Just got my new maverick 88.

[Doug S]

If you purchased the shotgun last year it is definitely a Mexican barrel on the gun and it should be so marked underneath said barrel unless you bought an older used model as when they were introduced in 1982 they actually were American made. If your barrel is American made it will be stamped on the side of the barrel.

EXAMPLE:
18.5" CYL BORE
-MADE IN U.S.A.-

Interesting, I've always read the opposite. That being that when introduced the Maverick used some Mexican parts including the barrel, and that in more recent years they were being manufactured in Texas (someone even posted a news article about it from 2007ish if I remember correctly. There were also some who claimed that the Maverick barrels were machined in Mexico from American steel blanks, and then sent back to TX for final assembly. Regardless, my shotgun was purchased last year, of new stock. No such markings on my barrel. Mine does not list country of origin with the barrel info as you indicate above, and as I said nothing under the barrel either. I guess the mystery remains.

 

[Uniquedot]

That being that when introduced the Maverick used some Mexican parts including the barrel

That may be correct as my information of the early ones being all American came from a magazine article...I want to say it was guns magazine, but I'm not sure. I do know that all the older Mossberg barrels had USA on them and now they have MEXICO on them. The two I have now are recent barrels including the 20" vr accu-choke barrel which was rather expensive for what it is. It was only 8 or 10 dollars cheaper than a complete maverick! and it too is stamped Mexico on it. You can solve your mystery of the barrel not being stamped by calling Mossberg and asking them.

 

[Doug S]

Okay, thanks for the response.

 

[Eb1]

I just uploaded this video from my Maverick 88. It doesn't mention Mexico anywhere on the shotgun. It also came with a big "Made in the USA" sticker, and says, "Maverick 88 by Mossberg" on the receiver.

Give it a look if you want.

http://youtu.be/l-BQZ7LiPS4

 

[MCgunner]

Eb, El Paso? Doesn't say "Eagle Pass, Texas"????

 

[Eb1]

Doh! Eagle Pass, TX. Good thing it is a scatter gun. :banghead:

Thanks, MCgunner. I corrected that in the comments of the video, and in the description. Good catch. I just always glanced at it, and thought it said El Paso, TX.
Anyway. I just wanted to show off the Maverick 88, and see if my barrel said anything about Mexico. Which it doesn't. I'll look up the serial number to see when it came off the line. I bought it for $139.99 of the shelf. I should have bought two or three of them, and set them up different. I did shoot a modified choke for the longest, but have sense went to open cylinder, and do just as good if not better than I did with a modified choke. I have the gamut of chokes though. Full, Modified, X-Full, and Open.

This shotgun will hit a softball at 110 yards everytime with Federal or Winchester Foster slugs just using the beads, also. It is a great shotgun. The wife has a Mossy 500 20 gauge that we have in the closet for HD using 000 Buck. I keep saying I am going to cut her barrel, and buy a new 26" for her, but she wants me to setup the Maverick for HD with a side saddle, ext. mag tube and light, and then buy me a one of those made in Turkey O/U for trap shooting.
I don't want to mess with my Maverick 88 as that gun along with my Marlin Model 60 are the two guns that I have the most confidence in. If I could only keep two it'd be those two, but who likes to think like that? I'd have to keep the SBH also in .44 Magnum.

 

[Uniquedot]

EB1, I looked @ your video and it prompted me to look at mine again and sure enough the 20" is deeply stamped Mexico underneath it, but when I looked @ the 18.5" THERE WERE NO MARKINGS! I says to myself I know for a fact that it said Mexico and I was sure it was stamped as well so I dug out the packaging for that barrel and sure enough the package said "barrel made in Mexico" so I guess they are no longer even required to stamp the barrels. If you check your packaging you'll probably find a sticker stating the barrel is of Mexican manufacture.

 

[Eb1]

I'll see if I still got it.

Even though, if it was made in Mexico I can't complain. I have shot 300 rounds in one day about in 6 rounds of trap. One right after the other, and it shot straight, and kept on kicking. It sure was hot. I can't complain though.

 

[LeonCarr]

Hopefully the OP will take out the new Maverick 88 and shoot another one of those gigantic rodents like he did with his 16 Gauge, and take pictures of it and show us .

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[alfon99]

Hopefully the OP will take out the new Maverick 88 and shoot another one of those gigantic rodents like he did with his 16 Gauge, and take pictures of it and show us .

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

Still didn't have the opportunity to shoot one of these rodents with my new shotgun. We had a few tornadoes and flooding in my area, thats why I took some time to answer, some power lines were destroyed so right now I'm on engine-generators. Unfortunately a small town a few kilometers away was hit real hard by a tornado. Still no deaths were reported, but many of these poor people lost their homes.

 

[carbuncle]

Timely thread, I may get a modest bonus this month and I am looking to pick up a decent, affordable HD shotgun with it. I have been looking at the 20" 88 and it sounds like I'm on the right track!

 

[heeler]

Just to make a clarification from an earlier post and only being called on it numerous times....My Winchester 1200 Riot/Police Defender definitely has the safety in front of the trigger guard just like my Maverick.
Got ahead of myself sorry guys.
But I still prefer the 500 tang which I consider ergonomically superior and still prefer the rear of the trigger guard safety like my Police 870 if it has to be a crossbolt safety.