[Mavrick12]

my friend recently purchased a new remington 870.since he had no need for two shotguns he said, he offered to sell me his Maverick mossberg model 88 for 200 bucks :evil: i took it up without hesitation =) it has a 28 inch barrel and a bead front sight. its practically brand new from the looks of it but im just a novice. Is there anything i can do to make this shotgun more formidable as a defense arm?( he gave me some 00 Buckshot;) )hah splurging is fun with guns ^_^

[gp911]

The best way to make it more formidable as a defense arm is to shoot it often until you are very good with it. Practice with various loads, compare patterns until you find what shoots best for your uses, and then rest easy knowing you have mastered that gun. The gun should serve your purposes just fine as is, with the addition of perhaps a flashlight.

You have a good pump shotgun there, plenty capable as it is to tear up anything and anyone you come across. I occasionally see people who have been shot by shotguns in my line of work (disability determination) and pretty much any 12-gauge wound is going to mess somebody up. Buckshot is the best choice, but despite all the internet arguments to the contrary if you only have birdshot in the chamber you have a fighting chance as I have met a few people who have been shot with shotshells (some perps, but mostly accidents) and they were in no shape to attack anything afterward. Meeting these people and seeing their scars gives me even more respect for firearms...

So, just enjoy your 12 gauge and if you want to hang crap on it and pistol grip it, etc. go ahead, but know you aren't really helping to make it more capable, just more tacti-cool... Nothing wrong with it, just be honest about it.


gp911

[Oldnamvet]

No use for more than one shotgun??? Something most definitely must be wrong with me then. *sigh*:uhoh: And here I had my wife totally convinced for all these years that I really needed a few for skeet, a few for trap, a few for hunting, etc. They are all "specialized" dear, they can't be used for other purposes. That is why I need so many in so many different gauges. Depending on the weather, how my arthritis was feeling, etc. I have to decide pump, or autoloader, 12 or 20 gauge, etc before going to the range.:D

[evbutler462]

As a retired LEO, I can attest to the damage that a shotgun can do. I think you were shafted on the price. You could have bought a new one for much less at Walmart and a case of shells with the change. Good gun, though. I have always recommended that homeowners use small shot for home defense. Even small shot can penetrate the garbage that contractors use to build houses with.

Since the gun you bought is an entry level weapon, most of the incidents I have been associated with were caused by the use of the Mossberg or the Maverick-or the occasional single shot. Have no fear that a load of #6 bird shot will give you adequate protection without wounding your next door neighbor or your family with the penetration of buckshot. If a person is close enough to you to do you harm, you will devastate him.

[The Deer Hunter]

http://www.theboxotruth.com/

Birshot still penetrates drywall.

[Blue .45]

Where I live, a new Maverick would've cost me about $250 OTD. I ended up getting the Mossberg 500 combo instead for about $340. Prices vary widely depending on where you live. I have a relative in Oklahoma and his local shop has the maverick for $159. I think the mossy 500 barrels are interchangeable with the maverick. You might be able to find a good deal on an 18.5 barrel if you shop around. Should be better for HD. Anyway, many people have posted good things about the maverick 88 on a number of gun forums. Enjoy your new shotgun!

[Smitty in CT]

...That is why I need so many in so many different gauges....

I agree completely, you don't go golfing with only ONE club do you???

Besides....NEVER trust anybody with only one gun.:D

[Fred Fuller]

Mav,

If you're happy with the deal, that's all that matters. Used gun prices vary a lot across the country.

Now go out and shoot it till it feels like part of you. You might want to pick up an extra 18" barrel for it for household duty, but don't just take a hacksaw to your longer barrel- you need something for small game, wingshooting and claybirds.

Stay safe,

lpl/nc

[evbutler462]

Deerhunter, agreed. Very good point. Birshot will indeed penetrate drywall. Most of the posts on all the various forums recommend buckshot for HD. Terrible advice unless you live alone in the middle of nowhere. A good dose of birdshot from this Maverick shotgun will instantly change the intentions of an evildoer. Yes, it might penetrate drywall and sprinkle the next door neighbor. Buckshot will inflict terrible damage to the perp and all the neighbors that the gun is pointed toward. As a retired detective, I know of what I speak. Buckshot is like the Eveready battery. It just keeps on going until it runs out of gas or it hits something solid.

Our friend has a good entry level shotgun that will outlast him if the plastic parts don't fail. If they do, it is simple gun to repair.

[Stretchman]

Why I have a house with concrete walls. Yes, I load buckshot into mine. And in my neighborhood, killing or maiming a neighbor would simply be an added bonus to wasting an intruder. Heck, the likelihood is that the intruder will probably turn out to be one of the neighbors. If I get 2 of them with one shot. well, then I am really cooking with gas.

[Mavrick12]

thanks guys i think im gonna have fun with this shotgun:D