I love my Mav88's... I own three as the price is so stupid cheap I just decided to buy whole platforms instead of different barrels. I work in the Canadian Arctic and where I'm located there are polar bear, grizzly and wolves. I carry my 18.5" pistol grip everywhere and it's never any further than 12" away from me when I'm out on the tundra working. My life depends on dependability under all weather conditions and throughout a wide temperature range and it has never let me down. In all my years I've only had to use my trusty friend once for self defense against a bear and I'm not afraid to admit it but I kissed my Maverick 88 after it dispatched a bear with ease that had closed an alarming amount of ground on me while heading back to my work truck. I know that each of my Mav88's easily have over 1k of shells through them and I can't remember any of them ever skipping a beat. This thing will sling projectiles out with confidence in a snow storm at -50 degrees C or in a torrential rain storm at +30 degrees C. If theirs one word the sums up my feelings towards the Maverick 88 it would be CONFIDENCE!!!! As for the sluggishness it's a bit rough but I polished my bolt/carrier and cycled the shit out of it and use graphite powder on the action and mines smooth as silk right down to -50 degree C.
For anti corrosion I use g96 and/or fluid film. As for the dry graphite powder I just buy the cheapest I can find from eBay (usually comes from China but it's A1 quality).
Fluid Film is great for corrosion protection! My guns love it. I learned it's not a winter lube quite quickly, however. Assumed as much, but gotta experiment sometimes.
I bought my moss berg maverick 88 about 2 years ago. When I watched your video I noticed a problem that you had with the stiffness with charging the next shell when it's used in cold weather. I also had the same problem with mine. You asked for anybody to give you advice on that issue. I'm not a gunsmith by any means but I did my research and completely fixed the "sticky" issue. This is what I did. I went and bought a cheep set of small precision files from harbor freight tools. Next I took the shotgun apart. Once it was disassembled I took all of the metal parts that are functioning pieces and I filed down all of the sharp edges because these parts are not forged the are machine pressed and not finished completely. So give all of those edges a slight filing to knock off the rough edges and then reassemble. When I put mine back together I used a stuff called REM OIL, which is the only lubricant I use now. Trust me this procedure does work and I would love to hear your feedback after you try this.
I have the 20 inch security model 88 and have put thousands of rounds through it. .. gun is unbelievable super reliable and holds up incredibly well! I got mine in America for $240 and have never regretted it!
Every law biding citizen should own one. A 12 guage is the best firearm you can own.. its so versatile. I love mine, if I ever have a son he will get it at some point.
Bought one of these today with a seven shot tube, 8 total with one in the hole, for $235. So excited to have one. Could've gotten the 6 shot for cheaper, but I love the look of the 8 shot plus more rounds is never a bad thing.
1 year in and i have had no problems with it. I literally put this gun through a 6000 round stress test and i will say that this weapon is a masterpiece the best $180 dollars a mam could buy! I have the 7 plus 1 variation and i swear i have beaten it through hell and it still goin strong
I'm glad everyone likes their so much. I bought my 18.5" a few months ago. After 250 rounds the action has smoothed out quite a bit. I wouldn't dare get an 870 after all the issues I've seen. I was actually looking at handguns at Academy, the shotgun caught the corner of my eye. When he pulled it down I was blown away it was only $189. I'm not a shotgun guy so never realized they were that cheap. I bought it on the spot.its been flawless. I've been buying S&B 00 Buckshot at MidwayUSA for $69.99/250 case. For full load 9 pellet buckshot you can't beat $.28 a round. That's lower than most rifle ammo and around the same price as handgun ammo. I actually ended up getting a Tristar C100 (CZ75 compact clone) Glock 19, Marlin 60, and Shield 9mm at Academy. Around where I like (greater Dallas area) Academy has lower prices than any local gun store. I'm looking at a CZ P07 or CZ p10C and will most likely buy it from there as well.
Actually I like the Maverick 88 so well I'll probably end up getting a Mossberg 500 as well just to have something similar but a little nicer. The quality of the Maverick has really turned me onto Mossberg in general. I actually was surprised by the quality of my Marlin 60 as well. I bought my first one for $119 about 10 years ago. I've put thousands of rounds through it and it just keeps going. The new ones are $159 so not too bad all things considered. It's kind of surprising I have the most fun with cheap guns
I've owned the Security model with the 20" barrel and 7 shot tube for almost 4 years now and as long as it's oiled and cleaned properly I have zero issues with it. However, the one type of ammo that I know now to stay away from is Winchester Super-Target Xtra-Lite Target Load #9 shot. The empty hulls stick in the chamber like nothing I've ever seen no matter how clean or oiled the gun is. This causes them to be extremely difficult to extract. Every other 12 gauge round I've put through it has given me no problems whatsoever. As for the sluggish action issue, I honestly can't say I've ever noticed it.
I've been researching shotguns for months now, and my intention is to go with the 88. For a strictly home defense use, I feel I'll be making the right choice.
@@tonyrogo227 I found one couple days ago , was more than I had to spend at the moment so I put it in layaway . $299, Funny how the prices have changed since this video was uploaded.
Right on about the Winchester shells! The cheap federal ammo has worked fine for target shooting. As for the 88, I've worked it hard and have had no problems. Here in the US I snagged mine for $190 out the door. They are a great buy and reliable.
I'm a proud owner of a Maverick 88 shotgun for both hunting and home defense. For under $200 American dollars, it's the best budget shotgun you can depend on. Works flawlessly with birdshot, buckshot and even slug loads in all weather conditions. I wouldn't trade it for anything else.
I have one and I love it. I know what you mean about the sluggish at cold temps. I was out for coyotes yesterday with it and it was 5 degrees Fahrenheit. Definitely a little different.
Cold weather lube....5w-20 motor oil. Warm weather lube....5w-20 motor oil. Here's a hint....you guessed it....5w-20 motor oil. Just a light coat on all metal to metal contact. Have mine since 2009. Still runs great.
I have had the stiff action in cold weather myself. i found that some gentle polishing of the action bars and inside the channels they run in will help a lot. in the cold the alloy receiver shrinks and grips the action bars and the bolt carrier. and polish the back of the chamber with the finest paper you can get. even fine lapping compound on a wood stick would probably work good.
Love my Maverick 88!! As far as the action goes it's pretty smooth. I maintain it regularly and use Hoppes 9 only when I'm lubricating all the moving parts so maybe that helps with keeping everything moving without being sluggish but I've never had any issues with performance. Can't beat the price for this shotgun!! Mossberg knows what's up!
This just came across my feed again, I saw it a while ago and I went out the next day and bought an 88 security, it has never skipped a beat, they are fantastic shotguns. I was blessed with a large frame and have no problem shooting 2-3/4 slugs one handed lol
I sleep with one beside me every night. love it, love it, love it! I actually got mine for 189.00 USD (But I live about 100 miles from the factory) but this weapon is as robust, reliable, easy to use, and simple as my old M-9. can't recommend it enough.
ive had the maverick for 3 years now. NEVER had an issue evwn with walmart shells. ive hunted in cold weather and dont notice the stiff action. i do clean mine after every use. its my preferred hunting shotgun. no issues with buckshots and slugs.
I've gone plinking with it in winter while it was sleeting and I never had any problems with the action. I used high brass Remington birdshot and it worked fine. It isn't as smooth as my Mossberg 500 though but the 88 is far from broken on.
DO NOT use any kind of penetrating oil on any firearm.....It's called penetrating oil because it moves between tightly fitted parts.....Such as the primer in your rounds......Oil CAN cause a contaminated and degraded powder charge in your rounds.....Will it? Possibly...........
WD-40 is great for cleaning a gun as long as you can get ALL OF IT OUT. Uncle had a 1100 and he hosed it down before putting it away till next deer season. Come next year you couldn't get the bolt open. WD-40 will crystallize with time under pressure. I had to kick it to open it, strip it and wire brush everything inside to get that shit off then oil with good 'ol 3 in 1. If your going to use it on a gun you better have a air compressor to get it off.
We need to get a national petition for updated firearms rights in Canada. At least for the ability to defend one's home from attack, break in or robbery. Even if the govt did some BS and limited to non restricted
I completely agree. Unfortunately I think many fellow Canadians are afraid of sounding crazy for suggesting a man has the right to protect or defend anything with a gun. I think if enough of us spoke out, so the rest new they weren't alone, we might be able to fix things for our great grand kids.
you're done being sluggish in cold weather is due to the far end. On the Maverick 88 before it is plastic with pen on Action Arms. on a 500 or a 590 there is a steel tube going down the center. Because you don't have that steel tube the plastic forend is shrinking slightly in the cold and binding up a little bit. That's why it's acting that way in the cold.
My Maverick 88 12 gauge shotgun is flawless, it is an excellent weapon, it is 100% reliable, it can handle everything, I mean any type of ammo, buckshot, birdshot, slugs without no problems at all. I live in Alaska, bear territory and big game country, and my Maverick 88 shotgun works absolutely perfect. Greetings from Anchorage Alaska USA.
My dad has a Maverick 88 shotgun using for 20 years, still doing great, no miss fires, nothing jamed, nothing coroded,, it's even smooth and it can also be fired with 3 inch slugs without any struggle.. Really it's a good gun..
Regarding the action and whether or not its sluggish: My father recently got a Maverick 88, and I fired it with him last time I visited him. The action, at least on this model, was very smooth. It didn't glide, but it was very comfortable. I was impressed. We also fired a number of different loads through it, and it cycled all of them with no issue.
I just paid $159.00 plus TAX for my 20 gauge at Miserable Dick's Sports--they were trying to unload (pun intended) all their ammo too at deep discount.
bought one last fall. the mav 88 is as perfect as i need and all i can afford. 00 buckshot is a beast at 10 to 20 yrds. at 20 to 25 ft i feel very safe in the house. im 63. to old to fight much. first gun i ever bought. very pleased. ty mossberg
added a barrel sight a light, a swivel stud and sling holding 18 rounds, butt saddle side saddle so the 18 inch 6 shot is carrying 36 rounds 00 buck on the gun. 2 weaver rails all for like 50 bucks extra. i have 230.00 bucks total in a great 88
You may already be aware of this, but if you using grease or heavy oil you need to clean it out and use a light oil during cold weather. That can be part of your sluggishness issue.
I've had my Maverick 88, 7+1 for 4 years. Never had any issues. Added Tru-Glo clip on front site, ATI glass filled resin heat shield, and a 10 round sling. I keep it at the front of my safe fully ready to go full of Remington 00 buck. I have 500-600 rounds through it with no misfeeds, jams, or defects. Never have had it out in cold weather, but it has never felt sluggish. Racks easy and smooth as any Mossberg.
The selling point for me was the open feeding well and the dual rail action.,yes the action does suffer in the cold,I live in Canada so winter sucks and I had small issues with it.
bought mine in 1990 no problems at all. biggest problem i had was search through countless catalogs for an adapter for mounting a scope, only to find one at walmart where i bought the shotgun in the first place
I had been thinking to buy a firearm for a long time, now I've decided to buy the Maverick 88 as my first weapon. I love the price and they seem to be of good quality. I think this will be an awesome shotgun for me to practice on. Thank you for your video, I found it helpful in making my decision.
Rod, your videos are without a doubt some the best on the web! I would really love to see a video on your thoughts on the difference between "tube" style and "ring" style red-dot sights and the applications for each. I'm tempted to throw one on my 500 if just to play around but don't have money to waste on buying a couple of each, annnd you're a wealth of knowledge. Anything you've got on this would be really great!
Just found ONE of these on the shelves in the current Coronavirus world we live in at my local big 5 for $269.99. The 20 inch variant. I jumped on it. Managed to find some 00 buck also. Yeah boy!
Just bought one Friday for $220 as I live near Seattle. It’s my first firearm but I took it to the range and put 50 rounds of 00buckshot down range with reasonable accuracy. Quickly firing 8 rounds will kinda kick your shoulder’s ass but the gun did fantastically, I tore the targets apart.
You can use a mossberg 500 forend if you get an action tube assembly. The forend on that 88 is a single piece, you need the action tube assembly to exchane various forends. Some Mavericks come with the action tube assembly already, my 180$ field model with a 28 inch barrel did at least 10 years ago..
Maverick 88 is my first firearm. Bought it at Turner's back in 94. My shotgun did rust, had it under my bed and was very cold. So I sanded the barrel and still to this day I haven't re-blued it. Great shotgun, never had a problem, misfire, nothing. Yes I have noticed a little stiffness in racking it in colder condition. Think I bought it for right under $200. It was early 90's when did purchase it.
Got mine for $220 out the door with some other stuff too, and absolutely I love it. The factory fore end is pinned to the action tube, but you most certainly can change the fore end, you just have to get a 7 5/8" action tube and that opens up your options (I have Magpul furniture on mine.) Older Mossberg's did this as well. After you install that, all 500 parts are compatible except for the Flex series stuff. Some of the parts are made in Mexico to keep the cost low, and I don't really mind that. The trigger group isn't interchangeable because of the safety I believe, but a 500 has a polymer group anyway. Also, the magazine tube (at least on mine) is brazed. So if you want to remove it, you'll need to heat it up to break it loose. If it's important to you, you can take it to your local gunsmith to drill the holes in the receiver for mounting rails. I did find the action a little sluggish too, and I live in the humid south, but that isn't a big deal; I just lube it up and that solves the problem. I have mine setup with a collapsible stock and pistol grip, so the location of the safety pretty nice. As you mentioned, the downside to that is the action lever is now blocked, but I did find a company called Shoten Armory (www.shotenarmory.com/products-and-pricing.php) who makes extended slide releases for the 500, and I'm fairly certain they are compatible with the 88. Also, Brownells offers the High Capacity shotgun kit that comes with an 8 round mag tube and a 20" barrel (with or without sights). The only problem is that it's never in stock. The also offer an over/under break-open field model, and a security model that already comes with the 20" barrel (though that one in particular is hard to find.) At the end of the day, it's a Mossberg 500. I've had mine for about 4-5 years and it's wonderful; never had a problem with it. I highly, highly recommend this shotgun, especially for the price. If anyone has a question let me know
Have had a Mav 88 since they first hit the market in Canada about 15 - 20 years ago. Bought it at the "Ukrainian Wheel" for about $160 with a 28" plain barrel with full choke. The original barrel was not steel rated, so when steel shot come in I picked up a replacement Mossberg 28" vent rib barrel with Accu-Chokes, and cut the original down to 20" bear protection while doing forestry work and canoeing, plus grouse hunting in heavy bush. This was my only shotgun for years and I fired thousands of rounds out of it while duck and goose hunting and on the trap and skeet range. Have NEVER had any type of a misfire, failure to eject or failure to feed. EVER. NO matter what ammo I shoved into it. I also have never had any issue with a sluggish or stiff action. Mine is exceptionally smooth, Trigger is good. Weight is acceptable for all day carry. The only thing I dislike is the location of the safety. Being a left handed shot, I much prefer the location of the tang safety on a Mossberg 500. I just bought a Dominion Arms Grizzly 12.5" and I am expecting a solid piece there too. That being said, I really wish someone would make or import a 12 - 14" barreled Mossberg 500 (or clone) so we could have the best of everything. Light weight, proper safety location, and short barrel all in one. Decent review. Thanks. R
I was looking for my first shotgun last summer, and my grandfather-in-law offered to sell (for $100) his Mav 88 he had purchased in about 88 or 89. Because it had some light rust on the barrel, and because I was a fool, I passed and bought a new Moss 500 for four times the price. My father-in-law ended up with the 88 which is dramatically smoother cycling than my new 500, and that was before they added the second support arm on to the foregrip! That being said I do Love my 500, and after watching this video stuck in out in the -30C garage overnight to check the effect it would have on the action. Nothing. I really was impressed on how little (read:none at all) effect the cold had on the operation of the gun in some truly cold temperatures. I keep my Mossy well maintained and use nothing but a light application of Hopps oil. I spent a lot of evenings last summer at my local trap-shooting club and while my 500 was the cheapest gun on the range by at least $1500 (to upwards of 3-4k) it out-performed every single one of them. Deciding between an 500 (or 88) and 870? They're both great, but the final straw came after noticing a trend and doing a youtube search for : Remington 870 jam, and then another for Mossberg 500 jam. Try it and see how many hits you get for each!
I've had mine for about 6 years and it has never let me down. I love this shotgun. When I bought it (after tax & background check) I only paid $205 at Academy Sports & Outdoors.
I bought one yesterday in a pawn shop for 100.oo. Black Phosphate finish. Used hard. But still solid. Brought it home and disassembled it and cleaned the grunge out of it and lubed it with Mpro7. Slick as glass. She goes BOOM.
I've had my 88 for over a year now and its a really nice shotgun haven't had any problems with it. You are right about it being sluggish in cold weather and if you do use the cheaper rounds in it they sometimes jam. Its a great gun for the price and will work fine for home defense which is why I got it.
Have one as well. Bought mine as the tactical version with the pistol grip as an optional attachment and purchased the Mossberg Branded 20" barrel separately. Have also had the identical Jamming issue with the Aluminum base Wal-Mart shells. Since I have purchased at least 6 cases of this ammo and don't want any more hassles I took a brake cylinder hone to the throat of the chamber and slightly rounder the sharp outer edge of the chamber where it seems to grab the shell above the ejector lip.
Picked mine up for $189.99 USD from a local retail chain. I love it. Bought 100 rounds of Winchester universal 2-3/4 shot shells an it runs perfect. Also oiled it heavily when I first bought it. Great videos!!
This was an interesting video.. I've had an 88 for 4-5 years I have two setups for it. Tactical with a pistol grip and collapsible butt-stock, 18-inch barrel. All Mossberg 500 upgrades.. While it functions flawlessly, that setup is mostly for show. We've been hit with some real stupid new gun laws that cause our State Sheriff's Association to sue the State for enacting unenforceable laws. As part of calling attention to that effort, we have open carry groups in community parades to show out support for the Sheriffs. The tactical appearance of mine is matched with a friend's Mossberg 500 Trap shooting gun with the explanation that they are the same, one just looks "meaner" that the other. It originally came with a regular butt-stock and a 28-inch barrel, and that how it travels to the range for local competition events. As you mentioned, for the $139 I paid for it, it has been well worth the price..
Yes you are correct about the cold weather makin it sluggish I took my to kings cove Alaska when I went got down to -15 degrees it did show some resistance but still functioned fine not sure if it was me just being cold because I was sluggish as well lol but I could tell the gun was hurting too but overall great shot gun here in Oklahoma they go for like 179.00 before tax at academy but I have killed several brown bear with it and a few dear
The factory length of pull (14") is a little on the long side for most people. A 12" LOP is more comfortable, and brings the pump closer, which can give the impression of a slicker action. There's aftermarket buttstocks (Magpul, Hogue) or other ways to shorten the factory one and make the gun more manageable and enjoyable.
I have had the EXACT same failure to extract using the same Winchester Walmart special ammo in my Maverick 88. I changed to the slightly more expensive Remington and have never looked back.
Yes you are right. pump action on my mav 88 is kind of stiff. I also have mossberg 500 and it's much smoother. I was wondering about the same thing. Here is a post from mossberg owner's forum which suggests a fix: "I just worked on smoothing out the action on mine this past weekend actually. Mine is fairly new, and if I had to guess it has around 50 rounds through it. The action wasn't real rough for a $200 12 ga, but I was hoping to try and make it as smooth as say a $500 gun. What I did was I broke it down and used Break Free's Powder Blast to clean and degrease. Then I inspected all of the action pieces and where they make contact w the receiver. Since I have been shooting it the finish has started to come off, so the areas I needed to look at were easy to find. I sprayed a little rem oil and I sanded down burs and rough spots left behind during machining w fine sandpaper. The bolt had a little pitting so I sanded them flush. I think the biggest improvement was made by smoothing the sides of the shell elevator. You have to be careful when sanding on your weapon though, and pay close attention to not change the geometry of the surfaces. The top and bottom of the slide stop for instance doesn't have 90* edges. Remember the action bars are aluminum so be gentle and go slow. After I was done sanding I cleaned it again w the powder blast and then I lubed it w rem oil and set everything aside to dry. The last thing I did was kinda experimental but I do believe it worked. I sprayed a fairly liberal amount of 3 n 1 RVcare on the inside of the slide where it rides on the mag tube. This product is used to lube and protect slide outs on campers, and it says safe for plastic, etc and it allegedly still lubes after it dries. After everything was clean and dry I reassembled and the end result was pretty nice. I haven't fired it yet but I cycled several shells through and its smoother than a new Rem 870.
I own a 590A1 and a maverick 88. Top and bottom line mossberg pumps. Both great shotguns. Both perform great! The 590A1 is a hevy duty tank! The only negative thing to say about the Maverick 88 is that it is lighter so shooting 3" magnum rounds can not be too fun on the shoulder.
yes it is a little sluggish in cold weather so I spray it with a little wd40 seems to operate better after that some oils seem to get a little sticky in the cold all and all a good gun for the buck
I have bought the Winchester universal from wal-mart for my Pardner H&R break barrel single shot 12 gauge, and i had problems also with the shells not ejecting after i opened the barrel, waaayy too many 'jams' so i stick with federal field load.
Nice review - just picked up the 88 today for $219, came with the 18.5 inch barrel + the 28 inch barrel. Great price for my first shotgun. LGB told me it has a lifetime warranty, but manual says it only has 1 year. Still a great buy with both barrels.
I've had some issues with the walmart "value packs" (hard ejects) in not just my maverick but also my break action and semi-auto so its not necessarily related to this gun only but probably more the quality of the ammo. This is the first gun I bought and have never had one misfire, definitely worth the money!
Just ordered one today! $259 special order from local FFL, included 18.5" barrel, tax, shipping, FFL fees. Standard retail (Walmart $206, Dick's $216) comes with the 28" barrel. I'm using for home def, so wanted the 18.5". If you do buy standard retail, you can get the 18.5" between $75 - $100. Thanks for the review! I pick mine up next week, then target shooting that weekend!
i have had one for about 2 years with well over 2000 rds thru it. The only sluggishness i have had is with the winchester birdshot like he has. All other ammo federal, remington, fiochi etc runs great. Mine has been tough, reliable, and durable. Easy to take down and clean. All around great gun for low $ and have had no problems with it. Go get one you be glad you did.
I don't know about Mossberg quality compared with other brands. Back in the 1990s, I bought a used 500A. I forget exactly what the price was, but not far from what you can get an 88 for these days. I shot it a bunch and then got tired of it. So I let it sit in my closet for at least 15 years. I took it out and it had rust on it! Also the slide action was rough. Apparently my shotgun was made in May of 1970 (according to Mossberg based on the serial number). I have no idea how much use it got before I got it. Anyway, I gave it a quick test with 3" BBB 78 steel pellet shells. It cycled and fired them fine. But, like I said, the slide action was rough. And it's got rust all over it and on the inside too. I've recently regained an interest in shotguns and I'm cleaning it up. The wood furniture is nice, but I think I would like it in a darker stain. It's only got a five shot tube which I'm stuck with because it is on there. I hope the spring is still good. Mossberg also only used one action bar back in those days because some company (Remington?) had a patent on using two. I think I'll use some CLP on it to see if that helps any.
I bought my second one brand new and i noticed it was a bit rough to run the action. However after oiling the rails and bolt it ran good. I ended up shooting (test fire range session) and then cleaning the gun and this issue completely disappeared. Maybe there are tiny burrs or something from the factory that are affecting how it runs. I can't tell you that this was what was going on in my gun because i just cleaned it after my test shoot and then ran the action. Smooth. I then oiled it and store it next to my bedside cruiser ready :)
I had the same issue with the Walmart Winchester shells. It wouldn’t run in an 870, a 500 and a Benelli Nova. Since then I’ve only bought the budget Federal target loads and have had no problems.
In NY, I hunt with my mossberg 500 and it feels sluggish too when it’s cold outside. I remember taking one shot at a buck and watched it fall over 30 yds away and I tried to open the chamber. It felt very sluggish like the oil was gunked up. The shell was fine with no marks and it cycled over fine just the initial pull back was not the best
I have owned a Maverick 88 for about 5 years that stays leaned against my headboard next to my bed loaded with #2 shot for home security. I am very happy with this gun for it's intended purpose. I bought it from a friend who got it home from the gun store and realized he couldn't put a Red Dot on it. Sold it to me for $125 cash never shot.
I got my Maverick a little over a year ago for about $300 bucks and it’s served me well. I agree with what you were saying about the action being sluggish sometimes especially when I’m trying to shoot fast but it’s easy to work around that. I primarily use 00 buckshot and bird shot and they cycle just fine. It’s a great shotgun and it very customizable too. I’ve got a tamer pistol grip on mine and plan on mounting a rail system to add a flashlight and a laser along with a sight onto it. Great firearm, I make sure it’s sitting by my bedside before I go to bed loaded up with 8 rounds of 00 buck… any home Intruder is gonna have a rude awakening
the forearm difference is the 88 has the action bars molded into the forearm and pinned whereas the 500 has a tube for the action bars that the forearm attaches to with a spanner nut as do some other makes of shotguns. this is only a problem in some folk's heads. i've had both and haven't had the problems many speak of. my maverick has been in rain, sand, dust, dirt, leaves, etc. and still works fine. if i scratch it up it doesn't make me want to cry as scratching up my browning would. working gun at a working man's price
I’ve got the maverick 88 and absolutely love it. I’ve got the folding stock on it for home defence. To answer your question - yes I have noticed that it seems sluggish as well. Wasn’t sure if that was because of not enough oiling. But definitely a sluggish feeling when racking.
I have a Mossberg 500, left it in the truck in february for about 5 hours. When I took it out and went to load it it was a lot of resistance chambering the first round thru. after about 20 min indoors, in the warm house it loosened up. I also thought it was weird being the only shotgun passed mil specs. I wasn't too impressed with that fact. Also try not to drop it too much. The lifter can come out the side hole and could jam your gun. All and all I love shooting it. It's a good shotgun just know the issues so you don't get in those situations when your life could be depending on it.
I just swapped out all Magpul furniture on my Maverick 88 the only thing I had to track down and buy was a Mossberg 500 action slide and then I was able to change out the forend. Great gun.
Yes as I saw below a few comments and I did this to mine if you buy a mossberg 500 action assemble you can install it on the maverick 88 and then use any 500 forend you want they run 30 to 50 bucks and I'd say very worth it.
I bought my Mav 88 probably 15 years ago, needed a shotgun for small game, it was cheap at the time and figured Id replace it when I had the funds for a better one, well 15 years later, countless trips in the woods hunting, who knows how many thousands of shells shot thru it?, still have it, never needed replacing. great shotgun
Got several mossberg pumps. Problems - Had to change trigger group on A590 after 2000 rounds. 835 Ulti mag. Problems with extracter - solved under warrenty. Still love the guns...The action is very good. Had a chineese version - had a lot of problems - dealer took it back and gave me a new mossberg... :)
got an 88 and live in the Pacific North West, and i shoot trap/skeet` in rain, hail and snow. bought the 88 because its cheap and i don't wanna take out the nicer guns out in shitty weather. also keep it out of the gun safe as the home security gun and feel just fine about it. paid $180 at a gun shop for it and i will rust fast i bought mine with some on it, nothing some #220 stainless steel wool and some high heat mat black paint could not fix....if i bought one new i would sill paint it! so if you know that from the start from watching videos like these then you just know to keep it well oiled and painted. i felt it get sticky, but that was after 300 rounds in the rain so i lubed it there on the spot and shot another 100 rounds.....shot it in the rain with no problems that would deem it to cheap to keep under the bed. you just need to know what your getting into and prep just like most things in life, buy this gun paint and paint the barrel and mag tube.... it was a fun little project..... keep it well oil and clean, and put it under the bed.
I got my M88 7+1 Security Model a few years ago on sale for $250 out the door. Excellent shotgun! I put an ATI Talon Tactical Pistol Grip Stock on it and I keep it loaded n' ready for home defense. Highly recommended
Something that might be a solution to your bluing issue and your hesitating action. Boot black. A gunny told a friend of mine that it will not only prevent rust, but, if you put it on the bearing surfaces and work the action a few hundred times. Boot polish is a mild abrasive. So it will polish out the rough spots in the casting. Then you just clean it out when you're through.
I got my PAL/RPAL almost a year ago and bought the long barrel version of the Maverick 88 at that time. Since then I've bought pistols and rifles as well and shoot mostly IDPA but nothing beats a good ol' shotgun. Shotguns are the most fun and versatile firearms out there. Unfortunately here in NL you're not allowed to take a non-restricted firearm out into the bush unless it's open season on game animals and even then the caliber of firearm has to match the animal that you have a game licence for. For example, if it's open season on Snowshoe Hare and you have a license for Snowshoe Hare but you're caught anywhere outside a shooting range with an SKS, you get charged for poaching Moose even if you're just sighting in or plinking at a gravel pit. The only firearms you'd be okay to have with a Hare license would be a .22LR or .22WMR rifle or a shotgun loaded with lead shot. You can't even legally use .17 HMR here. Even if you did have a shotgun and you were in possession of slugs then you'd automatically be charged with poaching Moose. The same thing works in reverse; if you only had a Moose license but went out to a gravel pit to plink away with your Ruger 10/22 you'd be automatically charged with poaching Hare. The .17 HMR is not legal to take any game whatsoever so if you're using it outside a shooting range under any circumstances then you're charged with a wildlife offense. So for about half the year you basicly have to treat your non-restricteds the same as your restricteds and use them only at a shooting range. You even have to transport them locked in a case. Every time I go to the range for an IDPA match I can't resist packing up the Maverick and dropping some steel. Sometimes we even use shotguns during a course of fire and the Maverick is the one I always depend on.
I just picked up one of these from gunbroker ,I bought the frame for 50.88 and I bought a model 500 barrel 18.5 inch barrel for 52.00 seemed like a killer deal so I snagged it.going to put it together in the morning and try it out.I also bought a Mossberg 835 for 135 dollars and put a Blackhawk stock set on it .and it is a serious shotgun with the 3.5 inch shells a 3.5 inch 00 buckshot shell has 18 pellets in each shell .like shooting a double barrel with each shot.
And it's made in Maverick, Texas. It was introduced in 1988, hence the name 'Maverick 88'. BTW, thanks for the tip about pistol grips -- I was considering one.
![Stuff You Should Know About Buckshot [Part 1]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3haq5BFh7qs/mqdefault.jpg)
In Alabama,,,you can get a 88 for 179.99. So I bought five
Steven Bentley in Texas they run 100 dollars lol
@@biggiecheese7610 just paid $300 cad plus $30 shipping.
Nathaniel Feldman I would love to move to Canada I hate all America’s bullshit it’s secretly corrupt
Roll tide
Just bought one 179.88 at Simmons in Bessemer... War Eagle!
I love my Mav88's... I own three as the price is so stupid cheap I just decided to buy whole platforms instead of different barrels. I work in the Canadian Arctic and where I'm located there are polar bear, grizzly and wolves. I carry my 18.5" pistol grip everywhere and it's never any further than 12" away from me when I'm out on the tundra working. My life depends on dependability under all weather conditions and throughout a wide temperature range and it has never let me down. In all my years I've only had to use my trusty friend once for self defense against a bear and I'm not afraid to admit it but I kissed my Maverick 88 after it dispatched a bear with ease that had closed an alarming amount of ground on me while heading back to my work truck. I know that each of my Mav88's easily have over 1k of shells through them and I can't remember any of them ever skipping a beat. This thing will sling projectiles out with confidence in a snow storm at -50 degrees C or in a torrential rain storm at +30 degrees C. If theirs one word the sums up my feelings towards the Maverick 88 it would be CONFIDENCE!!!! As for the sluggishness it's a bit rough but I polished my bolt/carrier and cycled the shit out of it and use graphite powder on the action and mines smooth as silk right down to -50 degree C.
So obviously you haven't had the cold weather issue that the maker of the video was talking about.
Definitely not. Polish it and use dry lubricants such as graphite powder and it will not have the cold sluggish action cycling issue.
What lube do you suggest ?
For anti corrosion I use g96 and/or fluid film. As for the dry graphite powder I just buy the cheapest I can find from eBay (usually comes from China but it's A1 quality).
Fluid Film is great for corrosion protection! My guns love it. I learned it's not a winter lube quite quickly, however. Assumed as much, but gotta experiment sometimes.
I bought my moss berg maverick 88 about 2 years ago. When I watched your video I noticed a problem that you had with the stiffness with charging the next shell when it's used in cold weather. I also had the same problem with mine. You asked for anybody to give you advice on that issue. I'm not a gunsmith by any means but I did my research and completely fixed the "sticky" issue. This is what I did. I went and bought a cheep set of small precision files from harbor freight tools. Next I took the shotgun apart. Once it was disassembled I took all of the metal parts that are functioning pieces and I filed down all of the sharp edges because these parts are not forged the are machine pressed and not finished completely. So give all of those edges a slight filing to knock off the rough edges and then reassemble. When I put mine back together I used a stuff called REM OIL, which is the only lubricant I use now. Trust me this procedure does work and I would love to hear your feedback after you try this.
I have the 20 inch security model 88 and have put thousands of rounds through it. .. gun is unbelievable super reliable and holds up incredibly well! I got mine in America for $240 and have never regretted it!
Nice i just got 1 for 257$ shipped. Was thinking i over paid but atleast i found one
10 years later and I just got one for $240. Hope mine holds up like yours has!
Every law biding citizen should own one. A 12 guage is the best firearm you can own.. its so versatile. I love mine, if I ever have a son he will get it at some point.
TNOutdoorsGuy
Every able bodied male over the age of 20 should be issued one of these. Appropriate use of tax revenue
@@keydobutkrak agreed as well a .22 rifle
When you get really old and sensitive to recoil, drop down to a 20 guage. That should do the trick.
Did you have your son yet?
@@minerblue9641 Lol 20 gauges and 12 gauges have close to identical recoil.
Bought one of these today with a seven shot tube, 8 total with one in the hole, for $235. So excited to have one. Could've gotten the 6 shot for cheaper, but I love the look of the 8 shot plus more rounds is never a bad thing.
1 year in and i have had no problems with it. I literally put this gun through a 6000 round stress test and i will say that this weapon is a masterpiece the best $180 dollars a mam could buy! I have the 7 plus 1 variation and i swear i have beaten it through hell and it still goin strong
Got mine recently for $180 at Academy recently - love this gun.
I'm glad everyone likes their so much. I bought my 18.5" a few months ago. After 250 rounds the action has smoothed out quite a bit. I wouldn't dare get an 870 after all the issues I've seen. I was actually looking at handguns at Academy, the shotgun caught the corner of my eye. When he pulled it down I was blown away it was only $189. I'm not a shotgun guy so never realized they were that cheap. I bought it on the spot.its been flawless. I've been buying S&B 00 Buckshot at MidwayUSA for $69.99/250 case. For full load 9 pellet buckshot you can't beat $.28 a round. That's lower than most rifle ammo and around the same price as handgun ammo. I actually ended up getting a Tristar C100 (CZ75 compact clone) Glock 19, Marlin 60, and Shield 9mm at Academy. Around where I like (greater Dallas area) Academy has lower prices than any local gun store. I'm looking at a CZ P07 or CZ p10C and will most likely buy it from there as well.
Actually I like the Maverick 88 so well I'll probably end up getting a Mossberg 500 as well just to have something similar but a little nicer. The quality of the Maverick has really turned me onto Mossberg in general. I actually was surprised by the quality of my Marlin 60 as well. I bought my first one for $119 about 10 years ago. I've put thousands of rounds through it and it just keeps going. The new ones are $159 so not too bad all things considered. It's kind of surprising I have the most fun with cheap guns
I've owned the Security model with the 20" barrel and 7 shot tube for almost 4 years now and as long as it's oiled and cleaned properly I have zero issues with it. However, the one type of ammo that I know now to stay away from is Winchester Super-Target Xtra-Lite Target Load #9 shot. The empty hulls stick in the chamber like nothing I've ever seen no matter how clean or oiled the gun is. This causes them to be extremely difficult to extract. Every other 12 gauge round I've put through it has given me no problems whatsoever. As for the sluggish action issue, I honestly can't say I've ever noticed it.
I've been researching shotguns for months now, and my intention is to go with the 88. For a strictly home defense use, I feel I'll be making the right choice.
Good luck finding one lol
it took my about 2 months to find one myself but they are out there.
The mossberg lines are still producing despite covid-19.
@@tonyrogo227 I found one couple days ago , was more than I had to spend at the moment so I put it in layaway .
$299,
Funny how the prices have changed since this video was uploaded.
@@nickrobinson9503 Do yourself a favor and definitely get it Nick. it's more then worth the cost IMHO
I own 3 88's best money i ever spent both my kids have Mossberg shotguns for home defense
what type of cougar are we talking about
Your mom
The kind that don’t quit
The one on "Red Dead Redemption"😂
The fun kind
One with 2 legs
I have had my maverick 88 for a year now and I love it !!!!!
one of the best shot guns I ever owned
just bought an 88 last Friday. right after I bought it I went to the range and shot out of it. I love it
Right on about the Winchester shells! The cheap federal ammo has worked fine for target shooting. As for the 88, I've worked it hard and have had no problems. Here in the US I snagged mine for $190 out the door. They are a great buy and reliable.
You should strip and clean it after purchase because the factory oils applied are for protection not operation. Just my two cents
Scott
Yes in fact the instruction manual says exactly that
Best firearm purchase I've ever made. You get way more than you pay for with this shotgun.
I'm a proud owner of a Maverick 88 shotgun for both hunting and home defense. For under $200 American dollars, it's the best budget shotgun you can depend on. Works flawlessly with birdshot, buckshot and even slug loads in all weather conditions. I wouldn't trade it for anything else.
I have one and I love it. I know what you mean about the sluggish at cold temps. I was out for coyotes yesterday with it and it was 5 degrees Fahrenheit. Definitely a little different.
If you get a new magazine action tube (25-30 bucks) you can then use any forearm you want that is compatible with the 500.
Thanks I did not know this
Can u get extended mag tubes?
@@jameskelly8294 I am not sure.
What size action tube did you use?
@@TheMendoz5 It's been so long I have no idea. But if you search you should be able to find it.
Cold weather lube....5w-20 motor oil. Warm weather lube....5w-20 motor oil. Here's a hint....you guessed it....5w-20 motor oil. Just a light coat on all metal to metal contact. Have mine since 2009. Still runs great.
this was the first shotgun I bought. Got it on sale for $189 and it has been great. I don't do a lot with shot guns so it's prefect for me.
I had my 88. For 6 years. The action. Is great cold. Or hot out. It's just. A great shot gun. I love it
I have had the stiff action in cold weather myself. i found that some gentle polishing of the action bars and inside the channels they run in will help a lot. in the cold the alloy receiver shrinks and grips the action bars and the bolt carrier. and polish the back of the chamber with the finest paper you can get. even fine lapping compound on a wood stick would probably work good.
Love my Maverick 88!! As far as the action goes it's pretty smooth. I maintain it regularly and use Hoppes 9 only when I'm lubricating all the moving parts so maybe that helps with keeping everything moving without being sluggish but I've never had any issues with performance. Can't beat the price for this shotgun!! Mossberg knows what's up!
This just came across my feed again, I saw it a while ago and I went out the next day and bought an 88 security, it has never skipped a beat, they are fantastic shotguns. I was blessed with a large frame and have no problem shooting 2-3/4 slugs one handed lol
I sleep with one beside me every night. love it, love it, love it! I actually got mine for 189.00 USD (But I live about 100 miles from the factory) but this weapon is as robust, reliable, easy to use, and simple as my old M-9. can't recommend it enough.
ive had the maverick for 3 years now. NEVER had an issue evwn with walmart shells. ive hunted in cold weather and dont notice the stiff action. i do clean mine after every use. its my preferred hunting shotgun. no issues with buckshots and slugs.
I've gone plinking with it in winter while it was sleeting and I never had any problems with the action. I used high brass Remington birdshot and it worked fine. It isn't as smooth as my Mossberg 500 though but the 88 is far from broken on.
Ive found that you have to rack the 88 like you mean it. A spray of WD 40 helps also. Got mine for 189 at Big 5.
DO NOT use any kind of penetrating oil on any firearm.....It's called penetrating oil because it moves between tightly fitted parts.....Such as the primer in your rounds......Oil CAN cause a contaminated and degraded powder charge in your rounds.....Will it? Possibly...........
Wd 40 is the wost thing to put on a firearm.. it evaporates then rust.
Use gun oil.
Kroil oil is awesome. Expensive but worth every penny.
@David Gauthier 😆😆😆😆 dude...WD stands for Water DISPLACEMENT and 40 is the number of attempts it took to get the formula right...
WD-40 is great for cleaning a gun as long as you can get ALL OF IT OUT. Uncle had a 1100 and he hosed it down before putting it away till next deer season. Come next year you couldn't get the bolt open. WD-40 will crystallize with time under pressure. I had to kick it to open it, strip it and wire brush everything inside to get that shit off then oil with good 'ol 3 in 1. If your going to use it on a gun you better have a air compressor to get it off.
We need to get a national petition for updated firearms rights in Canada. At least for the ability to defend one's home from attack, break in or robbery. Even if the govt did some BS and limited to non restricted
I completely agree.
Unfortunately I think many fellow Canadians are afraid of sounding crazy for suggesting a man has the right to protect or defend anything with a gun.
I think if enough of us spoke out, so the rest new they weren't alone, we might be able to fix things for our great grand kids.
you're done being sluggish in cold weather is due to the far end. On the Maverick 88 before it is plastic with pen on Action Arms. on a 500 or a 590 there is a steel tube going down the center. Because you don't have that steel tube the plastic forend is shrinking slightly in the cold and binding up a little bit. That's why it's acting that way in the cold.
How do you fix it ?
My Maverick 88 12 gauge shotgun is flawless, it is an excellent weapon, it is 100% reliable, it can handle everything, I mean any type of ammo, buckshot, birdshot, slugs without no problems at all. I live in Alaska, bear territory and big game country, and my Maverick 88 shotgun works absolutely perfect. Greetings from Anchorage Alaska USA.
My dad has a Maverick 88 shotgun using for 20 years, still doing great, no miss fires, nothing jamed, nothing coroded,, it's even smooth and it can also be fired with 3 inch slugs without any struggle..
Really it's a good gun..
Regarding the action and whether or not its sluggish:
My father recently got a Maverick 88, and I fired it with him last time I visited him. The action, at least on this model, was very smooth. It didn't glide, but it was very comfortable. I was impressed.
We also fired a number of different loads through it, and it cycled all of them with no issue.
i bought a Mossberg Maverick 88 in 20 Gauge and I'm loving it
Chris McEvoy loving my 20gauge version as well
I just paid $159.00 plus TAX for my 20 gauge at Miserable Dick's Sports--they were trying to unload (pun intended) all their ammo too at deep discount.
good idea I should get a Maverick 88 20 gauge, always wanted a 20 gauge so does my lady.lol
bought one last fall. the mav 88 is as perfect as i need and all i can afford. 00 buckshot is a beast at 10 to 20 yrds. at 20 to 25 ft i feel very safe in the house. im 63. to old to fight much. first gun i ever bought. very pleased. ty mossberg
added a barrel sight a light, a swivel stud and sling holding 18 rounds, butt saddle side saddle so the 18 inch 6 shot is carrying 36 rounds 00 buck on the gun. 2 weaver rails all for like 50 bucks extra. i have 230.00 bucks total in a great 88
I love this channel , your help got me off the couch and to go write my pal .thanks man cheers from Canada
That's great!!!
You may already be aware of this, but if you using grease or heavy oil you need to clean it out and use a light oil during cold weather. That can be part of your sluggishness issue.
William Phillips ok
I've had my Maverick 88, 7+1 for 4 years. Never had any issues. Added Tru-Glo clip on front site, ATI glass filled resin heat shield, and a 10 round sling. I keep it at the front of my safe fully ready to go full of Remington 00 buck.
I have 500-600 rounds through it with no misfeeds, jams, or defects.
Never have had it out in cold weather, but it has never felt sluggish. Racks easy and smooth as any Mossberg.
The selling point for me was the open feeding well and the dual rail action.,yes the action does suffer in the cold,I live in Canada so winter sucks and I had small issues with it.
bought mine in 1990 no problems at all. biggest problem i had was search through countless catalogs for an adapter for mounting a scope, only to find one at walmart where i bought the shotgun in the first place
I had been thinking to buy a firearm for a long time, now I've decided to buy the Maverick 88 as my first weapon. I love the price and they seem to be of good quality. I think this will be an awesome shotgun for me to practice on. Thank you for your video, I found it helpful in making my decision.
Rod, your videos are without a doubt some the best on the web! I would really love to see a video on your thoughts on the difference between "tube" style and "ring" style red-dot sights and the applications for each. I'm tempted to throw one on my 500 if just to play around but don't have money to waste on buying a couple of each, annnd you're a wealth of knowledge. Anything you've got on this would be really great!
Just found ONE of these on the shelves in the current Coronavirus world we live in at my local big 5 for $269.99. The 20 inch variant. I jumped on it. Managed to find some 00 buck also. Yeah boy!
Just bought one Friday for $220 as I live near Seattle. It’s my first firearm but I took it to the range and put 50 rounds of 00buckshot down range with reasonable accuracy. Quickly firing 8 rounds will kinda kick your shoulder’s ass but the gun did fantastically, I tore the targets apart.
I just bought my second 88 last week, the 20 in for 199.00! Love them.
would you think a pistol grip with longer buttstock (non-collapsible) would improve it? ?Thinking about adding that to mine. Any thoughts?
You can use a mossberg 500 forend if you get an action tube assembly. The forend on that 88 is a single piece, you need the action tube assembly to exchane various forends. Some Mavericks come with the action tube assembly already, my 180$ field model with a 28 inch barrel did at least 10 years ago..
Maverick 88 is my first firearm. Bought it at Turner's back in 94. My shotgun did rust, had it under my bed and was very cold. So I sanded the barrel and still to this day I haven't re-blued it.
Great shotgun, never had a problem, misfire, nothing. Yes I have noticed a little stiffness in racking it in colder condition.
Think I bought it for right under $200. It was early 90's when did purchase it.
Got mine for $220 out the door with some other stuff too, and absolutely I love it. The factory fore end is pinned to the action tube, but you most certainly can change the fore end, you just have to get a 7 5/8" action tube and that opens up your options (I have Magpul furniture on mine.) Older Mossberg's did this as well. After you install that, all 500 parts are compatible except for the Flex series stuff. Some of the parts are made in Mexico to keep the cost low, and I don't really mind that. The trigger group isn't interchangeable because of the safety I believe, but a 500 has a polymer group anyway. Also, the magazine tube (at least on mine) is brazed. So if you want to remove it, you'll need to heat it up to break it loose. If it's important to you, you can take it to your local gunsmith to drill the holes in the receiver for mounting rails.
I did find the action a little sluggish too, and I live in the humid south, but that isn't a big deal; I just lube it up and that solves the problem. I have mine setup with a collapsible stock and pistol grip, so the location of the safety pretty nice. As you mentioned, the downside to that is the action lever is now blocked, but I did find a company called Shoten Armory (www.shotenarmory.com/products-and-pricing.php) who makes extended slide releases for the 500, and I'm fairly certain they are compatible with the 88. Also, Brownells offers the High Capacity shotgun kit that comes with an 8 round mag tube and a 20" barrel (with or without sights). The only problem is that it's never in stock. The also offer an over/under break-open field model, and a security model that already comes with the 20" barrel (though that one in particular is hard to find.)
At the end of the day, it's a Mossberg 500. I've had mine for about 4-5 years and it's wonderful; never had a problem with it. I highly, highly recommend this shotgun, especially for the price. If anyone has a question let me know
Have had a Mav 88 since they first hit the market in Canada about 15 - 20 years ago. Bought it at the "Ukrainian Wheel" for about $160 with a 28" plain barrel with full choke. The original barrel was not steel rated, so when steel shot come in I picked up a replacement Mossberg 28" vent rib barrel with Accu-Chokes, and cut the original down to 20" bear protection while doing forestry work and canoeing, plus grouse hunting in heavy bush.
This was my only shotgun for years and I fired thousands of rounds out of it while duck and goose hunting and on the trap and skeet range. Have NEVER had any type of a misfire, failure to eject or failure to feed. EVER. NO matter what ammo I shoved into it.
I also have never had any issue with a sluggish or stiff action. Mine is exceptionally smooth, Trigger is good. Weight is acceptable for all day carry. The only thing I dislike is the location of the safety. Being a left handed shot, I much prefer the location of the tang safety on a Mossberg 500.
I just bought a Dominion Arms Grizzly 12.5" and I am expecting a solid piece there too. That being said, I really wish someone would make or import a 12 - 14" barreled Mossberg 500 (or clone) so we could have the best of everything. Light weight, proper safety location, and short barrel all in one.
Decent review. Thanks.
R
I was looking for my first shotgun last summer, and my grandfather-in-law offered to sell (for $100) his Mav 88 he had purchased in about 88 or 89. Because it had some light rust on the barrel, and because I was a fool, I passed and bought a new Moss 500 for four times the price. My father-in-law ended up with the 88 which is dramatically smoother cycling than my new 500, and that was before they added the second support arm on to the foregrip! That being said I do Love my 500, and after watching this video stuck in out in the -30C garage overnight to check the effect it would have on the action. Nothing. I really was impressed on how little (read:none at all) effect the cold had on the operation of the gun in some truly cold temperatures. I keep my Mossy well maintained and use nothing but a light application of Hopps oil.
I spent a lot of evenings last summer at my local trap-shooting club and while my 500 was the cheapest gun on the range by at least $1500 (to upwards of 3-4k) it out-performed every single one of them. Deciding between an 500 (or 88) and 870? They're both great, but the final straw came after noticing a trend and doing a youtube search for : Remington 870 jam, and then another for Mossberg 500 jam. Try it and see how many hits you get for each!
$179 in the us.
WWhere did you buy it for that price
wallmart
danny luong Dick`s has them at that price also
jojojeep1 179.00 at Academy
@Urban Boys just got one there for 140.00, nice gun for the price for sure
Yes I own 2. And in cold weather it do feels sluggish, but oiling them or brake lube makes them run like a CHAMPION
I've had mine for about 6 years and it has never let me down. I love this shotgun. When I bought it (after tax & background check) I only paid $205 at Academy Sports & Outdoors.
I put an aimtech full rail system on mine with a AR style stock and vertical foregrip. Insane fast target acquisition.
I bought one yesterday in a pawn shop for 100.oo. Black Phosphate finish. Used hard. But still solid. Brought it home and disassembled it and cleaned the grunge out of it and lubed it with Mpro7. Slick as glass. She goes BOOM.
I've had my 88 for over a year now and its a really nice shotgun haven't had any problems with it. You are right about it being sluggish in cold weather and if you do use the cheaper rounds in it they sometimes jam. Its a great gun for the price and will work fine for home defense which is why I got it.
You have to disassemble it and clean it and then lube it. That's why you're having problems with it.
I've had mine for 2 most and never had a problem with the action .
Have one as well. Bought mine as the tactical version with the pistol grip as an optional attachment and purchased the Mossberg Branded 20" barrel separately. Have also had the identical Jamming issue with the Aluminum base Wal-Mart shells. Since I have purchased at least 6 cases of this ammo and don't want any more hassles I took a brake cylinder hone to the throat of the chamber and slightly rounder the sharp outer edge of the chamber where it seems to grab the shell above the ejector lip.
Picked mine up for $189.99 USD from a local retail chain. I love it. Bought 100 rounds of Winchester universal 2-3/4 shot shells an it runs perfect. Also oiled it heavily when I first bought it. Great videos!!
This was an interesting video.. I've had an 88 for 4-5 years
I have two setups for it. Tactical with a pistol grip and collapsible butt-stock, 18-inch barrel. All Mossberg 500 upgrades.. While it functions flawlessly, that setup is mostly for show. We've been hit with some real stupid new gun laws that cause our State Sheriff's Association to sue the State for enacting unenforceable laws. As part of calling attention to that effort, we have open carry groups in community parades to show out support for the Sheriffs. The tactical appearance of mine is matched with a friend's Mossberg 500 Trap shooting gun with the explanation that they are the same, one just looks "meaner" that the other.
It originally came with a regular butt-stock and a 28-inch barrel, and that how it travels to the range for local competition events.
As you mentioned, for the $139 I paid for it, it has been well worth the price..
Yes you are correct about the cold weather makin it sluggish I took my to kings cove Alaska when I went got down to -15 degrees it did show some resistance but still functioned fine not sure if it was me just being cold because I was sluggish as well lol but I could tell the gun was hurting too but overall great shot gun here in Oklahoma they go for like 179.00 before tax at academy but I have killed several brown bear with it and a few dear
Try cleaning it and then re-lubing it with G96 which is a mil-spec oil made for ultra-low temps. That should help it run easier in the cold.
just bought one 260 Canadian shipped to my door. can't wait to
get it out. my first shotgun
The factory length of pull (14") is a little on the long side for most people. A 12" LOP is more comfortable, and brings the pump closer, which can give the impression of a slicker action. There's aftermarket buttstocks (Magpul, Hogue) or other ways to shorten the factory one and make the gun more manageable and enjoyable.
Older video I realize, but I absolutely love mine. It has been flawless and fun for me after a year of ownership.
Sluggish in cold weather: I started using motor oil on the action in the winter and it took care of the cold weather drag when cycling. Hope it helps.
I have had the EXACT same failure to extract using the same Winchester Walmart special ammo in my Maverick 88. I changed to the slightly more expensive Remington and have never looked back.
guitfiddledave Estate shells work well for me. Not bad on price.
Working man’s shotgun can’t beat it 🇺🇸
Yes you are right. pump action on my mav 88 is kind of stiff. I also have mossberg 500 and it's much smoother. I was wondering about the same thing. Here is a post from mossberg owner's forum which suggests a fix:
"I just worked on smoothing out the action on mine this past weekend actually. Mine is fairly new, and if I had to guess it has around 50 rounds through it. The action wasn't real rough for a $200 12 ga, but I was hoping to try and make it as smooth as say a $500 gun.
What I did was I broke it down and used Break Free's Powder Blast to clean and degrease. Then I inspected all of the action pieces and where they make contact w the receiver. Since I have been shooting it the finish has started to come off, so the areas I needed to look at were easy to find. I sprayed a little rem oil and I sanded down burs and rough spots left behind during machining w fine sandpaper. The bolt had a little pitting so I sanded them flush. I think the biggest improvement was made by smoothing the sides of the shell elevator. You have to be careful when sanding on your weapon though, and pay close attention to not change the geometry of the surfaces. The top and bottom of the slide stop for instance doesn't have 90* edges. Remember the action bars are aluminum so be gentle and go slow. After I was done sanding I cleaned it again w the powder blast and then I lubed it w rem oil and set everything aside to dry.
The last thing I did was kinda experimental but I do believe it worked. I sprayed a fairly liberal amount of 3 n 1 RVcare on the inside of the slide where it rides on the mag tube. This product is used to lube and protect slide outs on campers, and it says safe for plastic, etc and it allegedly still lubes after it dries.
After everything was clean and dry I reassembled and the end result was pretty nice. I haven't fired it yet but I cycled several shells through and its smoother than a new Rem 870.
I own a 590A1 and a maverick 88. Top and bottom line mossberg pumps. Both great shotguns. Both perform great! The 590A1 is a hevy duty tank! The only negative thing to say about the Maverick 88 is that it is lighter so shooting 3" magnum rounds can not be too fun on the shoulder.
yes it is a little sluggish in cold weather so I spray it with a little wd40 seems to operate better after that some oils seem to get a little sticky in the cold all and all a good gun for the buck
I have bought the Winchester universal from wal-mart for my Pardner H&R break barrel single shot 12 gauge, and i had problems also with the shells not ejecting after i opened the barrel, waaayy too many 'jams' so i stick with federal field load.
Nice review - just picked up the 88 today for $219, came with the 18.5 inch barrel + the 28 inch barrel. Great price for my first shotgun. LGB told me it has a lifetime warranty, but manual says it only has 1 year. Still a great buy with both barrels.
I've had some issues with the walmart "value packs" (hard ejects) in not just my maverick but also my break action and semi-auto so its not necessarily related to this gun only but probably more the quality of the ammo. This is the first gun I bought and have never had one misfire, definitely worth the money!
Just ordered one today! $259 special order from local FFL, included 18.5" barrel, tax, shipping, FFL fees. Standard retail (Walmart $206, Dick's $216) comes with the 28" barrel. I'm using for home def, so wanted the 18.5". If you do buy standard retail, you can get the 18.5" between $75 - $100. Thanks for the review! I pick mine up next week, then target shooting that weekend!
i have had one for about 2 years with well over 2000 rds thru it. The only sluggishness i have had is with the winchester birdshot like he has. All other ammo federal, remington, fiochi etc runs great. Mine has been tough, reliable, and durable. Easy to take down and clean. All around great gun for low $ and have had no problems with it. Go get one you be glad you did.
I have several Maverick 88's & all run good in cold or hot weather. Luv my Maverick's!!!
I don't know about Mossberg quality compared with other brands. Back in the 1990s, I bought a used 500A. I forget exactly what the price was, but not far from what you can get an 88 for these days. I shot it a bunch and then got tired of it. So I let it sit in my closet for at least 15 years. I took it out and it had rust on it! Also the slide action was rough. Apparently my shotgun was made in May of 1970 (according to Mossberg based on the serial number). I have no idea how much use it got before I got it. Anyway, I gave it a quick test with 3" BBB 78 steel pellet shells. It cycled and fired them fine. But, like I said, the slide action was rough. And it's got rust all over it and on the inside too. I've recently regained an interest in shotguns and I'm cleaning it up. The wood furniture is nice, but I think I would like it in a darker stain. It's only got a five shot tube which I'm stuck with because it is on there. I hope the spring is still good. Mossberg also only used one action bar back in those days because some company (Remington?) had a patent on using two.
I think I'll use some CLP on it to see if that helps any.
I bought my second one brand new and i noticed it was a bit rough to run the action. However after oiling the rails and bolt it ran good. I ended up shooting (test fire range session) and then cleaning the gun and this issue completely disappeared. Maybe there are tiny burrs or something from the factory that are affecting how it runs. I can't tell you that this was what was going on in my gun because i just cleaned it after my test shoot and then ran the action. Smooth. I then oiled it and store it next to my bedside cruiser ready :)
I had the same issue with the Walmart Winchester shells. It wouldn’t run in an 870, a 500 and a Benelli Nova. Since then I’ve only bought the budget Federal target loads and have had no problems.
It was a little over $200 here in NJ. They had a few of them at my local gun shop when I stopped by today.
In NY, I hunt with my mossberg 500 and it feels sluggish too when it’s cold outside. I remember taking one shot at a buck and watched it fall over 30 yds away and I tried to open the chamber. It felt very sluggish like the oil was gunked up. The shell was fine with no marks and it cycled over fine just the initial pull back was not the best
Mine I think was sluggish because "I" was cold. Here in Idaho gets very cold.
I have owned a Maverick 88 for about 5 years that stays leaned against my headboard next to my bed loaded with #2 shot for home security. I am very happy with this gun for it's intended purpose. I bought it from a friend who got it home from the gun store and realized he couldn't put a Red Dot on it. Sold it to me for $125 cash never shot.
I got my Maverick a little over a year ago for about $300 bucks and it’s served me well. I agree with what you were saying about the action being sluggish sometimes especially when I’m trying to shoot fast but it’s easy to work around that. I primarily use 00 buckshot and bird shot and they cycle just fine. It’s a great shotgun and it very customizable too. I’ve got a tamer pistol grip on mine and plan on mounting a rail system to add a flashlight and a laser along with a sight onto it. Great firearm, I make sure it’s sitting by my bedside before I go to bed loaded up with 8 rounds of 00 buck… any home Intruder is gonna have a rude awakening
the forearm difference is the 88 has the action bars molded into
the forearm and pinned whereas the 500 has a tube for the action bars that
the forearm attaches to with a spanner nut as do some other makes
of shotguns. this is only a problem in some folk's heads.
i've had both and haven't had the problems many speak of. my maverick
has been in rain, sand, dust, dirt, leaves, etc. and still works fine.
if i scratch it up it doesn't make me want to cry as scratching up my browning
would. working gun at a working man's price
I’ve got the maverick 88 and absolutely love it. I’ve got the folding stock on it for home defence.
To answer your question - yes I have noticed that it seems sluggish as well. Wasn’t sure if that was because of not enough oiling. But definitely a sluggish feeling when racking.
I have a Mossberg 500, left it in the truck in february for about 5 hours. When I took it out and went to load it it was a lot of resistance chambering the first round thru. after about 20 min indoors, in the warm house it loosened up. I also thought it was weird being the only shotgun passed mil specs. I wasn't too impressed with that fact. Also try not to drop it too much. The lifter can come out the side hole and could jam your gun. All and all I love shooting it. It's a good shotgun just know the issues so you don't get in those situations when your life could be depending on it.
I just swapped out all Magpul furniture on my Maverick 88 the only thing I had to track down and buy was a Mossberg 500 action slide and then I was able to change out the forend. Great gun.
Yes as I saw below a few comments and I did this to mine if you buy a mossberg 500 action assemble you can install it on the maverick 88 and then use any 500 forend you want they run 30 to 50 bucks and I'd say very worth it.
I bought my Mav 88 probably 15 years ago, needed a shotgun for small game, it was cheap at the time and figured Id replace it when I had the funds for a better one, well 15 years later, countless trips in the woods hunting, who knows how many thousands of shells shot thru it?, still have it, never needed replacing. great shotgun
Got several mossberg pumps. Problems - Had to change trigger group on A590 after 2000 rounds. 835 Ulti mag. Problems with extracter - solved under warrenty. Still love the guns...The action is very good. Had a chineese version - had a lot of problems - dealer took it back and gave me a new mossberg... :)
I had one, worked fine for me. You can use Mossberg 500 forends, you have to get the whole 500 slide assembly with a nut and it worked fine for me.
got an 88 and live in the Pacific North West, and i shoot trap/skeet` in rain, hail and snow. bought the 88 because its cheap and i don't wanna take out the nicer guns out in shitty weather. also keep it out of the gun safe as the home security gun and feel just fine about it. paid $180 at a gun shop for it and i will rust fast i bought mine with some on it, nothing some #220 stainless steel wool and some high heat mat black paint could not fix....if i bought one new i would sill paint it! so if you know that from the start from watching videos like these then you just know to keep it well oiled and painted. i felt it get sticky, but that was after 300 rounds in the rain so i lubed it there on the spot and shot another 100 rounds.....shot it in the rain with no problems that would deem it to cheap to keep under the bed. you just need to know what your getting into and prep just like most things in life, buy this gun paint and paint the barrel and mag tube.... it was a fun little project..... keep it well oil and clean, and put it under the bed.
I got my M88 7+1 Security Model a few years ago on sale for $250 out the door. Excellent shotgun! I put an ATI Talon Tactical Pistol Grip Stock on it and I keep it loaded n' ready for home defense. Highly recommended
Something that might be a solution to your bluing issue and your hesitating action. Boot black. A gunny told a friend of mine that it will not only prevent rust, but, if you put it on the bearing surfaces and work the action a few hundred times. Boot polish is a mild abrasive. So it will polish out the rough spots in the casting. Then you just clean it out when you're through.
I got my PAL/RPAL almost a year ago and bought the long barrel version of the Maverick 88 at that time. Since then I've bought pistols and rifles as well and shoot mostly IDPA but nothing beats a good ol' shotgun. Shotguns are the most fun and versatile firearms out there.
Unfortunately here in NL you're not allowed to take a non-restricted firearm out into the bush unless it's open season on game animals and even then the caliber of firearm has to match the animal that you have a game licence for. For example, if it's open season on Snowshoe Hare and you have a license for Snowshoe Hare but you're caught anywhere outside a shooting range with an SKS, you get charged for poaching Moose even if you're just sighting in or plinking at a gravel pit.
The only firearms you'd be okay to have with a Hare license would be a .22LR or .22WMR rifle or a shotgun loaded with lead shot. You can't even legally use .17 HMR here. Even if you did have a shotgun and you were in possession of slugs then you'd automatically be charged with poaching Moose. The same thing works in reverse; if you only had a Moose license but went out to a gravel pit to plink away with your Ruger 10/22 you'd be automatically charged with poaching Hare. The .17 HMR is not legal to take any game whatsoever so if you're using it outside a shooting range under any circumstances then you're charged with a wildlife offense.
So for about half the year you basicly have to treat your non-restricteds the same as your restricteds and use them only at a shooting range. You even have to transport them locked in a case.
Every time I go to the range for an IDPA match I can't resist packing up the Maverick and dropping some steel. Sometimes we even use shotguns during a course of fire and the Maverick is the one I always depend on.
I just picked up one of these from gunbroker ,I bought the frame for 50.88 and I bought a model 500 barrel 18.5 inch barrel for 52.00 seemed like a killer deal so I snagged it.going to put it together in the morning and try it out.I also bought a Mossberg 835 for 135 dollars and put a Blackhawk stock set on it .and it is a serious shotgun with the 3.5 inch shells a 3.5 inch 00 buckshot shell has 18 pellets in each shell .like shooting a double barrel with each shot.
And it's made in Maverick, Texas. It was introduced in 1988, hence the name 'Maverick 88'. BTW, thanks for the tip about pistol grips -- I was considering one.