I've recently decided to go the SBS route, and tagged the beater 870P currently doing duty as the trunk/utility/beater shotgun as the platform.
Sooo....I've been casting about for a potential replacement, with a notion to get a used Mossy 500/590 for the task. (Primarily because I can't stand to leave an 870 as a "beater" and as quick as I get one, I refinish it to it's former glory
).
Last week after returning from one of my all to frequent trips, I headed to the range where I work as a RM, and perused the used rack. No 870s or Mossberg 500/590, but there all by itself was a Maverick 88 Cruiser model (12Ga/20bbl/extended mag). It looked unfired and the price was right. I grabbed a handfull of shells out of the ammo turn in box and fired it a dozen times. The action was stiff, but it fired and ejected every round. I decided to take a chance.
Got it home, stripped it down, and gave it a good cleaning (it was sticky with a cosomoline perservative, inside and out) and lightly greased all the bearing surfaces. I dug around the parts box for sling swivels and mounts, and stuck a GI sling on it.
I took it out Sunday and gave it an abbrivated Lee Lapin work out. A box birdshot, 10 rounds of 00 buck, another box of birdshot, 10 rounds of slugs, one more box of birdshot, finishing with an assortment of old shells laying around (more buck, slugs, 4s, 6s, and some Remmie buffered turkey loads, about another 25 rounds or so). Total round count was 125 give or take.
I admit that I was surprised and quite pleased with the performance of this gun. It was accurate with Federal Low recoil 00 buck and slugs, had no malfunctions, and had smoothed up considerably. Except for the buffered turkey loads, recoil was not bad at all. I favor the trigger guard safety over a tang safety , so no problem there. One downside is mag tube accessability fror cleaning, but as discussed in the forum, it can be accessed if needed.
All in all, I'm quite pleased. I intend to put another 150 rounds through it before conferring "permanent trunk gun" status on it, but at this point have no reason to doubt that it will make it.
Sooo....I've been casting about for a potential replacement, with a notion to get a used Mossy 500/590 for the task. (Primarily because I can't stand to leave an 870 as a "beater" and as quick as I get one, I refinish it to it's former glory
).Last week after returning from one of my all to frequent trips, I headed to the range where I work as a RM, and perused the used rack. No 870s or Mossberg 500/590, but there all by itself was a Maverick 88 Cruiser model (12Ga/20bbl/extended mag). It looked unfired and the price was right. I grabbed a handfull of shells out of the ammo turn in box and fired it a dozen times. The action was stiff, but it fired and ejected every round. I decided to take a chance.
Got it home, stripped it down, and gave it a good cleaning (it was sticky with a cosomoline perservative, inside and out) and lightly greased all the bearing surfaces. I dug around the parts box for sling swivels and mounts, and stuck a GI sling on it.
I took it out Sunday and gave it an abbrivated Lee Lapin work out. A box birdshot, 10 rounds of 00 buck, another box of birdshot, 10 rounds of slugs, one more box of birdshot, finishing with an assortment of old shells laying around (more buck, slugs, 4s, 6s, and some Remmie buffered turkey loads, about another 25 rounds or so). Total round count was 125 give or take.
I admit that I was surprised and quite pleased with the performance of this gun. It was accurate with Federal Low recoil 00 buck and slugs, had no malfunctions, and had smoothed up considerably. Except for the buffered turkey loads, recoil was not bad at all. I favor the trigger guard safety over a tang safety , so no problem there. One downside is mag tube accessability fror cleaning, but as discussed in the forum, it can be accessed if needed.
All in all, I'm quite pleased. I intend to put another 150 rounds through it before conferring "permanent trunk gun" status on it, but at this point have no reason to doubt that it will make it.