MAVERICK OPINIONS ? (by Mossberg)

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Gator Weiss

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I am interested in what folks on this forum think of the MAVERICK slide action shotgun; especially the one with the smooth bore slugger barrel. I just scored one from a friend - new condition - very nice set of sights on the barrel. I really like the old Mossberg action - especially the thumb-switch style safety on the top of the back of the receiver. Maverick has moved the safety to the forward edge of the trigger guard and I wish they had not done this. There is some advantage to the trigger guard mounted safety button and that would be if you chose to add a pistol-grip style stock or a folding stock.

This is my first Maverick. Can anyone share pros and cons on this shotgun?
 
The Maverick is a good gun, I think the equal of the Mossberg 500 (actually they are the same gun with a couple of minor differences). It's hard to find good information on the subject (what you tend to get is people repeating stuff they've heard over the years), but from everything I could gather they are made in the same factories, of the same parts (so the old "Mexican Mossberg" comments do not appear to be true any longer. In fact my Maverick came with "Made in the U.S.A. stickers on it, and the barrel and receiver are also stamped as being made in the U.S.A.). The safety on the Maverick although less popular, seems to be the more reliable safety. There are lots of threads about the Mossberg 500 safety coming apart and the bearing being lost. This doesn't happen with the Maverick.
 
Best pump for the price anywhere you look. The quality surpasses the price by far. The only difference between the maverick and mossberg 500 is the safety. As far as I know. I own 2 a 12 and a 20.
 
I really prefer the safety position of the Maverick over the Mossberg. If I were in the market for a Mossberg action, I would go with a Maverick just because of the safety alone. Though I have a Win. SXP which has the safety in the same position as the Mav. 88

I think that's the best position because it's equally easy to access from a traditional or pistol grip stock. The Mossberg safety is fine ona traditional stock but is useless with a PG. Plus it kinda ruins the look of the gun being at the top of the receiver.

Overall though, if i were looking for a budget pump gun, I'd go with Stevens 320. I really just prefer the Win. speed pump action.
 
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Just a few days ago, I was looking at a used 20ga version in an LGS, with a rifled bbl & iron sights @ $229 - If I didn't already own/use a 20ga Ithaca Deerslayer, I'da bought it in a heartbeat. . :)



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Bought mine as a beater. Turns out to be a nice gun.

It would have to be a pretty special gun to get me to pay any more for a shotgun.
 
Mine shoots fine, but it is not my main hunting shotgun and I haven't put more than 100 shells through it. The trigger guard is plastic, in addition to other differences already stated.
 
My friend has one, and I have the 500. His action is a lot smoother than my 500. They are just about the same gun as far as I can tell. He hasn't had any trouble out of it it, shoots, feeds, and ejects fine
 
Whenever I look at a gun I go to Youtube and see them in action before buying. Learns a lot from them. I did before I bought the 88 and I was impressed for an $180 shotgun.

I had mine for months and only fired it once. I wanted to try skeet shooting but I needed a partner to go. Nobody here is interested so I put one birdshot shell in the gun and fired it in my backyard.

Just making sure it works before HD use. :D
 
I had a 5+1 security model, and it was a good gun. The only con I haven't seen mentioned in this thread was that the actions bars are attached directly to the forend, so you'd need to get a Mossberg 500 action tube assembly if you wanted to install forends made for the 500. As long as you're happy with the forend on the gun, though, it doesn't really matter.
 
to the OP I have a 500 with a 24" smooth bore rifle sight slugger bbl. and honestly I like it o.k. but mine has the ports on the end and for the life of me I just don't get why Mossberg thinks they have to port every thing. im thinking of cutting the ports off and re-attaching the front sight if its practical if not ill just live with it:(
 
The trigger guard is plastic
Click to expand...

The only current production Mossberg 500 style shotguns with metal trigger guards are the 590A1's. Everything else is plastic. Not that it really matters much.

If you're going to shoot it a whole lot, I'd spend a little more and buy the 500. In the long run, I think you'll be happier.
 
I've owned many brands of pump shotguns over the years. When I needed a new one I picked the Maverick due to the price point and safety location. I do believe it is the best bang for the buck on a HD shotgun. YMMV. tom. :cool:
 
I bought the maveric 88 12GA Vented Rib verson for a beater/skeet gun. Its a lot of value for the money. The plastic trigger gaurd does not bother me at all but the aluminum receiver does, it nicks and scratches easily as well as shows some internal wear. The trigger is a little heavy and occasionally it will jam. Overall it functions good and I have no regrets getting it for $182 out the door.
 
My 500 that I purchased back in 1981 has the plastic trigger guard, and it still works fine. While the Maverick isn't exactly the nicest pump shotgun going, it's perfectly useable, and should work for decades.
 
I love my Mav. I use it for regular trap shoots and it sits under my bed wearing its short barrel. I really like the safety location as that's where my trigger finger rests for any long arm I'm using.
 
Minor rant: Mossberg has known literally for decades that the sliding plastic safety button is prone to breakage and yet has never done a thing to correct it. The pushbutton safety on the Maverick is a vast improvement.
 
Best Beater

I bought a Maverick 88 six shot as a used police trade in down at The Ocala Armory on a trip to visit my brother ten years ago, It was worn but serviceable and came with a SpeedFeed stock and heat shield. When you could get 100 rounds boxes of #7 bird shot in 2-3/4" shells from Walmart for $5 a go, I bought thousands of rounds.

I have no idea how many rounds the Mav got when the local PD had it but the action was smooth and slick and after the thousands I put through it, it still goes strong. Bird, Buck, Slug and even some of those 'novelty' rounds they have at the fun shows (flamethrower! riot rounds!) have been through this gun. It wears a side saddle and a shortened shell cuff that doesn't impede the Speed stock and with 21 rounds of mixed 00, 000 and slug, it's our HD shotgun.

In closing I'll say that I've also owned a stock model 500 six shot and a super jazzy model 590A1 9-shot with the ghost ring sights and the six position stock. They were good guns but the 590 was too many whistles and bells (and my discovery that I don't like pistol grip pump guns) and the 500 was heavier than the Mav 88 empty and not as fun to shoot. They went the way of the dodo. I am currently shopping around for a Mav 88 20 gauge six shot for my wife!
 
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