current ones are almost exactly like the Mossberg 500 (which I have and have sent lots of lead through with no problems).

They will work fine, but like everyone said if you're shooting a whole lot then pick something else that has proven itself on the market. A mossberg 500 does not cost much more than an 88 and is a better gun. If you want to add lots of things later (and you probably will) then get a Rem 870 because they have more options.

[unclestu]

"A mossberg 500 does not cost much more than an 88 and is a better gun."
:rolleyes:
How is it better? Why is it better? Because some self-appointed gun guru said so?

With all due respect, I call BS on that statement! :D A Maverick is just a Mossberg with the safety on the trigger guard. A prettier stock, or a higher price tag, doesn't make a better gun.

And by the way- I think all this stuff about whether a pump shotgun has one or two "action bars" is much ado about nothing. What about the Model 12 Winchester, & the Ithaca 37? We shot little else but single-action bar pump guns(Remington Model 17, Ithaca 37, Winchester 12) when I grew up & never had any problem whatever with "twisting & binding". No matter what those old 870 magazine ads said! :D

[No_Brakes23]

I hate the safety location of the 500, I will take the little Mav over the 500 any day.

Then again I own an 870, so asking me, would be like asking a Chevy owner what his favorite Ford is.

[Fumbler]

From the Mavericks I've fondled I'd say the build quality was rougher than any 500 I've handled. That is what I meant by "better."