Maverick 88 questions

herrwalther · May 9, 2019

I sold my 870 several years back and I finally have a 12ga in the safe again. I decided to go with the Mav 88 as I actually like the location of the safety as opposed to the Mossberg 500 families. I would have preferred to the 18" barrel to the 20 I got but the price was way too good to pass up.

I do have some light gun tinkering experience and would like a top rail for either a red dot or ghost ring sight. How easy would it be to drill and tap myself? A video guide would be helpful as well.

The LOP is just a little too long for my short arms. I will be looking into either cutting down the stock or getting a 12" option.

The magazine spring squeaks. Any way to lubricate the spring, ideally without taking the tube apart? I would rather not mess with that spring if I don't have to.

I will probably have a few more but this is good enough to get me started working on it. Thanks in advance.

herrwalther · May 11, 2019

Gunsmith quoted me $80 to cut the butt stock and $40 to drill/tap the receiver. All the more incentive to do it myself.

Browning · May 11, 2019

Hogue makes an entire shortstock furniture set for the Mossberg 500 (which will fit a Mossberg Maverick 88) for less than that amount and then there’s the Magpul SGA stock where the spacers will reduce to that LOP.

It’s several spaces down.

Mfr Part: 05032

https://www.brownells.com/shotgun-p...lded-shotgun-stock-forend-sets-prod18365.aspx

I don’t know how much the Magpul stocks sell for though.
Edit : Magpul SGA stock set $79.99 at Primary Arms on sale

https://www.primaryarms.com/magpul-sga-stock-mossberg-500-590-590a1-black

LoonWulf · May 11, 2019

Mav 88, ati taclite stock, 20" Chinese barrel, drilled and tapped for Weaver 336 mounts, and a cheap nc star sight.
It's an aluminum reciever so drilling and tapping is easy. Especially if you have a drill press with a vice.
The safety position also lends itself to pistol grip stocks.

herrwalther · May 12, 2019

Browning said:
Hogue makes an entire shortstock furniture set for the Mossberg 500 (which will fit a Mossberg Maverick 88) for less than that amount and then there’s the Magpul SGA stock where the spacers will reduce to that LOP.

Cheapest place I found a 12" LOP stock was $50. I figure if the gun smith or I could do it for less than 50 it would get cut. Otherwise I would just replace the stock with the shorter one. An overmolded foreend would be nice as well compared to the hard plastic with little grip.

LoonWulf said:
It's an aluminum reciever so drilling and tapping is easy. Especially if you have a drill press with a vice.

All I have is a vice and hand drill.

LoonWulf said:
The safety position also lends itself to pistol grip stocks.

I had a pistol grip stock on my 870 and I didn't really like it. However my biggest gripe with the 870 was the safety location working with a pistol grip stock, so I might look into it more with the 88.

LoonWulf · May 12, 2019

herrwalther said:
All I have is a vice and hand drill

Still not too hard. Lay it out and mark center, then drill and tap. I have ended up doing 6-32 instead of 6-48 just to have more available hardware.

Browning · May 12, 2019

herrwalther said:
Cheapest place I found a 12" LOP stock was $50. I figure if the gun smith or I could do it for less than 50 it would get cut. Otherwise I would just replace the stock with the shorter one. An overmolded foreend would be nice as well compared to the hard plastic with little grip.

That would work.

Does the stock you found match with the fore end? Would it even matter if it didn’t?

It would bug me if it didn’t, but some don’t care. Then again maybe it matches.

entropy · May 12, 2019

The jig to correctly drill & tap is more than the gunsmith quoted you. If you were confident enough to do it freehand, you wouldn't have asked the question. Buy the 12" LOP stock, unless you have done and like doing recoil pad work. (I've done it, hate doing it.) As for the mag spring, have you removed the factory applied corrosion inhibitor coating and relubed? If not do so, If so, relube the spring and interior of the mag tube lightly. (Indeed, you should do this to the whole gun, and I will attest that Mossberg packs the 88's pretty heavily with it.) All mag springs squeak some when new, and yes you will have to remove it to lube it as mentioned.

entropy · May 12, 2019

LoonWulf said:
The safety position also lends itself to pistol grip stocks.

PGO, yes, buttstocks with pistol grips, not so much, unless you leave the thumb up there while firing; that's a lot of excess and awkward movement otherwise,either hand.

DDDWho · May 12, 2019

This is the entirety of my shotgun inventory. The 88 is on top the other two are Winchester Model 12s. All have the safety in the same place. Having hunted with Model 12s almost my entire life the safety position is 2nd nature to me. I've shot the 88 a bit in the 2 years I've had it. It usually sets in the corner loaded with buckshot waiting for the boogie man.

herrwalther · May 12, 2019

LoonWulf said:
Still not too hard. Lay it out and mark center, then drill and tap. I have ended up doing 6-32 instead of 6-48 just to have more available hardware.

Is 6-48 the usual tap used? I would have to get one but that isn't a very big deal. The hardware stores around me are pretty well stocked.

Browning said:
Does the stock you found match with the fore end? Would it even matter if it didn’t?

Color matching is my only real concern. For example I would not put a flat dark earth buttstock on when the receiver is blued and the forearm is black. Something like that would bother me. The fore end is the slick, smooth plastic. I would upgrade to a rubber overmolded one to improve grip. And if it is paired with a rubber buttstock for a good price like on Brownells, all the better.

entropy said:
The jig to correctly drill & tap is more than the gunsmith quoted you. If you were confident enough to do it freehand, you wouldn't have asked the question. Buy the 12" LOP stock, unless you have done and like doing recoil pad work. (I've done it, hate doing it.) As for the mag spring, have you removed the factory applied corrosion inhibitor coating and relubed? If not do so, If so, relube the spring and interior of the mag tube lightly. (Indeed, you should do this to the whole gun, and I will attest that Mossberg packs the 88's pretty heavily with it.) All mag springs squeak some when new, and yes you will have to remove it to lube it as mentioned.

$40 isn't too bad to tap the receiver. Having never tapped a receiver myself, I wanted to get some feedback first before I made the attempt or had the gunsmith do it instead. I haven't removed the mag spring yet. I bought the 88 used so I don't believe there is any factory inhibitor in the tube. The gun store I bought it from recommended using Hawg grease, so I picked up a tube of that. I am not adverse to removing the mag spring, I did so quite easily with my 870. I just wanted to check for a "work smarter" alternative first. The 870 was bought new and the 88 used. So the 88 will get stripped down and thoroughly cleaned over several sessions.

LoonWulf · May 12, 2019

entropy said:
PGO, yes, buttstocks with pistol grips, not so much, unless you leave the thumb up there while firing; that's a lot of excess and awkward movement otherwise,either hand.

88 has the safety on the guard

LoonWulf · May 12, 2019

herrwalther said:
Is 6-48 the usual tap used? I would have to get one but that isn't a very big deal. The hardware stores around me are pretty well stocked.

6-48s pretty specialized, around here neither the top nor the screws are available

skeeterfogger · May 12, 2019

LoonWulf said:
6-48s pretty specialized, around here neither the top nor the screws are available

Sould be able to get 6-48 from gun shop.
Personally I would stick to fine thread.
They do make no gun smithing base.

LoonWulf · May 12, 2019

skeeterfogger said:
Sould be able to get 6-48 from gun shop.
Personally I would stick to fine thread.
They do make no gun smithing base.

I ended up ordering a few 6-48 taps, for use on thin walled projects. The receiver on a 88/500s pretty thick tho so I was comfortable with the 6-32s there.
The bases I used we're for a marlin 336, as that's what was available locally. There are both 500 specific bolt down bases, and saddle mounts, which would probably be a better choice.
I dislike the saddle mounts, but that just personal preference.

Bama59 · May 12, 2019

congratulations and good luck with new shotgun , I bought a used one few weeks ago. Ordered a couple boxes Mini slugs from Target Sports also have a Opsol mini clip and slip on Limbsaver

entropy · May 12, 2019

LoonWulf said:
88 has the safety on the guard

Duh, I knew that! Senior moment. Yes, actually, I like where it is on the 88 better than where it is on the 870.

herrwalther · May 13, 2019

LoonWulf said:
88 has the safety on the guard

Specifically the front of the trigger guard. Which is where I like it. Reaching to the back of the trigger guard on my 870 was one of the things I didn't like about it.

skeeterfogger said:
They do make no gun smithing base.

LoonWulf said:
I dislike the saddle mounts, but that just personal preference.

I have seen a few of the pin on rail bases. I like the idea solely for the no drill/tap simplicity and it is an option I am considering.

I also like the Blackhawk knoxx compstock or spec ops stocks if I went with the pistol grip. The spec ops is adjustable for LOP so does anyone know the LOP of the compstock model? I can't seem to find it online.

Browning · May 13, 2019

herrwalther said:
I also like the Blackhawk knoxx compstock or spec ops stocks if I went with the pistol grip. The spec ops is adjustable for LOP so does anyone know the LOP of the compstock model? I can't seem to find it online.

The BlackHawk Knoxx Compstock Shotgun Stock has a pull length of 12.5”.

The BLACKHAWK Knoxx SpecOps Gen II Stock is Adjustable for Length Of Pull (LOP) in order to correctly fit the shotgun to the individual user's body type and/or clothing selection. It offers 7 Different LOP Positions that enable it to collapse to as short as 11.25" or expand to a full 15" in length.

herrwalther · May 13, 2019

Browning said:
The BlackHawk Knoxx Compstock Shotgun Stock has a pull length of 12.5”.

Awesome. Thank you for finding out. 12" is what I measured would be a good LOP for me on the Mav 88 so I think 12.5 would be comfortable for me as well. I had the spec ops stock NRS on my 870.

herrwalther · May 17, 2019

Tried taking off the magazine tube today to fix the loud spring. Couldn't get it to budge at all. May have to invest in some better tools to get it off.

Double_J · May 18, 2019

I think the magazine tube is held on with locktite. Put a little heat near the base and it should break down and be removed somewhat easily.

herrwalther · May 20, 2019

Double_J said:
I think the magazine tube is held on with locktite. Put a little heat near the base and it should break down and be removed somewhat easily.

Which flavor of locktite do they use at the factory? Blue loctite and hair dryer strength? Anything stronger than that I would have to get inventive.

Double_J · May 20, 2019

herrwalther said:
Which flavor of locktite do they use at the factory? Blue loctite and hair dryer strength? Anything stronger than that I would have to get inventive.

I don't remember as it has been quite a few years since I had to remove the locktite from mine. I think I used a small butane cigar lighter as that is what I had on hand.

Old Shooter · May 20, 2019

I used a hot air gun to remove the tube on my Mossberg 500. Just get it good and hot for a minute or two and mine was able to be removed by hand, no tools needed. When you reassemble don't bother with using more locktite, that tube can't go anywhere when the barrel is mounted and that makes it easier to clean in the future.

Maverick 88 questions

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