Maverick 88 OR Mossberg Persuader?

Heat shield and pistol grip are both less than ideal. I have a 590 20" that came with a heat shield, and it doesn't wear it anymore. I also use regular stock rather than a pistol grip.

But my primary home defense shotgun is a 590S with an 18.5" barrel, which is a 6+1. A little shorter and less front heavy. I added a simple TLR-1 weapon light, and not much else. The Velcro side saddles aren't a bad idea though. Infact I might order some right now as I've been meaning to do that.

I like the 500/590 design and haven't had any issues other than a weak magazine spring in the 20", which may have been from leaving it loaded with 8 shells for a year. But that's a long way for a spring to compress and expand. After I replaced the spring, I downloaded by 1 and haven't had a problem in over a decade.
 
Field stripped the Maverick 88. I know a bit more about the mechanism now, how the parts interact, and how to line up everything when reassembling.
Function check after disassembly/reassembly was 100%!
I took the chance to clean out all the oil covering all the internals (a lot) and waxed the barrel, mag tube, and receiver with paste wax. I think it offers more protection than a wipe with oil or RIG grease.

I contacted my past instructor to get a range “tune up” with the shotgun since I’m mostly a handgun shooter. That should help me gain some proficiency with the pump. Looking forward to it!
 
While the 590 Persuader has some nice features like the tang mounted safety, it's seems a bit pricey compared with the 88 Maverick. I would go with the 88 and spend the money you save on buying shotshells and any other accessories like a LimbSaver Slip-On Recoil Pad.
Xa93004.jpg
 
I have personally owned at least 4 Mossberg-pattern pump guns. 88, 500, 590 Mariner, 590, 590A1.Turned the 88 into a Mossberg Bullpup which I regret selling though I did make a ton of money even at the time off it :) Also used at some length a series of 870s, including Vang updated ones, S&W 3000, and a ton of autos. There are reasons I own

The 88 is basically the old 500 with Mexican parts. Great system, to keep offering a low-cost version of the same gun. Crossbolt safety and unless different since I last looked, single transfer bar. Also as far as I know, the handguard bolted/pressed difference is irrelevant as the transfer bars interact with the bolt carrier the same way so get any aftermarket or replacement one you want.

88 will do anything you need. If you are going to shoot it enough to need a heat shield: buy one. The acceptable plastic one that was $20 in the 90s is still sold by SHS for $24.

One real decision: pistol grips Do Not Play with tang safeties. My A1 came not unlike this https://www.mossberg.com/590a1-m-lok-50769.html (the guns change hardly ever but they change which configurations and accessories all the time) and hated it. Great gun but not with that stock. If you want a pistol grip, do the crossbolt safety, for sure.
 
Anybody know how adding a cross bolt safety vs tang would be a cost saving measure, it seems strange that the 88 and 500 are almost identical in almost all other respects besides forend attachment. Probably something only somebody with intimate first hand knowledge of the manufacturing processes could know but still...... perhaps they wanted a model out there that would accommodate a pistol grip?
 
Nephew just bought a 20" 7+1 maverick 88, it has dual action bars.
Tore it down and cleaned it (except mag tube) before taking it to the range.
Put near 200 shells through it (informal clays) and found the cheap winchester shells sometimes stuck in the chamber (FTE), no other issues or hangups with the federal and clever shells we tried. Thinking we'll polish the chamber and see how it goes.
 
DustyGmt said:
Anybody know how adding a cross bolt safety vs tang would be a cost saving measure, it seems strange that the 88 and 500 are almost identical in almost all other respects besides forend attachment. Probably something only somebody with intimate first hand knowledge of the manufacturing processes could know but still...... perhaps they wanted a model out there that would accommodate a pistol grip?
Click to expand...

It is more than the difference in safeties that lowers the cost of the 88. The use of a single transfer bar along with pressing/pinning the forearm in place also lowers the cost as does having certain parts made in Mexico.

As far as the safeties go, the tang safety requires extra machining to the receiver. machining say 10,000 88 receivers will be cheaper than machining the same 10,000 500/590 receivers since there are less machining steps to be done. As fast as CNC machines are, time is still money.

With the forearm, it is also cheaper to use only one transfer bar versus two transfer bars. It is also cheap to press fit and/or use a pin to hold the forearm onto the tube versus having to cut threads on the tube and also machine a nut to hold the forearm onto the tube.

While I do prefer having two transfer bars there is nothing wrong with using only one transfer bar. Mossberg has used a angel transfer bar on the 500/600 and stop e models for a long time along with the Maverick 88. If there were issues then Mossberg would have went with dual transfer bars a long time ago.
 
My 2 or 3 year old Maverick 88 20" has dual transfer bars. That indicates to me that product improvement is ongoing and that expense is not the sole determinant. Single bars worked fine on model 12 and many pump shotguns, but it is always preferable to balance force and have a bit of redundancy.
 
12Bravo20 said:
It is more than the difference in safeties that lowers the cost of the 88. The use of a single transfer bar along with pressing/pinning the forearm in place also lowers the cost as does having certain parts made in Mexico.

As far as the safeties go, the tang safety requires extra machining to the receiver. machining say 10,000 88 receivers will be cheaper than machining the same 10,000 500/590 receivers since there are less machining steps to be done. As fast as CNC machines are, time is still money.

With the forearm, it is also cheaper to use only one transfer bar versus two transfer bars. It is also cheap to press fit and/or use a pin to hold the forearm onto the tube versus having to cut threads on the tube and also machine a nut to hold the forearm onto the tube.

While I do prefer having two transfer bars there is nothing wrong with using only one transfer bar. Mossberg has used a angel transfer bar on the 500/600 and stop e models for a long time along with the Maverick 88. If there were issues then Mossberg would have went with dual transfer bars a long time ago.
Click to expand...
My new maverick has dual bars attached to the fore end.
 
Dirtybob said:
Nephew just bought a 20" 7+1 maverick 88, it has dual action bars.
Tore it down and cleaned it (except mag tube) before taking it to the range.
Put near 200 shells through it (informal clays) and found the cheap winchester shells sometimes stuck in the chamber (FTE), no other issues or hangups with the federal and clever shells we tried. Thinking we'll polish the chamber and see how it goes.
Click to expand...
Which Winchester shells? AA’s?
 
.45Coltguy said:
Mossberg switched to dual action bars on their pumps in the early 70's after Remington's patent ceased. Maverick shotguns received the dual action bars in 1990.
Click to expand...
For such an inexpensive shotgun, there’s great value in a Maverick 88 it seems.
 
I've got an old 500A with the single transfer bar. It does feel a little more janky and the action feels loosey goosey compared to my 590 and the single bar should be a strike against it but the 500A was my first long gun and I've had it for 17 years and for reasons unknown the only buck and slugs I ran through it for the first few years were 3". I put alot of magnums through it and alot of shot, I know this thing can handle business.

Just gonna need a new mag tube spring and maybe update a few small parts. It's not failing though, just some weak ejection and lil to no resistance on the mag tube spring when I'm loading.... probably about time.
 
Me too on assuming the single/double transfer bar thing was still true. This century I bought a new handguard for an 88 that had one transfer bar, disassembed it to put the second in (it was an assembly, had the space for it) for one of my 500s. So... maybe not even all the accessory makers got the memo in the 90s when they changed. And: neat. I like how the Maverick is constantly product improved as long as they can stick to costs. Would be neat to see a long interview about how they do that.

A handful of people have put Maverick 88 fire control groups into their modern 500-series (mostly Shockwaves) for easier activation etc. Yes, works fine, all is interchangeable except yes, this leaves the tang safety inop, and presumably it should be removed and blanked (for safety of others using it at least) but... that seems like a lot of work unless you already have all those guns and parts laying around.
 
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