Why Buy Used?
I got my first car for $100. It was a heavily used green Pontiac Grand Prix with a replacement white hood and finicky blinkers. You could lose spare change through the hole in the floor, and I loved it. It was all I needed for a bit of freedom. Used shotguns can offer the same thing for someone looking to get into hunting or the shooting sports on a budget.
As a matter of fact, we saw that affordable old pump-action shotguns were on full display when we visited the world’s largest clay shooting event not long ago. Heck, they were crushing plenty of clay birds in competition.
Related: We Visited the World's Largest, Safest Shooting Sports Event
Pump-action scatterguns are my current favorite for hunting and sporting clays these days. I just like the tactile feel of working the action in the field, and I’m quite comfortable with them. It also doesn’t hurt that they tend to be readily available at a price that makes them pocket-friendly.
Just as importantly, they’re often the easiest designs to hand off to a newer shooter. That’s something I’ve happily done several times for new folks who finally join me for a round of clays at my local range. My current go-to option for hunting and clays is a used Benelli Nova I picked up off a friend a few years back. It’s a great gun, but I wanted something lighter and even more affordable as a backup or to loan out.
I was sold almost instantly when I found a very affordable Maverick 88 with some camo on the used market.
Specs & Features
Essentially a zero-frills version of the famed Mossberg 500, the 12-gauge Maverick 88 offers a 3-inch chamber and is easily one of the top-selling shotguns here at Guns.com. In particular, folks really love the Maverick 88 Security Combo last time I checked.
That makes sense. It’s an easy two-for-one deal with a swappable 28-inch hunting barrel and an 18.5-inch tactical barrel. You can basically cover both your hunting and home defense needs with one pump.
Related: Mossberg 500 – Loved for a Good Reason
I wanted just a basic hunting gun, and I generally dislike rear-mounted safeties that are behind the trigger. The Maverick 88 hosts a crossbolt safety in front of the trigger like my Benelli Nova. I find that design to be more intuitive and faster. That safety is one of the main differences from the Mossberg 500 with its tang-mounted safety.
I love my go-to Nova. It’s simple, reliable, and can take a beating. Still, it comes in on the heavy side at 7.9 pounds and 49.5 inches long. It was also well past double the cost of this used Maverick 88. I wanted my backup shotgun to be a bit leaner, and the Maverick 88 fit that bill with a similar length of 48 inches but a weight of 6.38 pounds.
For perspective, that puts it at less than a nimble 12-gauge 6.94-pound Remington 870 Wingmaster that I’ve also tested. That gun is far more balanced but comes at a price that could put several Maverick 88s in your safe.
Here’s a quick rundown on the basic specs for my Maverick 88:
- Weight: 6.38 pounds
- Length: 48 inches
- Barrel Length: 28 inches
- Length of Pull: 14.125
- Trigger Pull: 6.56 pounds
- Chamber: 3 inches
- Capacity: 5+1
The trigger pull is short, with just around 0.1 inches of travel and a very light take-up to the wall. That wall has some mush to the break, but it’s hardly noticeable while actually shooting. The gun also hosts dual action bars to make it sturdier when under hard use. While I like the feel and aesthetic of the corncob forend, it is a bit minimalist for hand space. More on that when we get to the range.
I selected a Maverick with a long 28-inch barrel and camo polymer furniture. The finish is a very basic bluing. That means you do need to take some care to wipe the gun down and oil it to prevent corrosion. This example suffered from some cosmetic corrosion on the barrel, likely caused by lack of cleaning before long storage in a case. Let your guns breath, folks.
Other features include a long-ventilated rib with anti-glare cuts, brass mid-bead, sling mounting points, and an action release behind the trigger on the left side. The gun is not drilled and tapped for an optic. The white on the front bead of this used gun was broken off, but I intended to swap it out for a long fiber-optic sight anyway. I’ve really grown to like this style of sight when shooting from a blind and having to get on a bird quickly while standing up.
The Maverick shotguns are compatible with Mossberg 500 stocks, barrels, and Accu-choke tubes. That opens a large aftermarket if you’re ever looking for replacement parts or upgrades.
Range Testing
There’s nothing refined about the Maverick 88, and you can feel it when you work the action. It’s not gritty, but there’s a noticeable blocky and mechanical feel as you pull the pump back to drop the elevator and eject your empty shells. It’s not polished and smooth like some high-end pump-action shotguns I’ve used.
That doesn’t keep you from working the pump quickly. In fact, it forces you to be deliberate, which is a training advantage that programs you to be more aggressive when shooting under stress to avoid short-stroking the pump and causing a malfunction.
As far as performance, the gun can certainly hold its own if you do your part. My first range outing with it brought me a total score of 45/50 birds on the sporting clays range. I had never fired the gun prior, and that’s a very respectable score for me even with my trusty old Benelli Nova.
I did notice a bit more felt recoil to the lighter gun during testing. That is well mitigated by the waffled rubber butt pad. You’ll feel it, but it won’t kill you. The biggest issue I had while shooting came from the cool but relatively short corncob forend. It’s very far forward for your support hand when you mount the shotgun.
The long reach stretches your support arm out quite a bit and can create fatigue. At 5 feet 11 inches, I have above-average length arms and still find my support elbow is almost locked out when shooting. I have occasionally found my myself searching for the forend while mounting, which is not ideal when popping up to take a shot on a fast-flying bird.
I didn’t have any issues with reliable cycling even with very budget target loads. Those have created issues for me on the range with semi-autos from time to time. However, the gun’s balance did leave a lot to be desired.
The gun is light enough to make it fast, but the forward weight doesn’t make it very graceful to swing as you track targets. That said, it certainly can do the job of downing 90 percent of the clays I tested it on during my first range visit.
Unfortunately, this gun just barely missed goose and duck season for me this year. It is the first in line for my next outing, and I have zero hesitation taking it out given how it has done for me so far.
Pros & Cons
Here’s my short list of the pros and cons for this used Maverick 88:
Pros:
- Very budget-friendly
- Rugged
- Lightweight
- Reliable pump-action design
- Forward crossbolt safety
- Classic shotgun looks and feel
- Swappable barrels
- General Mossberg 500 compatibility
Cons:
- Budget finish is prone to rust if not cleaned
- Receiver is not drilled and tapped
- Long reach to the forend pump
- Not very balanced
-
No polished or refined controls
Final Thoughts
This is not my favorite gun. I don’t shoot it better – or worse, really – than my typical pump-action hunting shotgun. However, this affordable and reliable little lightweight pump really breaks down the barriers for budget entry into the shotgun shooting world.
It isn’t the kind of gun you should go bragging to your friends about. But you won’t feel bad if you outshoot more expensive guns on the range or in the duck blind. I like guns that I’m not afraid to put to work, and this used Maverick 88 is going to see a lot more trigger time than my nicer firearms. That alone makes it a welcome addition to my personal collection.
If you’re looking for a knock-around, do-all gun that you don’t have to worry about dinging or scratching, it’s hard to beat a used Maverick 88.
