Incorporating the same features as their highly venerated 500 series shotguns, yet at only a little over half the cost, anyone looking for a basic, reliable shotgun should consider this offering from Mossberg.
Table of contents
Introduction
Mossberg is no stranger to excellent shotguns- their crowning achievements, the 500 and 590 series shotguns, are considered among the finest ever made. They are used by seemingly everybody- armed civilians, police, militaries, criminals, hunters, and anyone else who could need a gun.
The ruggedness and high-quality engineering that went into these weapons makes them some of most reliable and versatile shotguns on the market today, being used for everything from sport shooting and hunting to home defense and being used by SWAT teams and special forces and being equally well suited to all of these roles with few if any modifications.
While the Mossberg 500 and 590 series are renowned around the world, Mossberg actually makes several other very respect-worthy firearms. The 930 series, for example, is another notable success of the Swedish firm, and is a common choice among people who need a semi-automatic shotgun.
But the Maverick 88 series we'll be reviewing today is another, more peculiar, addition to Mossberg's successful lineup. After having recently encountered this gun in person for the first time, I decided to try it out, and I was so impressed I decided to make it the subject of today's article.
And so, without further ado, let's get into it.
Hands-on experience
While I do not own a Maverick 88 itself (I prefer semi-automatic shotguns, personally), all of my run-ins with this shotgun have been overwhelmingly positive- with the deceptively low price point of only about 250-300 USD for the basic models (depending on the exact variant), it might be easy to overlook the it in a catalogue or in a store and might not really catch much attention.
Indeed, at first glance at least, nothing about the Maverick 88 seems truly remarkable.
But, far from being an overly basic entry-level shotgun for the budget-conscious, the Maverick 88 can actually do many of the things the virtually identical Mossberg 500 can do, and its performance is on par with it as well.
First impressions
It all started with me firing a used one owned by a friend- it feels just like a 500, but slightly looser and a little "jankier" (though not in an uncomfortable way from a sensory perspective) and handles about the same as well- slightly front heavy, but with a solid action and large pump handle, it's just as smooth and easy to operate.
The low cost mentioned earlier is also part of the reason behind it's slightly cheaper and less sturdy feel than the 500 series of shotguns as well- unlike it's more expensive brethren, many parts for the 88 series are manufactured in Mexico (and the theory is, this makes them less "worthy", but the truth is the Maverick 88 series is every bit as sturdy and reliable).
Needless to say, I was impressed that such a seemingly cheap, janky weapon costing less than 300 dollars could be feel so nice and be so much like a Mossberg 500 for only a fraction of the cost, but as I later learned, it gets even better.
Controls and external features
Externally, not only does the Maverick 88 resemble the 500 series almost exactly, but the controls and features are fairly identical as well for the most part.
One notable difference, however, is the cross-button style safety on the trigger guard itself (as opposed to the more readily usable tang style safety on the 500 series). It's not very friendly due to its small size and is slightly uncomfortable to operate at times, but even so, it's good enough- the lower cost of the platform seemingly doesn't include lowering the quality of basic external controls like the safety. I found no problems with it, and it didn't seem to bother my friend, either.
As we said before, while the pump on the Maverick 88 feels a little bit loose and rattles a bit compared to the 500, it's still of the same high quality, with twin action bars, dual extractors and an anti-jam elevator for 100% maximum reliability like it's more expensive brother. We'll talk more about this later, as it contributes enormously to the Maverick 88's amazing reliability.
I wasn't super impressed with the trigger, but while triggers are really a big deal for me unless they're on match rifles, it's still worth noting that it feels kind of spongey and a bit less crisp than the 500 trigger, but even so, you shouldn't really be bothered by it too much.
Other features worth mentioning
Although it's very similar to the Mossberg 500, it is not 100% identical, and while many parts will interchange between the two, others (like the trigger assembly) will not. However, most other basic parts like barrels, stocks, charging handles and a few basic internal parts will fit and work in both platforms, and most aftermarket parts in these categories are also mutually interchangeable.
The lower cost does come with a few other drawbacks not already mentioned, however- including lacking sling mounts (with the exception of the "Security" model depicted on this page) and having only a basic bluing finish on the barrel as opposed to the 500, which usually has higher-quality nickel finishes.
Interestingly- and to the disappointment of some- the Maverick 88 also is not pre-drilled and tapped for the addition of rails, like some other shotguns (while I haven't looked into this specifically, drilling and tapping the receiver is almost certainly still possible, should you want it).
Shooting it
Aside from operating some external controls of somewhat questionable quality, the Maverick 88 is a joy to shoot.
It's reliability record across all types of ammo appears to be very close to 100% (like the Mossberg 500), and it's handling characteristics are essentially identical, meaning transitioning between the two requires no mental adjustment.
One thing in particular I loved about shooting it that surprised me is how the seemingly loose-fitting slide action actually made it feel more rugged to shoot. I know this is probably just personal preference, but something about the action made that much more run to rack the slide and shoot.
While I don't have an exact tally for the number of rounds I fired in my last outing, I'm guessing it was around 100. Most of the ammo I used was 00 buckshot, also some birdshot (number 4 and 8) was in there as well. I haven't had a chance to shoot slugs yet, but reliability in all my encounters has been flawless as far as I can remember, as I've previously said.
All in all, it's a great shooting experience that is definitely on par with the 500 series.
Pros and cons
Pros
Superbly reliably
Very inexpensive for such quality
Has many interchangeable parts with the Mossberg 500 series
Has most of the same perks as the 500 (versatility, large aftermarket part selection etc.)
Cons
Not all parts are interchangeable
Some of the external controls may be a bit off-putting to some
Some minor features the Mossberg 500 has are missing
Final thoughts
Usually, when people think of cheap shotguns, they think of crappy, poorly made knockoffs of great designs, or something that is too ambitious and over-complicated for the price point.
But the Maverick 88 throws a wrench in that assumption... at least for me.
Never before have I encountered such an excellent shotgun for such a low price point- the reliability is unmatched by all but the best pump-action shotguns, it's versatility (including the availability of aftermarket parts) is impressive, and with multiple factory options available as well, it's an excellent multi-use platform depending on the end user's exact needs.
Honestly, I don't see why anyone who needs a pump-action shotgun would spend twice as much money on something only marginally better than this. Sure, the Maverick 88 isn't perfect and doesn't cover all the bases, but for a really cheap shotgun, it does all it can very, very well.
In fact, excluding a ***possible*** tie with the similarly priced Stevens 320, I'd say it is- with practically zero doubt- the single best budget pump-action shotgun available on the market today.
Gun stats
(Stats source: Palmetto State Armory)
Caliber | 12 Gauge |
Action | Pump-action |
Barrel length | 18.5", 20" or 28" (depending on model) |
Overall length | 39.5" to 49" (depending on model) |
Weight | ~6.5 pounds empty |
Magazine capacity | 5+1, 6+1 or 7+1 (depending on model) |