[m500'92]

Is the Maverick 88 a good solid shotgun. How comparable is it to the Moss 500? I dont have much money but i want to get a defender pump shotgun to customize and the maverick is a decent amount less than the mossberg so thats why im looking at it. Thanks for any help.

[ronto]

On my 500th post I am proud to vote for the 500...Do a search of the forum and you'll see why.

[kb2zya]

i got a 500 at walmart for $209 just one barrel field/bird.very smooth nice wood love to shoot trap with it.i only have cheep mossberg guns .....they are a very good price for what you get.I you want to go tac-cool you can get lots of "fancy" stuff to put on them ..i like mine just as she came.:cool:
maverck is soild built but no nice wood and it does not have ported berral.my brother has shot many deer with a smooth bore one and has had it for 15 years.they are $169 at walmart if you are going tac-cool that would be the way to go.try to find a walmart near you that still sells guns.

[Mr. T]

I know Mossberg makes the Maverick, but they also make the 500 and the 500 is the one that's passed all the stringent military tests...in fact it's the only shotgun to pass the military's stringent testing. If it's good enough for the Military, then it's got to be good enough for me. If money were the be all end all on this decision, I would probably go for the Maverick.

[threefeathers]

We had several 500's at LFI and one Maverick. Couldn't tell the difference in 90 rounds of slugs.
Get the Maverick, a hundred rounds of #6 shot to practice with and then 100 rounds of #4 shot to use for H Defense.

[wnycollector]

I have a maverick 88, my father-in-law has an old mossy 500a and by baby brother has a mossy 835. My maverick is their twin when we shoot together.

[Katana8869]

I have had a few 500's and a few Mavericks. Performance wise, I can't tell the difference. I have an 18" Maverick living under my bed right now that I trust completely.

I would buy the Maverick and spend the difference on ammo.

[Quilbilly]

I vote Mossberg 500.

I own an 870 (duck/clay gun) which I personally think is built better but the safety on the Mossberg is in a better spot (in my opinion). I also own a Maverick 88 (my first gun) which I love. I put an 18.5" barrel on it and keep it by my bed. It is a little cheper than the 500 but extra $$$ is worth it in my opinion.

Congrats on 500 posts Katana!

[m500'92]

Well I think i'll get the maverick going by no one has said anything bad about it, i'm also planning on changing a lot of the parts out on it so the stock doesn't matter. Does anyone know if aftermarket forends would fit the maverick? thanks

[m500'92]

And I wish I could get a 500 for $210 but I live in Canada so that's not too likely haha

[zeebo419]

You should be able to find a Mossberg 500 for well under 300 and a maverick 88 in the 170's at Wal-Mart or academy sports, although I have heard that many have stopped carrying guns (mine has not). As for performance, both are very solid, but I do like the safety better on the Mossberg 500's vs the Mavericks.

[m500'92]

Not in Canada as far as i know of

[evan price]

I've got 500's and a Maverick.

The only real difference between the two is that the Maverick uses a fore-end that has the action bars pinned directly to the fore-end. The M500 uses a steel tube that has the action bars welded to that, and the fore-end just slips on. If you want to change the fore-end on a Maverick, it won't be easy, unless you convert it to the M500 action bar tube arrangement.

Also, the Maverick has a cross-bolt safety on the trigger group. I actually prefer this arrangement to the tang safety on the M500.

Otherwise, they are the same gun. The stocks and barrels and more parts interchange.

The only cheap thing about the Maverick 88 is the stocks and fore-ends are black plastic. Not that this is a problem for a home defense shotgun.

It's 90% of an M500 for 75% of the cost. You can't go wrong.

[m500'92]

Ok thanks, didnt know that, i think i'll compare the two before buying to see if the mossbergs worth the extra $

[DogRanger]

I have Mossbergs because of the location of the safety,my newest is the 930,nice gun. I would have no problem if someone handed me a Maverick or an 870,when needed.

[Frog48]

All of the above are good guns, cant go wrong with any of them. I have multiple shotguns from both Remington and Mossberg, and I dont particularly favor one brand over the other.

[Onmilo]

I would buy the Mossberg over the Maverick.
Since I already have both, I won't be buying either unless a Mossberg Mils 590 parked, bead sight, 9 shot shows up on the rack.

[DougW]

I bought my 88 for $120 out the door in nearly new condition. First major line of HD.

[Dave McCracken]

Any of the above will work if we hold up OUR end.

[OurSafeHome.net]

Any of the above will work if we hold up OUR end.

Indeed.

I have owned all three types and loved them all.

[BullitHolz]

I think it comes down to wether you like wood over plastic and the location of the safety. Other than those two differences the guns are virtually ientical.

My dad and I bought one of each last winter at a local pawnshop, he paid $150 for his 500 and I paid $100 for a Maverick 88(mainly because there were NO decent 500's left to buy). I cleane them both and I can tell you that with both guns apart on thebench the bolts and many of the other parts had the SAME tool marks on them, basically these guns were made on the same machines at the factory.

So, do you like wood or plastic? Maybe your a lefty, the 500's safety seems to work best in that situation. Take your pick.

[Ben86]

I almost bought the Mav88 until I held it. It felt like a light, aluminum POS. Also I don't like the placement of the safety and slide release. I am used to the 870. Instead I got an H&R Pardner. Now that's a solid gun for cheap.

I would have got the Rem 870 tactical. That is a beautiful gun. But, I didn't want to cough up the extra $140.

[INMY01TA]

Love my Maverick.
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j311/INMY01TA/Guns/100_0275.jpg
with the pistol grip.
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j311/INMY01TA/Guns/100_0273.jpg

[m500'92]

Well i decided to order the Mossberg field/security combo. Im pretty sure Ill be happy with it.

[nathan]

I would choose the New England Pardner vs the Mav 88. Again both are great buys and more than capable to do the job.

[deputy tom]

Thrifty individual that I am,I chose the Maverick.Not alot of money and the safety is where I like it.YMMV.tom.:cool:

[AcceptableUserName]

used is the way to go if youre ona budget. There are lots of budget goodies like Mossberg 500milspec, 500atp and Remington 870p trade-ins cheaper than all these lower-end guns you listed new. honestly the only shotgun I'll buy new is one thats heavily sale priced and veyr hard to find otherwise. Go used if you're on a budget.

[hwp]

I don't like the Maverick. If you use it like 99.9999999999999% of people that buy them (shoot it rarely) it will last forever. I think the maverick is lower quality compared to the 500 and miles and miles behind the 870. Compare the maverick to the other two side by side and the quality difference is easy to see.

I see used Mossberg 500's all the time for under $150 and would buy that over a maverick anyday.

[BullitHolz]

Like I said earlier in this thread the 500 and the 88 are exactly the same gun, except for the furniture and the safety, if you equate quality with wood then the 500 has the edge on the 88.

[hwp]

The forearm and rails are different between the maverick and the 500.

The maverick is made in mexico and the 500 is US made.

[BullitHolz]

Early 88's had one action bar but the current one's have 2, just like the 500 does. The forarm and rails on the current production guns are the same except for the differences to accomodate the plastic vs. wood forends.

Call Mossberg and they will tell you that these are made in Texas, not Mexico.

Like I said earlier I had one of each apart on the bench and cleaned them both at the same time. Except for the 2 differences notes above the 2 guns I had in my hands were identical, right down to the tool marks on the parts. I would be willing to bet I could toss all of the parts in a box and mix them up and not be able to tell which went in what gun.

[hwp]

It was in Meheeco at one time. They may have moved to tejas but I would be willing to bet the south texas "labor" is no different than what they used in mexico.

Given a choice would you prefer your shotgun be made in the USA or mexico?

[MCgunner]

I would choose the New England Pardner vs the Mav 88. Again both are great buys and more than capable to do the job.

I'll take "Made in Texas" over China. However, I prefer the tang safety of the Mossberg due to my left handed shooting habit.

[INMY01TA]

I'll take "Made in Texas" over China.+1....