Best Seller: Mossberg Maverick 88

Mossberg markets its Maverick 88 as the “Working Man’s Shotgun” for good reasons, and they begin with dual extractors, twin action bars, anti-jam elevator and steel-to-steel lockup that allows it to thrive through rugged use. The variety of versions available and affordable price only adds to the attraction. There are six branches in the Maverick 88 family of pump-action shotguns and the most expensive sets you back all of $274.

The All-Purpose line has five members and retail prices of either $245 or $274. Barrel lengths are 22”, 26” or 28”, depending on model, and all wear a vent rib. Stocks are synthetic and are either black or finished in Mossy Oak Treestand camo. Whether you go with 20- or 12-ga. they have 3” chambers and shell capacity in the tube of five. The barrels are blued and sight picture comes from dual beads.

The two members of the Slug gun clan provide the ideal solution for deer hunters on a budget.  The 3” chambered 12-ga. come with blued 24” barrels and adjustable rifle sights. One has a smooth bore for $245, the other a rifled one for $274 and the tubular magazines hold five shotshells.

Despite the Security/Field combo shipping with a pair of barrels—one at 18.5” for home defense and the other 28” for opening-day—its MSRP remains a modest $274. The 12-ga. has 3” chambers and barrels wear beads for sighting.

There are four members in the Maverick 88 Security line. All are 12 ga., barrels are cylinder bores, their lengths are either 18.5” or 20” and you have a choice of black or flat dark earth in the synthetic stocks. Capacity is five or seven shells, depending on model. The suggested retail prices are $245 and $259.

Add the 20-ga. Youth Model in Mossy Oak Treestand for $274 and the 12-ga. version with a top-folding stock at the same price, and it’s easy to understand why the Mossberg Maverick 88 ranked number three in sales among pump-action shotguns in 2020 by FFLs using Gunbroker.com. It’s a big move, too, because it was a distant sixth-place finisher in the 2019 rankings.