Maverick 88 pump shotgun

Kevin55 · January-09-13 18:01

The Maverick 88 shotgun is a budget version of the Mossberg 500.

Anyone have a shotgun chamber gum up to the point, the action won't close?

Years ago, I picked one up on sale as my "junk shotgun". Well mission accomplished, it has a junk like flaw. It shoots and functions fine, but after 20 shells, the chamber fills up with residue and I can't close the slide. Once when I was shooting trap, I could barely get the 25th shell into the chamber. Now was it really odd, is I use the exact same ammo with my Remington 870 pump. I can shoot 100 shells without a problem in the 870. But twice I have had to switch back to the Remington as the Maverick just stopped chambering rounds before shooting 25 shots.

Is this a matter of not properly machining the chamber or surfacing it? I know the early Vietnam era M16's had corrosion problems and they all went to chromed chambers (along with a switch back to the proper powder.)

Thanks.

louiethelump · January-09-13 18:01

You get what you pay for. The Mossberg is a junk shotgun in the first place, and then the Maverick is a junk version of a junk shotgun, and only has one action bar among other things. That is works at all is a miracle.

Buy a Remington 870 and be done with it.

A worn chamber reamer will make an undersize chamber.

Just my two cents. YOU NEVER get what you want with the cheapest gun on the market. You have paid less money, but you have NOTHING, and have to go pay the higher price to get what you wanted in the first place. Plus you are out what you spent on the junk. Same with Taurus. Spend a few extra bucks and buy the S&W in the first place, or buy used S&W instead of the new Taurus.

Kevin55 · January-09-13 20:01

LOL! If you re-read my original post, I own a Remington 870 SP, which I really like a whole lot.

I bought the Maverick 88 as the shotgun to take when conditions were going to be really nasty. Mainly it would be exposed to salt water, which I didn't want my 870 around all day long. It started at $129 for a new pump. Then I found I needed to buy a $15 trigger lock. Then pay for the California fees and sales tax. My cheap $129 shotgun was nearly $200 out the door.

Thanks for the idea about the tube not being reamed out. I might send the barrel back to Mossberg to get checked. I don't think Mossberg 500's are that much worse than a Remington 870 Express, but I would spend the extra money and get a 500, not an 88. If not just get a Remington 870.

skarrd · January-10-13 00:01

hmmm,i guess i got lucky with my *88*,as it hasn't ever gummed up on me had any slide bar probs.,or feeding/ejecting issues,and i have put,easily,3-400 rounds of all kinds of ammo through it,[all 2 3/4 shells]from birdshot to buckshot,and slugs.IMHO it was the best150.00 i've spent in the last 5 years

Kevin55 · January-10-13 13:01

The action, other than being loose, is fully functional. On par with my 870. I really like the two beads on the vent rib.

The barrel gumming up, which is what causes the problems is the weirdest thing ever. I think it was the right call that it wasn't properly bored out or maybe the coating was bad. I bought a second barrel for it, but I haven't had the time to go shooting. Too much to do, all of the local ranges are closed.

G50AE · October-01-13 01:10

Did you ever clear the issue up?

TwoGunJayne · October-02-13 08:10

I agree with the sentiments so far. For a 12 gauge pump to gum like that, your chamber can't be right. A loose action should no be able to contribute a lot to this. Gun gasses are leaking out and not from the muzzle.

Find a gunsmith with a 12 gauge go/no-go gauge set. A barrel swap will likely eliminate the problem, IMHO. If UL is right and it was a worn chamber reamer, the fix is going to be super-cheap if you can find the man with the right tools. If so, this falls under the category of "fluff and buff" to get a cheap gun going. That kind of personal polish is super-common for the ultra budget guns. Kel tec is known for requiring it.

OV-1D · October-02-13 11:10

I too have a Mossberg 500 and agree I thought I bought the cheapest 12 gauge made . Well it goes BOOM when I tell it to with no mishaps YET quite frankly I can't find anything really to improve upon it except trick it out with , OH NO I'm using that word TACTICAL , folding stock and shell holders everywhere , all it's missing is a bayonet HA . I'd feel safe shooting loads made of change with it . I do need a street sweeper though with that drum . Anyhow a gun is a gun till it breaks and they all have symptoms after awhile . Besides 12 gauge is the only plentiful cartridges everywhere . Happy shooting Kevin .

MR_22 · October-02-13 13:10

Quote from: louiethelump on January-09-13 18:01
The Mossberg is a junk shotgun in the first place...

The Mossberg 500 or all Mossbergs?

I have a Mossberg 590 in stainless that I really love. They cost a bit more than the 500, though. I would say it's a great little gun. Mine has an 18-inch barrel and pistol grip for home defense. Both the 500 and the 590 seem to be very popular.

OV-1D · October-02-13 13:10

Not that I own the 590 Mr.22 aka ..... nevermind , ha but I believe its made the same as the 500 . Have the same grip but with the swing out stainless shoulder butt . Good enough gun for me , stainless would be a little nicer .

MR_22 · October-02-13 13:10

Quote from: OV-1D on October-02-13 13:10
Not that I own the 590 Mr.22 aka ..... nevermind , ha but I believe its made the same as the 500 . Have the same grip but with the swing out stainless shoulder butt . Good enough gun for me , stainless would be a little nicer .

AKA LOL.

Swing-out stainless butt? You mean, like, a pivoting swing-out butt stock? I don't think I've never seen that in a shotgun, or maybe I misunderstood? I have one of those on my Ruger 10/22--I like it.

I have a hogue pistol grip and forend on my Mossberg 590. Never used the stock butt or fore end. My pistol grip doesn't have a butt stock. The stainless is pretty nice, tho.

OV-1D · October-02-13 14:10

Yep I said it backwards there Mr22 ...............now you made me go look it's made by Butler Creek , pistol grip and folding stock are one piece , snaps out and snaps back in up against the receiver , works great . Stainless also YOU NEED ONE for that 590 .

MR_22 · October-02-13 15:10

Quote from: OV-1D on October-02-13 14:10
Yep I said it backwards there Mr22 ...............now you made me go look it's made by Butler Creek , pistol grip and folding stock are one piece , snaps out and snaps back in up against the receiver , works great . Stainless also YOU NEED ONE for that 590 .

Hmm, cool. I'll check i tout. Yes, I have the Butler Creek version for my 10/22. Makes it a fun ban-able gun that would scare gun grabbers almost as much as the AR-15's, do. Of course, I can definitely kill more and kill more quickly with that folding stock than the boring wooden stock. When I'm shooting it, I can almost feel the evil emanating from it.

G50AE · October-02-13 23:10

The Mossburg 590 is the more "tactical" version of the 500.

MR_22 · October-03-13 00:10

Quote from: G50AE on October-02-13 23:10
The Mossburg 590 is the more "tactical" version of the 500.

Oh great. Now I'm REALLY confused.

TwoGunJayne · October-03-13 07:10

Milspec automatically equals tactical. Tactical doesn't automatically mean milspec.

G50AE · October-03-13 21:10

Quote from: TwoGunJayne on October-03-13 07:10
Milspec automatically equals tactical. Tactical doesn't automatically mean milspec.

That is correct, however "tactical" should always appear in quotation marks because that is the more "tactical" way of writing "tactical".