88 Vs. 500

[fecalguns]

Where is it on the 88?

In front of the trigger.

[jimmykan]

The Mossberg 500 has a few differences over the Maverick 88:

Mossberg 500: standard barrel accepts choke tubes
Maverick 88: standard barrel does not accept choke tubes and is cylinder bore (at least it is on my 20" security barrel.

Mossberg 500: top tang safety (I used to have one, and the screw holding the safety switch would always work loose, until I applied blue Loctite to it).
Maverick 88: trigger guard cross bolt safety, ahead of the trigger (as opposed to behind the trigger like on a Remington 870)

Mossberg 500: the standard forend is square-ish and extends rearward over the receiver when pulled back. New forends can be swapped onto the existing action tube.
Maverick 88: the forend is a cylindrical corncob style and is molded directly onto the action tube/bar assembly, but the whole assembly can be replaced with one from a Mossberg 500.

Mossberg 500: available in many different finishes, the basic finish is matte black.
Maverick 88: available in only one finish, gloss blued barrel, gloss black painted receiver

The buttstocks and barrels (still must match gauge and magazine tube length) are interchangeable between the two shotguns, and aftermarket buttstocks like the Magpul SGA will fit either shotgun.

I bought my Maverick 88 8-shot Security in 2014 for $230 out the door, and added a Magpul SGA stock to it.

[plumbum]

Personally I have the 88 Security because I didn’t plan on changing anything or swapping barrels; HD only. If you want to get short/long barrels or dress up furniture, go for the 500.

[wolfmann]

The Mossberg 500 has a few differences over the Maverick 88:

Mossberg 500: standard barrel accepts choke tubes
Maverick 88: standard barrel does not accept choke tubes and is cylinder bore (at least it is on my 20" security barrel.

Mossberg 500: top tang safety (I used to have one, and the screw holding the safety switch would always work loose, until I applied blue Loctite to it).
Maverick 88: trigger guard cross bolt safety, ahead of the trigger (as opposed to behind the trigger like on a Remington 870)

Mossberg 500: the standard forend is square-ish and extends rearward over the receiver when pulled back. New forends can be swapped onto the existing action tube.
Maverick 88: the forend is a cylindrical corncob style and is molded directly onto the action tube/bar assembly, but the whole assembly can be replaced with one from a Mossberg 500.

Mossberg 500: available in many different finishes, the basic finish is matte black.
Maverick 88: available in only one finish, gloss blued barrel, gloss black painted receiver

The buttstocks and barrels (still must match gauge and magazine tube length) are interchangeable between the two shotguns, and aftermarket buttstocks like the Magpul SGA will fit either shotgun.

I bought my Maverick 88 8-shot Security in 2014 for $230 out the door, and added a Magpul SGA stock to it.

Hi Jimmy you can get wood corncobs for the 500 and the 88 I got the 7+1 20 inch in FDE and its is a painted on FDE which wore off in about 2 seconds,I switched to wood on the 88 with the duck gun/field gun forearm I kinda like it,Dont feel undergunned with the 88 at all just like the wood better over the crap stocks on the 88,I have had my 500 corncobb riot gun for 40 years so I have a bit of time on it.I actually have a corncobb forearm and pistol grip poly set that is sitting in my drawer waiting to one day I might stick it on something.The 500 poly stocks have BEEF to them where the 88 forearm is almost nothing and the buttstock is hollow and just as flimsy.

[Mr. Blue]

Great response guys and gals, Thank you! The purpose would be sporting first. Range days. Clays, Targets, training. Home defense would be a 2nd purpose.

[Spyder]

I've got an old 500 that I had since I was about 12 years old. I've got a couple more, but that is my go-to that's been around the country with me. I managed to find the long mag tube and 20" barrel here on Calguns 7 or 8 years ago for fifty bucks, and it lives at home with that setup loaded with buckshot for HD.

But I also use it for duck hunting, turkey hunting, slugs, dove quail and anything else hunting. I found (I believe on CDNN) a 20" barrel that is threaded for choke tubes and is set up for the shorter mag tube, and it is fantastic for close quarters hunts like turkeys. Less barrel to swing, less movement, less catching it on branches, etc.

It's a VERY versatile shotgun now, with the 7+1 mag and barrel, the 4+1 mag and 20" barrel with chokes, and the 4+1 26" barrel with chokes. I have a soft case that it all fits in perfectly and it takes less than a minute to swap barrels and mags once that case is open.

I also love using the 20" spray painted Mossberg for duck and black brant hunts. It pisses off the purists when I get birds and they don't.

[ACfixer]

If you are going to recreate with it often, then the 500 for sure.

[Mtndewking]

Some mossberg 500's come with maverick 88 forends now after the company switched production setups. so it might be a mute point. Think your paying more for the 500 because of its ability to swap forends but then find out it doesnt work. Happened to me. Big 5 mossberg 500 combo model.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Operationally the only difference between the two guns is the location of the safety.

If you can run a 88 you can run a 500 and vice versa.

One thing you are taught at Front Sight is "Safety First!" You may think that is a no brainer as we all need to be safe around our guns, however you would be missing the point.

In this case "Safety First," means the first thing you do when you start to move into your presentation ,,, is disengage the safety!!! This is so that you don't Forget to do it, which you invariably will.

I actually say to myself,,, "Safety First" every time I present any gun. The reason for this may or may not be obvious.

If you come up on a target and pull the trigger and it doesn't move you are now behind the curve and may have already lost the gunfight! It will take another 2-3 seconds to do it, because you have to figure out why the gun didn't fire and then

The fact that you will forget to do that 90% of the time when under extreme pressure is the "NOT Obvious" part.

I had done this literally hundreds of times before I got finally the idea! Now I say "Safety First!" every time with Rifles and Shotguns. I only shoot Glocks so there is no Safety to manipulate but I still do it,,, in my mind, that command gets changed to "Front Sight First".

Anyway, you kind of need to adopt this mechanism or something like it. You can start practicing having your finger or thumb on the safety as part of your "Ready Stance." Then on the "GO" command, that is either externally delivered, or from your mind on the street, you automatically dump the Safety FIRST!

This will insure that you get your shot off as fast as you are capable of instead of 2-3 seconds after you get shot!

On the M500/590's Brownell's has a really nice safety button with a raised ridge that facilitates operation. It is $15 well spent, and probably the best aftermarket part available for these guns..



On the Browning A5 the safety is at the rear of the trigger guard and is really easy to depress as you are picking up the trigger during presentation.



Just remember,,,, "SAFETY FIRST" and you be Golden!

Randy

[SandHill]

Mossberg makes about a million permutations, so it is hard to say without knowing the actual specs of the two packages. My first shotgun was the Mossberg 500 combo with wood stock, 18 inch security barrel and 28 inch ribbed and ported field barrel with three chokes. If that is what you are looking at, for $380 that is about the best value out there.

I have no experience with the 88, but interchangeable chokes are going to be a huge deal if sport is your primary purpose. If the 88 doesn't have them, you will be buying a new barrel in short order which will negate the savings. From everything I have heard, the 88's are well bit and reliable, but the fit and finish are a little better on the 500. For your proposed use, I would throw down the extra $150 in a New York minute.

[Mr. Blue]

Some mossberg 500's come with maverick 88 forends now after the company switched production setups. so it might be a mute point. Think your paying more for the 500 because of its ability to swap forends but then find out it doesnt work. Happened to me. Big 5 mossberg 500 combo model.