JediSoth
Member
Just the other day, I purchased a Maverick (by Mossberg) model 88 (12 ga., 28" barrel with Modified chok, chambered for 2-3/4" & 3" magnum) for $139. I bought some cleaning supplies and an Improved choke for it and took it out to the skeet range today with my Dad to test it out. We're just amateurs funnin' about; we have a string-pull thrower mounted on an old tire.
I was mostly using Remington target loads, 2-3/4" with #8 shot. I haven't removed the dowel, so my magazine capacity was only 2 shots (don't need anymore for target practice anyway). I loaded it up and found it to be a fairly solid shoot. Recoil is a little bit stiffer than my Dad's 12 ga., probably because the Mossberg is a lighter weapon. I found the action to be pretty solid and easy to operate. The double pins on the ventilated rib barrel made it easy to line up the barrel for some good hits on those poor old clay pigeons. I had no misfeeds or misfires. I did grab a 00 buck (possible 3" mag) by accident; they were in the bottom of the box with the target loads. Needless to say, I missed the target, but the recoil wasn't all that bad, though noticably more than the 2-3/4" target loads.
One thing I really like about the action is that you can't "slam fire" the weapon. If you're holding the trigger down when you chamber a round, you must first release the trigger to reset it before you can fire (the one ND I ever had in my life came about with my Dad's 12 ga. when I had my finger too close to the trigger when I racked that slide back and chambered a round. My grip was fairly loose, so when the slide when forward, my finger hit the trigger and fired the round. Fortunately, the shotgun was pointed downrange and towards the ground, so I only blew the heck out of some weeds). It's a pretty nice touch, especially good for beginners.
The Maverick 88 will accept Mossberg Accu-choke tubes for the Mossberg 500 as well as barrels made for the Mossberg 500 series. Not at all a bad little shotgun for under $150. There was some small spots of surface rust on the barrel when I unboxed it, but nothing a little steel wool and gun oil wouldn't remove.
JediSoth
I was mostly using Remington target loads, 2-3/4" with #8 shot. I haven't removed the dowel, so my magazine capacity was only 2 shots (don't need anymore for target practice anyway). I loaded it up and found it to be a fairly solid shoot. Recoil is a little bit stiffer than my Dad's 12 ga., probably because the Mossberg is a lighter weapon. I found the action to be pretty solid and easy to operate. The double pins on the ventilated rib barrel made it easy to line up the barrel for some good hits on those poor old clay pigeons. I had no misfeeds or misfires. I did grab a 00 buck (possible 3" mag) by accident; they were in the bottom of the box with the target loads. Needless to say, I missed the target, but the recoil wasn't all that bad, though noticably more than the 2-3/4" target loads.
One thing I really like about the action is that you can't "slam fire" the weapon. If you're holding the trigger down when you chamber a round, you must first release the trigger to reset it before you can fire (the one ND I ever had in my life came about with my Dad's 12 ga. when I had my finger too close to the trigger when I racked that slide back and chambered a round. My grip was fairly loose, so when the slide when forward, my finger hit the trigger and fired the round. Fortunately, the shotgun was pointed downrange and towards the ground, so I only blew the heck out of some weeds). It's a pretty nice touch, especially good for beginners.
The Maverick 88 will accept Mossberg Accu-choke tubes for the Mossberg 500 as well as barrels made for the Mossberg 500 series. Not at all a bad little shotgun for under $150. There was some small spots of surface rust on the barrel when I unboxed it, but nothing a little steel wool and gun oil wouldn't remove.
JediSoth
