NRA Gun of the Week: Mossberg Maverick 88

by
posted on October 29, 2021

The Maverick 88 All-Purpose shotgun from O.F. Mossberg & Sons is a pump-action variant of the famed Model 500/590, which gives today's home defender, hunter and enthusiast an affordable tool backed by a reputable American arms maker.

right side pump-action shotgun black metal camouflage stock text on image noting "Mossberg Maverick 88 All-Purpose"

Mossberg lists six lines of its Maverick 88 shotgun, from folding-stocked security models sporting 18.5" barrels to Slug models, in addition to All-Purpose models suitable for hunting and clay targets, such as the exampled presented here. Standard capacity for its 12- and 20-ga. Maverick 88 models is five shells in the magazine and one in the chamber.

right side pump-action shotguns stack two guns black metal plastic brown wood

One key design departure from the Model 500 is a crossbolt-style safety found at the rear of the trigger guard of the Maverick 88. A square-shaped slide release between the receiver and trigger housing unlocks the slide. The Maverick includes a synthetic fore-end attached to its slide mechanism. At the rear is a rubber-capped synthetic buttstock that, like the fore-end, features a film-dipped camouflage finish.

camouflage plastick buttstock gun parts shotgun

Topping the steel barrel of the Maverick 88 All-Purpose is a ventilated sighting rib with a versatile dual-bead setup for sighting Barrels come threaded for chokes; Mossberg supplies one with the gun.

shotgun barrel muzzle gun parts steel tube

Watch our NRA Gun of the Week video above to see the All-Purpose Maverick 88 shotgun in use at the range.

Maverick 88 Specifications
Manufacturer: O.F. Mossberg & Sons
Action Type: manually-operated, pump-action shotgun
Chambering: 12 gauge
Barrel: 26" or 28"
Stock: sythetic
Finish: film-dipped camouflage
Length: 45.25" or 47.75"
Weight: 7 lbs.
MSRP: $274

Latest

Tikka T3x RoughTech Superlite bolt-action hunting rifle right-side view shown with accessories riflescope buttstock pack
Tikka T3x RoughTech Superlite bolt-action hunting rifle right-side view shown with accessories riflescope buttstock pack

Review: Tikka T3x RoughTech Superlite

Tikka released the RoughTech Superlite model at nearly a pound lighter at 5.88 lbs versus the 6.6 lbs. of the standard T3x Lite model.

New For 2025: KRISS Vector Gen 3

New for 2025, KRISS USA has updated its unique pistol-caliber Vector design with a few Gen 3 enhancements.

Gun Of The Week: Ruger LC Carbine In .45 ACP

Join American Rifleman staff here on the range in this week's video to learn about Ruger's pistol-caliber carbine chambered for America's cartridge, .45 ACP.

The Armed Citizen® Dec. 20, 2024

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Review: Hi-Point Firearms YC380 YEET Cannon

Hi-Point Firearms has been offering its budget-priced .380 ACP pistol options for quite some time. But this year, the company decided it was time to bring this cartridge into its Yeet Cannon fold with the release of the new striker-fired YC380.

Silencer Central Breaks Ground On New Facility, Adds Customer Portal

Moving the warehouse and distribution operations to a new building will free up roughly 20,000 square feet of space in the Silencer Central headquarters, paving the way for additional staffing to keep up with the growth of Silencer Central and its business extensions.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.