Replacement barrel as much as a whole new shotgun. Why?

[Mike SC Hunter]

There's nothing wrong with a Maverick shotgun. They are lower cost, so there are some things that I don't care for, such as the pinned on forearm, but they work and are reliable. Used them for duck hunting, can double as a boat paddle if the motor dies.

The Remington 870 Express sells for twice the price and it is not twice the shotgun.

That's your opinion......Not shared by a lot of others.

 

[Bald1]

I wonder how many people that dislike a Mossberg/Maverick have first hand experience shooting and hunting with them. I've accumulated 3 Mossberg 500 , 1 Mossberg Shockwave which is the most fun u can have with your clothes on and a Maverick 88. While they will never replace my collection of Winchester model 12s or my Ithaca or Wingmaster, they are reliable, fun and affordable shotguns. And I agree they are equal to todays version of an 870 express.

 

[bushmaster1313]

If you see a used barrel advertised at 18.5" make sure it really is more than 18".

If you have a receiver with a 24" barrel and a barrel that is 17.99 inches arrives in the mail some jurisdictions might think you are in possession of a short barreled shotgun.

If you have a gunsmith cut the barrel and rebead it I would ask for no shorter than 18.5

And remember. Barrel length is measured inside the barrel to a closed bolt and parallel to the bore.

 

[Countrycuz]

I learned on Mossberg shotguns and hunted a bunch with them back in the day. Still have a few. Have had more expensive shotguns since but they didn't get any more game than the 500's.

 

[ldausmc1369]

USMC uses Mossberg! Need to say more? They are utilitarian…works like an AK…not pretty but functional…

 

[cyphertext]

That's your opinion......Not shared by a lot of others.

And what you have posted isn't opinion? What exactly did I post that was an opinion?

1. They are lower cost. That is a fact.
2. They use different parts than the Mossberg $500 to reach the lower price point. This is a fact.
3. They are reliable. That is a fact.
4. I have hunted with them. That is a fact.
5. The Remington Express available at Academy today is $450. The Maverick is $220. The Remington is 2x the price. Fact.

I don't think the Express is worth 2x the Maverick and that is an opinion, but I think many will agree with me on that one!

For the price of the Remington Express today, I can get a Mossberg 590 with 8+1 capacity. Oh, and that $450 Express, it has a 26" barrel which isn't what the OP wants either.

 

[cyphertext]

OP, I do agree with those who say spend a little more and get the gun with the barrel you want. A Maverick 88 Security with 20" barrel and 7+1 capacity runs $230 at the local Academy... $80 more to get what you want.

 

[Loyaljeeper]

USMC uses Mossberg! Need to say more? They are utilitarian…works like an AK…not pretty but functional…

You were obviously a Marine, and I am not arguing, but I don't ever recall seeing a Marine with a Mossberg. The Army was about 95% Mossberg from 2001 to 2010 when I was active. I saw tons of Marines with various 870s in the Stanbox while I was toting a 590. Shotguns were weird. You never knew what kind of furniture and barrels you were going to see across the military. I saw lots of Marines with pistol and birdshead grips and even a few wood furniture. Some of our teams had regular old Mossberg 500s and not 590s. Rumor was the 500s were allowed to be purchased by the unit and not big Army.

 

[mtgianni]

I see no reason for the high cost of a bbl other than because we can. In the late 80's I bought a Mossburg 500 for $179. For $10 I could buy a sighted slug bbl 24" long so I did.

 

[DWalt]

I had a Maverick 12 gauge pump gun for several years and during that time, I had no reason to complain about it. I sold it mainly because I had accumulated far too many shotguns, and cut back my inventory to only a few. I also once had a Maverick bolt action rifle in .30-'06, primarily because Academy had them on sale at a ridiculously cheap price at the time. Pretty it wasn't, as it had a black plastic stock and the metal appeared to have a dull black painted finish, but it shot extremely tight groups. The only issues I had with it was that it had a somewhat gritty trigger pull, and the headspace was a bit tight. Even factory ammo required a little extra force on the bolt handle to close. That may have had something to do with its good grouping performance. I used it mainly as a toy for several years, and I doubt I put more than 200 rounds through it. Again I sold it for no other reason than thinning my rifle inventory, sold it to a friend at a slight profit.

BTW, the Maverick name came about because the Maverick assembly plant in Eagle Pass TX, is located in Maverick County.

Regarding the Mossberg 590 military shotgun, see: Mossberg Model 590. The USAF also used them for awhile, but later switched to the Remington 870 modular system.

 

[GypsmJim]

Many comments here comparing Mossberg to an 870. I found that quite amusing.

Eons ago Remington made a quality product. IMHO the 870s of today are ****.

I can't speak to a Maverick, but if we to compare a new 870 to a new 500, there would be no comparison.

Remington lost my business 30 years ago.

Once again, JMHO.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

I wonder how many people that dislike a Mossberg/Maverick have first hand experience shooting and hunting with them. I've accumulated 3 Mossberg 500 , 1 Mossberg Shockwave which is the most fun u can have with your clothes on and a Maverick 88. While they will never replace my collection of Winchester model 12s or my Ithaca or Wingmaster, they are reliable, fun and affordable shotguns. And I agree they are equal to todays version of an 870 express.

Bought the 3.5 in turkey when they first came out. Egonomically it felt and shouldered like a piece of pulpwood. Didn't kill turkeys any better than my 3" Rem 870. Went down the road. No 500/88/835 has the good fit, feel and longivity of a Win mdl 12/Ithaca 37/Remington 870 and never will. And that plastic safety button on top will break off with much use. I guess if that is all you can afford. Have at it.

 

[JWintergreen]

Many comments here comparing Mossberg to an 870. I found that quite amusing.

Eons ago Remington made a quality product. IMHO the 870s of today are ****.

I can't speak to a Maverick, but if we to compare a new 870 to a new 500, there would be no comparison.

Remington lost my business 30 years ago.

Once again, JMHO.

Freedom Group no longer owns RemArms, and the new Roundhill produced 870s have been getting good reviews. The Express line has been replaced with the Tactical, Hardwood Defense, and Fieldmaster lineups.

Here is a good thread from another forum on the new 870s

New production 870 Express

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

USMC uses Mossberg! Need to say more? They are utilitarian…works like an AK…not pretty but functional…

Check you history.......Mossberg was the ONLY bidder on that contract.

 

[cyphertext]

Bought the 3.5 in turkey when they first came out. Egonomically it felt and shouldered like a piece of pulpwood. Didn't kill turkeys any better than my 3" Rem 870. Went down the road. No 500/88/835 has the good fit, feel and longivity of a Win mdl 12/Ithaca 37/Remington 870 and never will. And that plastic safety button on top will break off with much use. I guess if that is all you can afford. Have at it.

Fit and feel are subjective... One shotgun is not going to have the same fit and feel to multiple people. This is why my Beretta came with shims so that the drop and cast can be changed to better suit individual shooters.

The plastic safety on top, well, they used metal back in the day and then went to some cost cutting measures. Remington, and others, have done similar things... plastic trigger housings anyone? But this is a moot point when talking about the Maverick 88, as it has the cross bolt safety on the trigger guard.

Why the "if that is all you can afford" derogatory comment? Sounds like the OP wants an 18" to 20" barreled shotgun to sit behind the bedroom door just in case. I don't think he is purchasing this for clay games or hunting and will probably not see any high use. The Maverick will meet his needs.

My bump in the night go to is a 1959 Wingmaster that I cut a 30" full choke barrel down to 18.5" and added a fiber optic bead. Pawn shop rescue for $150 25 years ago. Bet I haven't put more than 100 shells through it.

 

[Frank46]

I have an old that came with rifle sights and is a smoothbore. It has no rifling. Wanted the shotgun to be more capable in the taking of other game.
forget the price for a 29" barrel with adjustable chokes, but the Remington salesman suggested that I get a Remington express in 12 guage since the money wasn't that far apart. Got the Remington express and while it's no 870 as the express had a very gritty trigger. Still it suficed for the infrequent trips for squirrels and other small game. My old wingmaster with rifle sights used to be my deer gun. Wanted a riot gun barrel to add to my collection. Well that came to a screaming halt. Local dealer was selling riot guns for cheap. 1st one cost slightly less than $200 and the 2nd one was slightly over $200. Both riot gun barrels fit and function fine out of the express and my older 870 so no need for another barrel. But now have 4 870 shotguns. I might add that both riot guns did come with the mag extensions. That was a plus in and of itself. Frank

 

[LVSteve]

Yeah, there are some on ebay and some aren't too overpriced. I guess it just kind of surprised me. I figured that a barrel wouldn't be any more than about half of what the whole gun costs. Not unusual for me to figure wrong though.

Parted out guns fetch more money than complete ones, just like Japanese motorcycles. Try and get complete wood for certain milsurp rifles and you will often find that buying a complete firearm is cheaper.