Stevens or Maverick?

[jslshooter]

All my shotguns are O/U or SxS and I want to get a home defense shotgun but I have a certain price cap I'm allowed to spend (200-225). I know there's not much to choose with that criteria but there are two I looked at that could fit the bill and I need some opinions on it. The first one is a Mossberg/Maverick 88 Security Pump 12ga and the second is the Savage/Stevens M350 Tactical 12ga pump. The 88 is basically a "cheaper" Mossberg 500 and the M350 is a Ithaca 37 clone with the bottom eject. Both seem solid and action is decent but which one these two has a better track record? I'm kinda leaning on the 350 because it has a ghost ring rear sight and a hi viz front post sight. The 88 is a contender with it's proven Mossy design and function and adaptable to most aftermarket accessories. What do you all think? I've narrowed my search to these two options. Your input will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[midland man]

maverick 88 they are solid shotguns and will just work!

 

[DaleCooper51]

Between the two, I would go with the Maverick. I had a field one for a number of years and it worked. I don't like having to load the magazine to feed a gun and just don't get on with the 37.

I know you only mentioned these two, but for new guns in that price range there is also the NEF Pardner Protector that seems to be a solid gun.

Get some trigger time with your choices and see what you like best.

 

[HexHead]

The 88 is a contender with it's proven Mossy design and function and adaptable to most aftermarket accessories. What do you all think? I've narrowed my search to these two options. Your input will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

The Mav's forearm is riveted on, so not as interchangeable as you think. Other than that and the cross bolt safety instead of a tang, it is a Mossy 500.

And that Pardner mentioned above probably weighs as much as the Mav and Stevens together.

 

[MAKster]

The Maverick uses a one piece forearm to reduce the cost. You can replace it with a standard Mossberg tube and forearm.

 

[Nicky Santoro]

OP,
I was in the same position last year. All the low priced SGs got reasonably good reviews but the Maverick seemed to have fewer bad reviews so I went with that one. So far so good.

 

[mole]

My brother just got a Pardner recently and it seems like a solid gun. I wouldn't prefer it over my Mossberg 500, but I would certainly consider it a decent choice. The extra weight would help absorb some of the recoil.

 

[oneounceload]

The Maverick uses a one piece forearm to reduce the cost. You can replace it with a standard Mossberg tube and forearm.

Kind of defeats his purpose to stay under his stated amounts then - it would be cheaper in the long run to just get the Mossberg than the Maverick and then change out parts

 

[deputy tom]

Of the two I'll take the Maverick. Good luck in your quest. tom.

 

[handloader357]

Ive beat on a maverick 88 for around 10 years now and it's never had a malfunction of any sort. Tons of trap shooting and 2 trips to a goose blind.

 

[BigBL87]

I'd go Maverick simply for parts availability since most parts are interchangable with the 500. I ended up paying extra and getting a 500 with an 18" barrel and a 28" barrel.

I did heavily consider the 350, but in my case I wanted the flexibility of different barrels and aftermarket parts.

 

[frankiestoys]

Maverick all the way I owned an 88 a few years back and sold it regreted it so much I bought another shotgun this time a Stevens 320 , broken out of the box ! Slide would not lock called Savage and they sent me a new one when I asked what they were doing with my old one they said they were scraping it claimed that they are "unrepairable " and never fix them .Sold the new one after 15 rounds and lookin for another Marverick

 

[JAshley73]

You have a lot of double-guns, so here's my though on a HD gun.

1st, get the one that "fits" the best. By now, you probably know what that means I you.

2nd, if they both fit good, I'd lean towards the maverick for 2 reasons. 2A - the bead sights. Your double-guns will have bead sights, so nothing new to learn there. 2B - the side-eject port. Much easier to load the first shell, or un-chamber a round, or select-a-slug...


But all that said, I'd pick neither of the two. If you must have a pump gun, scour the local shops in search of a used Mossberg 500, and then you'll get a familiar tang safety and possibly better looking (wood) stock/forend, Afro the same price as either of the other two brand new.

 

[jslshooter]

Man-handled an M350 today.....that's a heavy gun. Heavier than my doubles. If I didn't have bursitis in my forearm, I wouldn't really pay that much attention to the extra weight. However, the extra weight does play on my sensibilities of pain. Don't know if I like the whole bottom eject thing. I have Mossy 500 experience and have gotten used to that weight and balance. I like the ghost ring sights on the 350. I'm kinda leaning towards the Maverick but I would like to shoot the 350 just to compare.

 

[SlowFuse]

I'd go with the 88, im content with mine. It "just works" as someone has already said.

I don't have the Stevens but have shot a friends. Im not sure if it was a 320 or 350, it was bottom eject. I remember that specifically because on almost every pump it would drop an unfired shell out of the bottom.

 

[smokey262]

I would get the Maverick. 20 years from now when you need a part it will be easy to get. With the Stevens, parts are hard to come buy now, let alone in 20 years.

 

[tnxdshooter]

Iac hawk 982 I think is the model number that has ghost rings. Its essentially a Remington 870 with ghost ring sights.

If you get the maverick 88 see if mossberg still sells the barrel kit 95303 I believe is the number. Its an 18.5" barrel with the front ghost ring pre soldered on and comes with a rear ghost ring sight. Then just have the maverick receiver drilled and taped and voila you've got a mossberg 500 with ghost rings essentially.

 

[WALKERs210]

I own one of the Maverick 88's, 12ga, recoil is minimal and have never had a single issue with it. My HD gun is a Mossberg 500E 20ga with 18" barrel shoulder stock replaced with a pistol grip. The 20ga is more than enough inside the house but recoil is soft enough that the wife can use it. For the cost any of the Mossberg's will do the job while not emptying your wallet