Newbie questions re mossberg maverick 88 shotgun

First, welcome. Second, find some training. A lot here can provide suggestions.

The Maverick 88 is a sound shotgun. I shoot its cousin, the Mossberg 500. The “rod” is probably a limit inserted into the magazine tube to keep it legal for migratory bird hunting. You tube will be your friend on how to remove it. A 3” chamber will handle 2 3/4 and 3 inch shells. You are probably ahead using 2 3/4 shells.

Before you go any further...go get some training. You will be well served.

I’ve heard good things about the Mavericks. Good choice. If your only going to have one gun, a shotgun is a fantastic choice for the needs you listed.

This one one of my favorite channels on YouTube. He has a number of videos on shotguns that are quite informative. Here is a good place to start.
Traditional defensive ammo ( buckshot and slugs) are hard to come by at the moment but as a plan B some of the larger birdshot sizes like #4s with a full choke will work really well in a pinch. I personally keep my home defense shotgun loaded with 2 3/4” 1 1/4oz #4. Some will try and tell you that birdshot won’t stop a person, I would disagree.

Good luck, be safe. If your not already familiar with firearms safety that is the most important thing you must learn.

My wife loves her Maverick.
Do get some training. You'll enjoy selecting and patterning the right load for you and your gun.

Welcome! The Maverick is [basically] a no-frills version of the 500. A good shotgun especially for a beginner! As others have said, get training when you can but with the pandemic and stuff it might take a bit of time. The Paul Harrell video linked above is a good one. The 88 has a 3" chamber as my 500 does but I think it's best to stick to 2.75" shells for reliable ejection. There's a vast array of ammo in that length, too. In CA I suppose you're limited to what you can buy locally (still can't mail order or internet order, right?). The classic/standard defensive loading in 12ga is 00 Buckshot. Lots of other rounds will work but that's the Gold Standard. There are some reduced recoil loads- those are simply loaded to a lower velocity, and often use 8 pellets instead of 9. I don't think it matters too much. The reduced recoil loads are still plenty potent and they're easier on the shoulder and allow for faster follow-up shots. If you stick with the major manufacturers (eg Winchester, Remington, Federal, etc) you should be fine. Personally I think the Federal Flite Control stuff is the best but it also depends on what patterns best in your particular shotgun.

The 88 is not drop safe. That means if you store it with a round in the chamber and it tips over it can discharge. I don't know the regs in CA regarding having weapons stored loaded, so do your due diligence. The accepted standard for storing a gun for defense is to keep it 'cruiser ready' which means the magazine tube is loaded but no round is chambered.

A light on your gun is a good idea! I run mine at 9:00 o'clock with a $20 mount I got from Amazon. There are plenty of good mounts. I run a Surefire X300 Ultra but that's fairly expensive. But I would advise you not to cheap out; get the best light you can.

Again, welcome to the family!

Unless you are a cop, in a cruiser, I would not rely on "cruiser ready". Locked and loaded, safety on. The last sound they will ever hear is the soft snick of that safety. That scary sound of racking a round into the chamber could let a bad guy know whaer to start perforating the wall with his SKS. But, it's your life, suit yourself.

Shotguns are not drop safe. They don't have firing pin blocks like pistols. So if you keep a loaded shotgun leaning against a wall like a lot of people it could possibly fire it it fell over onto a hard floor.

Congrats on your purchase. Your shotgun should give you many years of faithful service if you follow the advice given in the instruction manual. Read it. Then read it again with the shotgun in your hand. Then perform actions as you move thru the manual related to field stripping and cleaning. Learn your shotgun.

Buy ammunition off the shelf at your nearest sporting goods store or walmart. Use bird shot for practice. Bird shot such as shot size 7 or 8 is a target load used for hunting little birds or sport use on the skeet range. Do not use little bird shot for a home defense load. Most any 2 3/4” buckshot load will serve in that role, or you could probably get by with a BB duck load if you had to. Shoot some of that too, for practice, if you wish, but know the birdshot is a little less expensive.

keep doing your homework for lights and mounts. Don’t be afraid to experiment a little until you find a combination that works for you. And good lights are worth a premium. Try not to go too cheap on those.

above all, practice with your shotgun. Develop proficiency with it by learning to shoot trap or clays. The shotgun remains a very valuable all-around tool that has lots of uses.

rabid wombat said:

First, welcome. Second, find some training. A lot here can provide suggestions.

The Maverick 88 is a sound shotgun. I shoot its cousin, the Mossberg 500. The “rod” is probably a limit inserted into the magazine tube to keep it legal for migratory bird hunting. You tube will be your friend on how to remove it. A 3” chamber will handle 2 3/4 and 3 inch shells. You are probably ahead using 2 3/4 shells.

Before you go any further...go get some training. You will be well served.

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What this guy said. The rod is probably a piece of wood dowel about the diameter of a tinker toy stick. The gun is very sound. Buy the cheapest bird loads you can find to familiarize yourself with firing the thing. You will want some type of buckshot rounds for defense use. These may be difficult to locate with things being what they are right now. I recommend you test fire at least a couple of buckshot rounds after you have been familiarized with the dove loads. The buck has fewer but much larger pellets and a significantly higher powder charge, so you will feel a difference in recoil. Lights can be pricey, but worth it- you can't shoot what you can't see, and you really need to be able to identify your target before you blast it. I wouldn't bother with a laser. Most of all, get some training. You must be proficient AND safe.

Tons of good advise above.
Our current situation puts a bit of a monkey wrench into 'normal times' recommendations.

Find a range that's nearby, and allows "patterning" of shotguns (this is not universally available). You may be limited to a 25 yard target, which is going to be a bit further than the inside of most people's houses (which are 7-8 yards, at best).

Getting "the feel" of how the shotgun fires is a good first step. Seeing the actual width of a pattern of birdshot at a mere 25 yards is also illuminating.

I will also jump on the training bandwagon--most of the "conventional knowledge" on shotguns for SD is flat out wrong.
Like racking the slide--that sound rarely carries much more than 6-7 feet (if preternaturally loud to the person carrying it under a big dollop of adrenaline).
00 Buckshot is all you need--if you need a half dozen cal..30 lead balls flying downrange. Which will happily rip though sheetrock and studs with the greatest of ease.
My all-time teethgritter is "you don't have to aim." Yes you do. Not aiming a firearm is wrong on many levels.

People forget that the purpose of a shotgun is to hit, reliably, targets beyond pistol range.

Actually, CapnMac, it's to hit moving, and particularly flying, targets. Shotguns were originally designed as 'fowling pieces', and their anti-personnel qualities were discovered by stagecoach drovers in the late 17th century, who used them becuase their attackers were usually on horseback, and close.

CapnMac said:

My all-time teethgritter is "you don't have to aim."

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Jumping back in...a ton of good stuff in this thread. Building on the good Captain...get a chance to shoot it a shorter ranges, and see how little the shot spreads...at short ranges, note where the wad hits....

Unlike the bad guy, you are responsible for everything that goes down range. As you become familiar with your shotgun, start looking at your living space, family, and neighbors. Single, apartment, downtown area...different thoughts than married, three kids, in a single family house in the country. Remember, protecting those you love is the primary purpose. Do not think you magically become super human or the police by owning. People are important, things not so much.

It would either be private land, or State or Federal Land. It would be best to research who owns what and what the rules are. If shooting out 'in the wild', always stay aware of your surroundings, and keep a round handy in your pocket, never shoot up all your ammo.

Freedomharmonizes said:

Great suggestions & advice! Thank you. Great reminder about being mindful of shot reach and surrounding living beings and objects.

For people who dont have an accessible range and private land, anyone know what the legality is of going into a forest away from people and practicing using a shotgun with live ammunition? Obviously mindful of what is around us.

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The one big 5 sells is the 8 shot version with a a 20' barrel. Additional barrels are more limited as compared to the 6 shot version.

It comes with a wooden dowel inserted where the ammo goes to limit the gun to 3 shots which is what is legal for bird hunting. It's only needed when bird hunting so pull it out.

For defense... look for 00 Buck shot. It's the most common stuff you'll find until you get more familiar. Any brand for now.


You mentioned going shooting in the forest... where in CA are you? NorCA?

Congrats! I just purchased a Maverick 88 myself! The following video might be useful.

danez71 said:

The one big 5 sells is the 8 shot version with a a 20' barrel. Additional barrels are more limited as compared to the 6 shot version.

It comes with a wooden dowel inserted where the ammo goes to limit the gun to 3 shots which is what is legal for bird hunting. It's only needed when bird hunting so pull it out.

For defense... look for 00 Buck shot. It's the most common stuff you'll find until you get more familiar. Any brand for now.


You mentioned going shooting in the forest... where in CA are you? NorCA?

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Close.........the magazine plug is there to limit capacity to a total of 3 shells in the gun for Federal migratory birds which includes waterfowl and dove. Quail, pheasant, etc., do not have that mandate. Most normal pumps hold 3-4 in the mag plus 1 in the chamber. Some tactical a 3-gun comp versions have extended magazines to allow for more capacity. Personally, my Mossberg 500 holds 4+1 and I have a 6 round side saddle. If they get past my SIG 9mm, my Ruger 9mm PCC with the 32 round Glock mag and then the 11 shots of 00 buck, I guess I am just screwed.............

George P said:

Close.........the magazine plug is there to limit capacity to a total of 3 shells in the gun for Federal migratory birds which includes waterfowl and dove. Quail, pheasant, etc., do not have that mandate. Most normal pumps hold 3-4 in the mag plus 1 in the chamber. Some tactical a 3-gun comp versions have extended magazines to allow for more capacity. Personally, my Mossberg 500 holds 4+1 and I have a 6 round side saddle. If they get past my SIG 9mm, my Ruger 9mm PCC with the 32 round Glock mag and then the 11 shots of 00 buck, I guess I am just screwed.............

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Regarding the birds... you're probably right. I'm mother that familiar with the the hunting regs.

Freedomharmonizes said:

I called the Big5 I'm buying from and the guy there confirmed the capacity of mine is 5 rounds and 1 in chamber.

I'm in the north bay of San Francisco bay area. Near Petaluma.

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Weird. I've never seen big5 carry the 5+1 with the 18.5" barrel... never seen it carried or advertised. It's always the 20" barrel with the 7+1 capacity which doesn't give you the barrel swap option's the 6 shot does.

I like shooting outdoors and use govt BLM land... but it's desert near me and that why I ask where are you at.

If yu have a turners near you theu may help or join a club... maybe even calguns.net.

Add a side saddle and you can double your gun capacity.

MAKster said:

Shotguns are not drop safe. They don't have firing pin blocks like pistols. So if you keep a loaded shotgun leaning against a wall like a lot of people it could possibly fire it it fell over onto a hard floor.

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I'm not convinced the "tip over" motion will fire any modern shotguns ever. This is just a nitpick though -- they still aren't drop safe. Hence the popularity of cruiser-ready.

Freedomharmonizes said:

I'm in the north bay of San Francisco bay area. Near Petaluma.

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My late cousin was a Deputy in Mendocino County for many years. There's public land up there, but you want a local to to show you where to go, as there are gremlins in the woods. And you need to stay off Reservation land. And, probably, wait for the other side of Fire Season, too.

They filmed a bunch of the outdoor scenes for the series Combat! up there, it's beautiful country.