Do you need a shotgun?  The sports authority on ward has a lot of 12 gauge 8RD (7+1) MOSSBERG MAVERICK 88  instock and they are going for 235 bucks a pop.  Super cheap (as far as guns go, hell I just spent 3X that amount on a handgun last week and at least that amount of .45acp and 9mm in the last week) and not much to go wrong on a pump shotgun.  Ok it doesn't have a metal trigger guard or heatsheild like a 590A does but I don't think anyone is gonna plan on beating anyone to death with the trigger guard and I don't think very many people shoot 100 shells a minuet so I think most people would be fine.

Anyone have experience with these?  My friend is looking for a shotgun. 

I don't think anyone is gonna plan on beating anyone to death with the trigger guard

Speak for yourself man, that's EXACTLY what I do with trigger guards!  I'd love to pick up a Shotgun but dread waiting in line @ HPD...

Speak for yourself man, that's EXACTLY what I do with trigger guards!  I'd love to pick up a Shotgun but dread waiting in line @ HPD...

$235 is a pretty darn good deal for a 8 shot shotgun in todays market.  I have a mossberg 590 and it reminds me of it quite a bit.  Other then the heat sheild (aftermarket heatshields run anywhere form $20-$180), -1 shot shell carry ability, the bayonet lug, and safety location its damn near identical other then being more then half the price.  scratch that, the 88 is easier to strip and service.  mavericks are pretty much mossbergs with 90% of the same parts but have a few parts made in mexcio and assembled in texas.  its pretty hard to screw up anything this simple, its a pump.  there are a total of like 8 or 9 major parts to the shotgun.  I'm using my mavrick 88 to teach someone how to shoot shotguns so just in case they drop it or do something stupid with it, its ok.  also didnt wanna go thru the trouble of converting my 590 back to stock, its actually cheaper/easier to buy another shotgun haha!  And hey, Ya never know when you'll need a shotgun.

oh one thing to think about is the warranty.  mossberg comes with 10 years, mavricks come with a 1 year.  The mavricks are so cheap that you can buy two and still be cheaper then the mossberg and I highly doubt either of the mavricks will break.  Very rarely do they break and you can buy parts to fix them easily.  Like I said there are 8-9 major parts to the shotgun (most are just solid big chunks of metal which are pretty damn hard to break) when you strip it down so I doubt anythings gonna break any time soon.  Mossberg has been known to service mavricksk after the 1 year warranty time too.  They have a pretty good CS department.  I think the main thing you gotta worry about it rust here in hawaii for a pump shotgun.  They all come blued (the mossbergs come in parkerized and marine finishs as well as blued) which isn't the best finish for guns but its still pretty good.  You can always get it cerakoted if you wanted.

Anyone have experience with these?  My friend is looking for a shotgun.

It's just a plain jane pump action shotgun.  you can see them on youtube.  Not the best for skeet or other such sports (20inch open cylinder barrel) but you can still easily break clays if you have the skill.  You can put on a longer barrel or just buy a feild unit which has a 28 inch barrel with a modified choke.  they are quite cheap and they work, putting slugs on a 18 inch gong at 100 yards shouldn't be a problem.  its not gonna impress anyone really other then the guy they are pointed at when he tries to break in to your house!  12 gauge is 12 guage and a 3 inch max dram slug doing 1750 fps or magnum 00 buck (15X9mm pellets going about 1500fps) is pretty much gonna stop anyone in their tracks!  If it doesn't, the 6 or 7 buddies behind it are gonna get the job done!

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Dude, I can't remember how to spell it   I gotta copy and paste it.  It was a gamer tag from a while back.

Anyone have experience with these?  My friend is looking for a shotgun.

Maverick 88's are just Mossberg 500's with parts "Hecho en México" and some minor differences. It used to be just the trigger group (w/ safety) and a molded action slide, but most 500's come with the exact same cheaper slide. Most internal parts and the barrel are interchangeable. As for function? It's a pump shotgun, they're all basically the same. If it's your friends first shotgun, I'd recommend getting the 5+1 that's on sale for $209.99 because the follower springs on the 7+1 are NOT always reliable. They can be replaced but pulling the tube is a bit of a hassle.

Thanks for the input guys.  Yes, it will be his first shotty.

 I'd recommend getting the 5+1 that's on sale for $209.99 because the follower springs on the 7+1 are NOT always reliable. They can be replaced but pulling the tube is a bit of a hassle.

interesting, why is it that they are not reliable? I have not heard of this before.  is it made of bad materials?  too short?  too long?  is the follower crap/at fault? 

interesting, why is it that they are not reliable? I have not heard of this before.  is it made of bad materials?  too short?  too long?  is the follower crap/at fault?

Can't say for sure why because the parts are supposedly the same specs as the for the 500's. I've had the 6th and 7th shells get stuck in the tube repeatedly until I replaced the spring with the stock 500 one and a hi-viz follower. The old follower didn't bind or anything, I only replaced because I had it apart.  If I had to guess, it's a quality issue...same length, but not as strong or more quickly worn out.

Don't get me wrong though, the 88's are just fine and get the job done. I have no problem choosing it as a HD shotgun (or an improvised club). And in all honestly would rather give up a $200 firearm as 'evidence' over a $500-2000+ firearm. 

Did SA have any of the 590 A1s? I was looking at that or a Remington 870.

Did SA have any of the 590 A1s? I was looking at that or a Remington 870.

when I looked last time they didnt have any 590's.  they are hard to come by now adays.  I dont really like the 870s, the feed area has that plate which is always down like most others while the mossbergs have it up.  It's much easier to speed feed from a stripper clip via weak hand into the open area instead of getting my fingers pinched every time.  that and the looser tolerances of the mossbergs seem to be a bit more reliable although I never let my guns get dirty enough to actually seize.

I'm thinking about one after our vice president told us to buy one.

I bought a field model 88 from SA when it was on sale with 28" barrel and it came with 3 chokes.  Barrel alone with chokes is around $160-170.

18" replacement barrel was only around $80.  I'd consider that route.

I had a 20" barrel 7+1 Mossy 500 but couldn't find find longer replacement barrels for dove hunting due to the long magazine tube.

Current 88's are better built than the originals as they now have dual slide action bars like the 500.  My 88's been super reliable.

As far the extra 2 rounds, just do what Clint Smith says and practice reloading.

The 20" barrel 7+1 does look bad ass though.   Either way I can recommend an 88 for the price.

Barrel alone with chokes is around $160-170.

funny how the field unit cost only $209

Exactly.  When I got mine it was on sale under $200.

I thought, what the heck, I'll basically get a free shotgun with the barrel.

http://www.mossberg.com/barrels.asp

Then I got an 18.5" barrel for $80.

Went to 3 diff sa today lookin for an 18.5. No luck. Wish I coulda got them to pick up the phone n save me the drive. Don't want the hassle of getting a longer barrel n switching um out :/

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Went to 3 diff sa today lookin for an 18.5. No luck. Wish I coulda got them to pick up the phone n save me the drive. Don't want the hassle of getting a longer barrel n switching um out :/

why bother with an 18.5 inch when a 20 inch will give you 2 more shells?

Personnaly I would have just keep calling.  why drive all that way and risk getting killed in an accident or burning thru all that gas and wasting all that time?