Maverick 88 OR Mossberg Persuader?

drband

drband

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I’m thinking of upgrading my home defense shotgun from an old 1100 16 gauge to a 12 gauge.

I’m considering the Maverick 88 20” cylinder bore, 7+1 capacity
Local price: $229

and the Mossberg 590 Persuader 20” 8+1 capacity. Also cylinder bore. Heat shield. Drilled & tapped. Includes pistol grip kit.
Local price: $449

Both have polymer stocks.

Is the Persuader worth the $220 difference?
 
To me? No.

The Maverick already is 7+1, and you're only gaining a round. I don't normally aftermarket sight a HD shotgun, and I don't normally do pistol grips on shotguns.


I think the Model 88 has the Remington-style safety in the trigger guard. Does that matter to you? To me that's as big a difference as any.
 
tubeshooter said:
To me? No.

The Maverick already is 7+1, and you're only gaining a round. I don't normally aftermarket sight a HD shotgun, and I don't normally do pistol grips on shotguns.


I think the Model 88 has the Remington-style safety in the trigger guard. Does that matter to you? To me that's as big a difference as any.
Click to expand...

Yes, the safety is in the trigger guard in front of the trigger. The bolt release is behind the trigger guard.
I’ll have to check on the Mossberg 590 to see if it has a tang safely lever.

Edit: the persuader has a top mounted tang safety—which I like better…
 
The two main differences between the Maverick 88 and Mossberg 500 is the safety location and how the fore arm attaches. On the 88 the forearm is pressed onto the arms while the 500 uses a nut to hold the wood onto the arms.

I personally prefer the 500 due to it having the tang safety since I shoot left hand.
 
12Bravo20 said:
The two main differences between the Maverick 88 and Mossberg 500 is the safety location and how the fore arm attaches. On the 88 the forearm is pressed onto the arms while the 500 uses a nut to hold the wood onto the arms.

I personally prefer the 500 due to it having the tang safety since I shoot left hand.
Click to expand...
The 590 persuader has polymer furniture.
 
The 590 will also have the (clean-out) mag tube with a removable end-cap, whereas the 88 will have a mag-tube with a "nut" somehow semi-permanently attached to the end of the mag-tube (which will make mag spring &/or follower changes a bit more difficult.

Personally, I went with a 590A1 18.5" with ghost ring sights, and gave away the pistol-grip "kit", but nowadays, that would be ~$700 gun, but it'd be worth it to me, as it'd be my most-used long gun due to personal preference and interstate legality.
https://www.mossberg.com/590a1-m-lok-50765.html

I'm guessing the OP is deciding between these two, but there are so many models with slight differences on Mossberg's website:
https://www.mossberg.com/maverick-88-security-31046.html
https://www.mossberg.com/590-9-shot-50694.html
I see the 590 will now also come with a heat-shield, which, to me, adds some of the value.
 
L-2 said:
The 590 will also have the (clean-out) mag tube with a removable end-cap, whereas the 88 will have a mag-tube with a "nut" somehow semi-permanently attached to the end of the mag-tube (which will make mag spring &/or follower changes a bit more difficult.

Personally, I went with a 590A1 18.5" with ghost ring sights, and gave away the pistol-grip "kit", but nowadays, that would be ~$700 gun, but it'd be worth it to me, as it'd be my most-used long gun due to personal preference and interstate legality.
https://www.mossberg.com/590a1-m-lok-50765.html

I'm guessing the OP is deciding between these two, but there are so many models with slight differences on Mossberg's website:
https://www.mossberg.com/maverick-88-security-31046.html
https://www.mossberg.com/590-9-shot-50694.html
I see the 590 will now also come with a heat-shield, which, to me, adds some of the value.
Click to expand...
Yes, the clean out mag tube and heat shield come on this 590 model. Those and the tang safety and forearm attachment (nut vs pressed on) make the 590 a significant upgrade over the 88.
I’m leaning toward the 590 for features but the extra $220 is a little hard to swallow right now.
 
Neither.

Hunt for an older police trade in Remington 870 Police.

I’ll bet you can easily find one for that price and it will be a far more robust shotgun. The Mossbergs are sloppy and rough. You want smooth for a home defense shotgun.
 
Either should serve you just fine.

I recently picked up a 590S. I like that it has ghost ring sights, removable chokes, uses mini-shells, and can take a Bayonet.
Crappy garage lighting pic:
590s sling2.jpg

The 590A1 always seemed heavy to me. However peeking at Mossberg website just now, the 590S is just as heavy as the A1. Which seems odd to me as the barrel on the S is not the heavy wall version that is on the A1.

I like having removable chokes. I could put in a modified or full choke and hunt with this in a pinch vs being limited to cylinder bore in the A1.
 
TFB TV did a great review on the Maverick 88.


They frequently torture test Turkish shotguns. None them hold to their testing. The Maverick 88 did.

Also get a mini-shell adapter from Defender Tactical. $25 and you can shoot everything from mini-shells up to 3 inch magnums.
https://defendertactical.com/products/universal-minishell-adapter

I have the tac-sol adapter in my Mossberg Shockwave. The problem with it is you can only shoot mini-shells (out of the magazine tube) with it.
 
drband said:
Is the Persuader worth the $220 difference?
Click to expand...
JMPO, NO! Pistol grip kit is $100-$150 of unnecessary junk, that make a shotgun less useful. "Cool" looking, sure, I guess, but less user friendly. Drilled and tapped with heat shield? It's a shotgun for crying out loud. Again, JMPO if ya want tactical get an AR and start hanging all the Lego stuff on it. Learn to enjoy the simplicity and effectiveness of a pump riot shotgun. I like the 500 but I would pass on this and just find a 500 without all the "extras".
 
Too many times when a person will ask about certain firearms, others will tell them to buy something totally different that the OP didn't even ask about. In this case the OP is asking about a Mossberg Maverick 88 and a Mossberg 500. He never once asked about or stated that he was looking at other brands or models. And as far as the Mossberg 500 VS the Remington 870, that is purely a Chevy VS Ford thing. Both brands work well. And both brands have proven themselves in police use and in combat for decades. Rant over.

@drband if you prefer a tang safety then definitely go with the 500 or 590. If you are okay with a cross bolt safety and do not plan on changing the forearm then the Maverick 88 will work just fine. I will echo what others have said about pistol grips on shotguns though. A pistol grip is pretty much a waste of money and most shotguns with one are uncomfortable to shoot. The reason for this is that a PG puts all of the recoil into your wrist instead of your whole arm/shoulder.
 
drobs said:
TFB TV did a great review on the Maverick 88.


They frequently torture test Turkish shotguns. None them hold to their testing. The Maverick 88 did.

Also get a mini-shell adapter from Defender Tactical. $25 and you can shoot everything from mini-shells up to 3 inch magnums.
https://defendertactical.com/products/universal-minishell-adapter

I have the tac-sol adapter in my Mossberg Shockwave. The problem with it is you can only shoot mini-shells (out of the magazine tube) with it.
Click to expand...

Impressive test.
 
I bought my dad a Maverick 88 maybe 15 or more years ago. We used to hunt with Winchester 100s when I was a kid but let em go and wanted to get into shooting clay pidgeons on the cheap. The Maverick has had no issues, for the big difference in price the 88 wins hands down in bang for the buck, and the price difference buys a lot of ammo. A lot of aftermarket parts fit the 88. And made in Texas last I looked so made in USA.
 
I would spend the extra money on the 590. I think the Maverick is an excellent value, but if you can swing a few extra bucks, I'd just get a 590. I was able to pick up a 590 (not an A1) and it's nice and light and it was $250. No pistol grip, not a fan of the pistol grip after all.

If you bought the Maverick 88, at the risk of being presumptuous there is a better than good chance you're just an average gun owner and aren't going to shoot your HD shotgun regularly and it will be more than adequate, but if you plan to use it often and practice with it alot or just don't mind paying an extra hundo for the better more durable gun, get the Mossberg 590. Not to say the 88 won't stand up to the task, but the 500/590 is better.

To me Mossbergs feel cheap and janky compared to their main competitor, but I still love them and for a HD shotgun I think I lean toward the Mossbergs. They are lighter so a lil more felt recoil but I can run and top off my 590 faster than my 870.....
 
Some people want a pistol grip for use in close or tight quarters.
The Blackhawk Knoxx® Breachers Grip Gen III has a recoil reduction system that really does work in reducing felt recoil.
I know this from personal experience; I have both the pistol grip and shoulder stock in Gen II and Gen III versions.
 
I have shot plenty of shotguns with a pistol grip and with a bird head grip. I will take the bird head grip every time. With either grip you still want to hold the shotgun out in front of you using the push/pull method.
 
I’m leaning toward the Maverick 88 because of the economy and utility of the gun. I’m not a bird or turkey hunter and not a 3-gun competitor. While I do prefer the 590 for it’s top tang safety and more securely mounted fore end, I doubt that either would make a difference to me in home defense. A quick check of local shops shows no used 500’s or 590’s and no 870’s either. The security/field combo with extra barrel is very the best deal out there in an 88 but I don’t need the field barrel.

Thanks to all who contributed. I think the 88 security setup will be my choice. There are 5-6 in stock in town, so I’ll pick one up this weekend.
 
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