Just bought a new Mossberg (Maverick) 88. Anyone else have one? - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

gonad · 09-02-2007, 10:39 PM

Like the headline says ....

I added an SG to my very minimum home defense arsenal (joins a Glock 26 and a Beretta Tomcat.)

I'm very happy with the size, capacity and price ($160) and simplicity of the gun. I've wanted a short-barreled hd sg for a while but this is the first one I've found that seemed super-reliable for a very affordable price.

Any thoughts?

Plan9 · 09-03-2007, 12:34 PM

Advice?

Never pickup the shotgun without picking up your cellphone first. Either call 911 immediately or have your spouse do it while you're investigating. CYA.

Get yourself a cheap flashlight mount and a cheap double lithium-cell torch for it. Walmart or Target sell decent lights. Buy two. If you ever have use this weapon at all, it'll be at night. You need to be able to see more than you need to be able to shoot. One on the gun, one in reserve on your person.

Keep a backup flashlight, extra shells, and possibly a loaded sidearm in a "man purse" you can quickly throw over your shoulder regardless of what you are wearing. Anything shaped like an old claymore mine bags would work fine.

Generally speaking: Don't leave your bedroom without something on your feet. Common sense. Get the gun, get the cell phone, get some shoes on.

One of those silly elastic 5-shot ammo buttstock sleeves isn't a bad idea for alternate ammo types. If you run some duct tape along the exposed tips of the shells (crimp flower, not the brass part) when they're in the sleeve, it keeps them from coming out if you're running or whatever, but you can still yank them free pretty easily.

I like to put carry slings on my toys, but its really optional for a home defense piece. Depending on the stock (I'll assume fixed), you can easily put QD 1.25" swivels on it. If that doesn't work for ya, poking a hole in the bottom of the plastic stock and knotting a 550 cord loop inside it by removing the buttplate works rather nicely in a pinch.

Lead buckshot (usually 00 size) is your ammo of choice here. Slices, dices... yeah, it does it all. You can also load some rubber buckshot and bean bags, if you feel like a philosophical debate with the cops afterwards. You just might want to keep some sabot slugs in case you have to fight pesky Imperial Stormtroopers... or for some reason need to shoot at any long distance. Keep in mind that bead sights suck ass.

You can replace the bead with a fiber optic piece that glows with minimal light. They work pretty good, I have one on a Remington 870.

Some people keep a strip of electrical tape over the barrel to keep out debris that might become lodged from a HTH encounter or simply walking into some drywall accidentally while being scared shitless from a home invasion.

Keep the magazine tube loaded but leave the chambered empty. The security of the empty chamber with the safety on and the psychological effect that racking the slide has on any intruder is worth it.

Practice moving through your house in the dark with the piece shouldered (or at the ready). It'll give you the experience and confidence you need later.

Practice reloading the magazine tube while under stress. Hard to fake, but incorporate loading the shotgun in the dark after a hard cardio exercise.

Practice using your safety. It is there for a good reason. It might just save your life if your weapon is ever taken away from you during an invasion.

...

Meh, I could write about this for days.

moot1337 · 09-05-2007, 09:10 AM

Read this: http://www.wikihow.com/Clear-a-Building-With-a-Firearm

I'm often surprised at the quality of such wiki-articles...

Also, #1 buckshot will get to the fbi-required penetration depth of 12" in ballistic gelatin, with around 30% more disruption of tissue (more pellets) compared to #00... definitely use no less than #1, and keep in mind that birdshot is for little birdies, and will not stop an attacker.

Here's a cool site, with gelatin info for shotgun loads:
http://www.tacticalshotgun.ca/ballistics_shotgun.html

Lastly: practice, practice, practice! Clear your house with your shotgun during the day and night, just like you would if the threat were real... live the boy-scout motto and Be Prepared ^_^

TodMaschinen · 09-06-2007, 10:09 AM

I have a maverick 88 as well, my cousin also has one, both of which i put many hundreds of rounds through and have formed a very good opinion of the weapon. For the price it is a damn fine combat-type shotgun. There is however one issue with the 88 that i bought.... I got it used for $180 and after a while the slide began to hang up during firing. Fire a round and the slide sticks and I really have to put muscle into it to break it free to chamber another round, it happens about 50% of the time now, the gun has never stopped working and and I'm hoping that it is just a burr that the slide rails stick on somewhere but I have not been able to determine just what the issue is yet. My cousins 88 has never had any issues however, so it could just be my gun. I would actually like to know if you or anyone else has experienced the same issue. Overall the 88 is a great gun for the price.

analog · 09-06-2007, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crompsin

Keep the magazine tube loaded but leave the chambered empty. The security of the empty chamber with the safety on and the psychological effect that racking the slide has on any intruder is worth it.

The differing school of thought on this point is that, in doing so, you're just giving away your position to the would-be attacker, losing the element of surprise and giving the attacker a way to find you.

I think both sides have good points, though I favor the one I mentioned, if only because I would not want to give away my position on the off chance that the sound scares them off.

Plan9 · 09-07-2007, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by analog

The differing school of thought on this point is that, in doing so, you're just giving away your position to the would-be attacker, losing the element of surprise and giving the attacker a way to find you.

I think both sides have good points, though I favor the one I mentioned, if only because I would not want to give away my position on the off chance that the sound scares them off.

Thanks, Analog. A viable point. Just for those who wanted to know:

Dunno... where are YOU located at 3 AM? IN YOUR HOUSE.

The bad guy made it pretty friggin' obvious that they're willing to run into you by breaking into your house at night... hence "burglary" as far as the crime title.

I want them to know my position. I'm better armed and in my own court.

They have the option of running away. I do not have that option.

09-02-2007, 10:39 PM	#1 (permalink)
gonad Bartender Extraordinaire Location: The good side of the Red River	Just bought a new Mossberg (Maverick) 88. Anyone else have one? Like the headline says .... I added an SG to my very minimum home defense arsenal (joins a Glock 26 and a Beretta Tomcat.) I'm very happy with the size, capacity and price ($160) and simplicity of the gun. I've wanted a short-barreled hd sg for a while but this is the first one I've found that seemed super-reliable for a very affordable price. Any thoughts? __________________ "We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold."

09-03-2007, 12:34 PM	#2 (permalink)
Plan9 I Confess a Shiver	Advice? Never pickup the shotgun without picking up your cellphone first. Either call 911 immediately or have your spouse do it while you're investigating. CYA. Get yourself a cheap flashlight mount and a cheap double lithium-cell torch for it. Walmart or Target sell decent lights. Buy two. If you ever have use this weapon at all, it'll be at night. You need to be able to see more than you need to be able to shoot. One on the gun, one in reserve on your person. Keep a backup flashlight, extra shells, and possibly a loaded sidearm in a "man purse" you can quickly throw over your shoulder regardless of what you are wearing. Anything shaped like an old claymore mine bags would work fine. Generally speaking: Don't leave your bedroom without something on your feet. Common sense. Get the gun, get the cell phone, get some shoes on. One of those silly elastic 5-shot ammo buttstock sleeves isn't a bad idea for alternate ammo types. If you run some duct tape along the exposed tips of the shells (crimp flower, not the brass part) when they're in the sleeve, it keeps them from coming out if you're running or whatever, but you can still yank them free pretty easily. I like to put carry slings on my toys, but its really optional for a home defense piece. Depending on the stock (I'll assume fixed), you can easily put QD 1.25" swivels on it. If that doesn't work for ya, poking a hole in the bottom of the plastic stock and knotting a 550 cord loop inside it by removing the buttplate works rather nicely in a pinch. Lead buckshot (usually 00 size) is your ammo of choice here. Slices, dices... yeah, it does it all. You can also load some rubber buckshot and bean bags, if you feel like a philosophical debate with the cops afterwards. You just might want to keep some sabot slugs in case you have to fight pesky Imperial Stormtroopers... or for some reason need to shoot at any long distance. Keep in mind that bead sights suck ass. You can replace the bead with a fiber optic piece that glows with minimal light. They work pretty good, I have one on a Remington 870. Some people keep a strip of electrical tape over the barrel to keep out debris that might become lodged from a HTH encounter or simply walking into some drywall accidentally while being scared shitless from a home invasion. Keep the magazine tube loaded but leave the chambered empty. The security of the empty chamber with the safety on and the psychological effect that racking the slide has on any intruder is worth it. Practice moving through your house in the dark with the piece shouldered (or at the ready). It'll give you the experience and confidence you need later. Practice reloading the magazine tube while under stress. Hard to fake, but incorporate loading the shotgun in the dark after a hard cardio exercise. Practice using your safety. It is there for a good reason. It might just save your life if your weapon is ever taken away from you during an invasion. ... Meh, I could write about this for days. __________________ *Whatever you can carry.* "You should not drink... and bake." Last edited by Plan9; 09-03-2007 at 12:57 PM..

09-05-2007, 09:10 AM	#3 (permalink)
moot1337 Insane Location: Learning to Fly...	Read this: http://www.wikihow.com/Clear-a-Building-With-a-Firearm I'm often surprised at the quality of such wiki-articles... Also, #1 buckshot will get to the fbi-required penetration depth of 12" in ballistic gelatin, with around 30% more disruption of tissue (more pellets) compared to #00... definitely use no less than #1, and keep in mind that birdshot is for little birdies, and will not stop an attacker. Here's a cool site, with gelatin info for shotgun loads: http://www.tacticalshotgun.ca/ballistics_shotgun.html Lastly: practice, practice, practice! Clear your house with your shotgun during the day and night, just like you would if the threat were real... live the boy-scout motto and Be Prepared ^_^ __________________ And that, my liege, is how we know the Earth to be banana-shaped. This new learning amazes me, Sir Bedevere. Explain again how sheeps' bladders may be employed to prevent earthquakes. Oh, certainly, sir.

09-06-2007, 10:09 AM	#4 (permalink)
TodMaschinen Upright	I have a maverick 88 as well, my cousin also has one, both of which i put many hundreds of rounds through and have formed a very good opinion of the weapon. For the price it is a damn fine combat-type shotgun. There is however one issue with the 88 that i bought.... I got it used for $180 and after a while the slide began to hang up during firing. Fire a round and the slide sticks and I really have to put muscle into it to break it free to chamber another round, it happens about 50% of the time now, the gun has never stopped working and and I'm hoping that it is just a burr that the slide rails stick on somewhere but I have not been able to determine just what the issue is yet. My cousins 88 has never had any issues however, so it could just be my gun. I would actually like to know if you or anyone else has experienced the same issue. Overall the 88 is a great gun for the price. Last edited by TodMaschinen; 09-06-2007 at 10:11 AM..