Why is my Mossberg Maverick's action not 'smooth'

[Henry Hill]

After shooting my friends 3 - 4 year old winchester, I realized that the action on my new Maverick is not 'smooth' . After shooting, its hard to pump the gun, as if it has a jam or is stuck. You have to use some force to pump it correctly. I've had the gun for about 2 months and have put about 400 rounds through it. Is there any way fix this, or do I have to just 'break it in'? Anyone elses Mossberg Maverick feel like this? The Mavericks have the wiggly forearm compared to other shotguns which are more solid. Is this just how the Mavericks 'feel' or is there something wrong with my shotgun?

[7.62 FMJ]

Not sure about your specific gun but I have had a problem with the winchester target shells that are marked Universal on the shell. I have an Ithaca and it works fine with all other shells but those get sticky in the chamber.

[caoboy]

It's made in Mexico, that's why.

[Peter W Bush]

cuz its a pretty crappy shotgun. with that said, I like mine

[Henry Hill]

Not sure about your specific gun but I have had a problem with the winchester target shells that are marked Universal on the shell. I have an Ithaca and it works fine with all other shells but those get sticky in the chamber.

Those are the shells I use cause they are cheep as hell ( 100 shells for 20 bucks at walmart ) and I have about 200 left. I thought this might be the problem so in the middle of shooting yesterday I loaded my tube with federal target shells - same problem - but i had been shooting the winchester the whole time at the range. What kind of ammo do you use?

cuz its a pretty crappy shotgun. with that said, I like mine

Does yours have the same 'feel'? Why do you think its a crappy shotgun?

Think changing the forearm would fix it?

[tuna quesadilla]

Those are the shells I use cause they are cheep as hell ( 100 shells for 20 bucks at walmart ) and I have about 200 left. I thought this might be the problem so in the middle of shooting yesterday I loaded my tube with federal target shells - same problem - but i had been shooting the winchester the whole time at the range. What kind of ammo do you use?

Wal-Mart should also have the same deal on Federal brand shells. About 20 bucks for 100 rounds. Try those ones.

Does yours have the same 'feel'? Why do you think its a crappy shotgun?

Think changing the forearm would fix it?

On a Maverick? You're not gonna be changing the forearm without also changing a few other parts out. They're designed differently than the real Mossberg 500's forearm. You can do it, but you're gonna have to spend a few bucks and put some elbow grease into it.

[Henry Hill]

On a Maverick? You're not gonna be changing the forearm without also changing a few other parts out. They're designed differently than the real Mossberg 500's forearm. You can do it, but you're gonna have to spend a few bucks and put some elbow grease into it.

Does anyone take off the forearm to clean their Mavericks? Anyone know how to do this? I'm thinkin maybe I should lubricate the metal piece that the forearms slides on ?

[aippi]

You stated your friends Winchester is 3-4 years old and works great but he's never cleaned It. If this is the case it won't be working great for much longer. As for the Maverick, it is what it is and many buyers get confused and think it is the same as the 500 and it is not. You got what you paid for and to expect to perform like a time tested Winchester pump is not very reasonable on your part.

[gun toting monkeyboy]

Ok, you are comparing a very good shotgun, known for it's smooth action, to a bargain, off-brand utility gun. That is like saying "Why doesn't my Hyundai run like a BMW?" It doesn't, and it won't. There is nothing wrong with Mavericks. They are off-brand Mossberg 500s. And many of them only have a single action bar, which also contributes to the action being rougher than other shotguns which have two action bars. And the fit and finish on the bargain guns won't be anywhere near that on more expensive ones. That is just life. Enjoy your shotgun for what it is, and don't stress that it isn't the same as a winchester. If it really bugs you, save up and get one.

-Mb

[akjunkie]

Ok, you are comparing a very good shotgun, known for it's smooth action, to a bargain, off-brand utility gun. That is like saying "Why doesn't my Hyundai run like a BMW?" It doesn't, and it won't. There is nothing wrong with Mavericks. They are off-brand Mossberg 500s. And many of them only have a single action bar, which also contributes to the action being rougher than other shotguns which have two action bars. And the fit and finish on the bargain guns won't be anywhere near that on more expensive ones. That is just life. Enjoy your shotgun for what it is, and don't stress that it isn't the same as a winchester. If it really bugs you, save up and get one.

-Mb

Yup, that's the main culprit right there. It's rough, but it still works.

[Henry Hill]

Lol, I was merely asking if anyone elses maverick felt the same ( to see if its my gun or if thats how all the mavericks 'feel' ) . Also if anyone who has experienced this problem can help me with it. Take the elite-gun-store-clerk attitudes somewhere else please

[squatting_caveboy]

Ouch - the guys were rough on you this week!

Yes, I have a Mossy 500 combo bought at Big 5. Love it but it does get "stuck" sometimes. You gotta man-handle this thing, keep it lubed and clean and it should run forever. I've just gotten used to slamming the forearm forward and backward when cycling a round and have no issues.

Some suggest changing out the forearm but I'd wait until/if the original fails before you go spending more $$$ on it. Good luck!

[gun toting monkeyboy]

We're not giving you the elite gun store clerk attitude. I was answering the specific question you asked. If you had meant to ask something different, you should have done so in the first place. All the rest of us seemed to get exactly the same thing out of your post. Besides, if I were doing the gun store thing, I would have told you that you need to get a really expensive semi-auto, because they are going to be outlawed in two weeks.

-Mb

[Henry Hill]

We're not giving you the elite gun store clerk attitude. I was answering the specific question you asked. If you had meant to ask something different, you should have done so in the first place. All the rest of us seemed to get exactly the same thing out of your post. Besides, if I were doing the gun store thing, I would have told you that you need to get a really expensive semi-auto, because they are going to be outlawed in two weeks.

-Mb

Please see ( questions in bold ) . As you can see you were not just " answering the specific question I asked"

After shooting my friends 3 - 4 year old winchester, I realized that the action on my new Maverick is not 'smooth' . After shooting, its hard to pump the gun, as if it has a jam or is stuck. You have to use some force to pump it correctly. My friends winchester, on the other hand is 100% smooth and is easy to pump after firing a shot. He's never cleaned it, either. Is there any way fix this, or do I have to just 'break it in'? Anyone elses Mossberg Maverick feel like this? The Mavericks have the wiggly forearm compared to other shotguns which are more solid.

I've had the gun for about 2 months and have put about 400 rounds through it

And all the Mavericks have two action bars so it has nothing to do with that. Maybe if I save up I can get a quality shot gun like you

[gun toting monkeyboy]

Man, you really are having some issues tonight. You know, there are some decaff brands that taste just as good as the real thing. And NO, not all mavericks have two action bars. Get off your freakin high horse and quit reading things into people statements that just aren't there. Nobody here was attacking you, and you are going off like Joe Pesci in Goodfellas. If you notice, all of the other posters thought you were asking the exact same thing that I did. Chill out or go for a walk or something. Sheesh.