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Mossberg 500 vs Mossberg 600AT vs Maverick 88

Chris M

.22LR
Short version:
I am looking for my first pump shotgun, it will primarily be for home defense but would like to keep my options open to start using it to hunt, shoot clay discs, etc. Based on friends/coworkers recommendations and online reviews I am leaning towards Mossberg. My wife doesn't want me to spend too much money at once so I am wanting to keep it around $200. I have looked all around for good deals on used M500s but there has not been much. My local pawn shop has a Mossberg 600AT priced at $179 plus tax, all the important stuff seems fine but the stock and foregrip have seen better days. A gun shop in the next town over (about 20 minutes away) was suggested to me, so I called them and was told they had 5 used M500s in stock ranging from $200 to $500. He said they charge $200 minimum for an M500 regardless of condition, and then the price goes up as condition and improvements go up. He did say he had a "decent condition standard M500" for $200 plus tax. I know from a few weeks worth of research that a lot of people recommend the Maverick 88 for those on a budget and since the Maverick 88 can be purchased brand new from my local Walmart for $206 plus tax I am uncertain which way I should go.

So, my question is what would you get if you were in my shoes? A secondary question is what should I look out for condition wise when shopping for a used gun?

Long version:
This may be a bit long, I apologize, I just want to make sure I provide enough background info. Not that its needed...Anyway, I grew up in an area (Eastern Kentucky) where most everybody hunted but nobody in my family did so I couldn't just go with them and learn from them, and it seems daunting to just decide one day on your own to learn how to hunt. That said, we did enjoy shooting guns. Our back yard was flat for several feet, then a slight incline for several feet, then a pretty steep hill/mountain. So, we often set up targets right before the steep rise so we could shoot that direction and even if we missed there wasn't any chance of shooting through the target and hitting someone/something behind it.

I have shot many different pistols and rifles, but never a shotgun. I usually just used my dads guns or guns people brought over to shoot, and didn't buy my own until I was 18 and bought a grease covered Mosin Nagant with bayonet from the local pawn shop for $40. I cleaned it up really well and bought some surplus 7.62x54R ammo and enjoyed shooting it pretty well. When I went off to college later that year I was working full time and going to school full time so my trips home to shoot became less frequent. By the time I turned 21 I decided I would be better off trading in the Mosin for a home defense weapon. My first instinct was a pistol and the local gun shop offered a brand new Hi-Point 40 S&W as an even trade for the Mosin so I took it and kept it next to my bed in case it was needed. I kept it 5 years and only put about 30 rounds through it.

I work for the Kentucky Department of Corrections and am friends with a lot of current/former Correctional Officers. When I mentioned I only had one gun and it was used as home defense only, and that it was a pistol, they went on and on about how the better home defense weapon was a 12 gauge shotgun. Versatility was something that came up frequently, you could use it for so many different things just by changing barrels or even just switching out to a different type of shell. One of them said he exclusively hunts with his shotgun and he offered to take me with him some time and teach me, lol.

So I looked into it for a couple weeks then decided to sell my Hi-Point. Less than 24 hours later I had sold it, got $100 out of it which isn't too bad considering it is $150 new and I essentially only paid $40 for it (because thats what I paid for the Mosin I traded for it). So I have that much towards a new shotgun, my wife wants me to limit myself to only about $100 out of pocket setting my budget at about $200 but I could probably talk my way to $250 for the right deal.

So, I am now shopping for my first pump shotgun. It will primarily be for home defense but would like to keep my options open to start using it to hunt, shoot clay discs, etc. Based on friends/coworkers recommendations and online reviews I am leaning towards Mossberg. I have looked all around for good deals on used M500s but there has not been much. My local pawn shop has a Mossberg 600AT priced at $179 plus tax, all the important stuff seems fine but the stock and foregrip have seen better days. A gun shop in the next town over (about 20 minutes away) was suggested to me, so I called them and was told they had 5 used M500s in stock ranging from $200 to $500. He said they charge $200 minimum for an M500 regardless of condition, and then the price goes up as condition and improvements go up. He did say he had a "decent condition standard M500" for $200 plus tax. I know from a few weeks worth of research that a lot of people recommend the Maverick 88 for those on a budget and since the Maverick 88 can be purchased brand new from my local Walmart for $206 plus tax I am uncertain which way I should go.

So, my question is what would you get if you were in my shoes? A secondary question is what should I look out for condition wise when shopping for a used gun?
 
Welcome to the forum from NY.

If I was in your shoes I'd go buy the NEW Maverick 88 12ga. for $200.

The Mav 88 is the same gun as the 500A and 600.

All parts from the 500 will fit a Mav88 except the trigger assembly.

Why buy the used when you can get a new one. JMO
 
Old Mossy is correct with his advice.
I have 4 500's all bought used. I know what I am looking at with a used 500 and have never paid more than $200 for one.
If I were in your shoes I would get the 88 new at your local Walmart for $206 plus tax.
You can't go wrong for that price and brand new.
 
Welcome to the forum.
You can often find some good deals if you know of a local gun store that buys guns in Lots, sometimes these are sold through law enforcement to guns store with between 10 and 100 guns to a lot. If you can find someone who deals in numbers like these you may find a few guns that are "Fixer Uppers".
The reason I reccomend looking in to this is;
A) You can find some great deals, I recently purchased a 500 A for $80 OTD.
B) You will get a gun that might require a bit of work and some parts to get it in good shape, but at the same time you will learn a lot about your shotgun and build some skills that may turn in to a hobby.
C) By comming here you will likely have the answers for any questions you might have while working on that gun.
Have fun and I wish you luck.
 
Welcome to the forum.
You can often find some good deals if you know of a local gun store that buys guns in Lots, sometimes these are sold through law enforcement to guns store with between 10 and 100 guns to a lot. If you can find someone who deals in numbers like these you may find a few guns that are "Fixer Uppers".
The reason I reccomend looking in to this is;
A) You can find some great deals, I recently purchased a 500 A for $80 OTD.
B) You will get a gun that might require a bit of work and some parts to get it in good shape, but at the same time you will learn a lot about your shotgun and build some skills that may turn in to a hobby.
C) By comming here you will likely have the answers for any questions you might have while working on that gun.
Have fun and I wish you luck.

That's what I was hoping for, but I did a search of all gun shops I could find within about an hour drive and all of them charged at least $200 for a used Mossberg 500 (most were in the range of $250-$300). Does anyone know of any places online I could get a deal like that and then pay the FFL fee to have it sent to a local shop? I have looked at GunBroker.com some but it seems much the same. I do have a current winning bid on a used Maverick 88 for $100 but there are still like 12 hours left though so I doubt I will win.
 
Welcome aboard.

Any of the three models listed as your options would serve you well. All things as they are according to the details of your post, I'll echo what's already been said and suggest the Maverick '88. Hard to beat that price for a shotgun that'll hold up to any abuse you put it through. Just bought one myself this past weekend that's now snuggling up to my other Mossbergs in the safe. Not too many on-line resources for really good deals on used firearms other than Gunbroker. I usually end up get'n lucky at local gun shops, pawn shops, swap meets, etc...
 
What everyone else said.

With Mossbergs you don't save anything by getting a used gun. And there is not point in buying a online when you have to pay shipping and transfer fee.

The 88's are mechanically the same gun, however; for the extra $20-40 you'll get a better barrel and stocks with the 500.
 
Chris;
You're unlikely to get a deal like that online. Most of the deals I find are through a network of shooters and LGS folks I have had a lot of dealings with. You'll probobly have to build a bit of report with folks before those deals start working in your favor.
I do know someone whom I have delt with online who has been honest and dependable with me on several dealings with classic S&W Revolvers and occasionally he will have such deals on other guns. PM me and I will shoot you a link.
Honestly though when you start dealing with FFL fees plus shipping and handeling costs, your better off just being patient and finding something local. Also remember a lot of this is seasonal. As soon as hunting season closes and Christmas looms closer the local Pawn Shops will have a much better selection for you to choose from.
 
I love my 88 20" security I paid $295 for it during the craze ,but haven't regretted the purchase one bit! Good luck with any future purchases!
 
What they said... :) Mav. 88 with 28" barrel. Then down the road get a 18.5" barrel for HD use--about $90-$100 or less. Barrel takes about 30sec. to change.

Around here, $250 will get you a good, used 500 "combo" with 2 barrels and extra PG. But you have to have the $ ready and be ready to pounce. New that is probably a $325 package.

Locally, I've paid $150 for more than a few used 500s with PGs. A used buttstock can be had for $20-$30. And if you want to switch out the fore-end with something else, a 500 is likely to have a metal slide and separate fore-end vs the 88s pinned fore-end.

I've got a few 500s off GunBroker for $130-$140 and I only bid because I knew I could pick them up locally. I had another one shipped (ie via FFL) and it was a "fancy" 500AL that I decided to sell for a mild profit. Cost me $200 after fees and shipping. It was TOO nice for me and I felt it should go to someone who would appreciate it better.

Good luck and welcome aboard! :)
 
I didn't figure I would win it but on a whim I placed a bid on a gently used Maverick 88 on GunBroker.com for about $125 after shipping and FFL fees, so about $100 off the new price at Walmart when considering tax so pretty good. Hopefully it works out, he has a GunBroker rating of A+ but he never replied to a request of more information I sent him soon after placing a bid regarding the condition and the barrel length. When I emailed the closest FFL I found out the owner went to high school with me and offered to waive his charge.

Here is the one I bought:
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=451234130
 
That is probably a 28" vent-rib barrel. I can't tell if it is ported, which would be a plus.

HERE
is an 18.5" barrel from Midway USA. They usually have them "on sale" for $80 or so.

Alternately, find an older non vent-rib barrel and shorten it. I've done this to a couple/few barrels and the results came out factoryish... :)
 
That is probably a 28" vent-rib barrel. I can't tell if it is ported, which would be a plus.

HERE
is an 18.5" barrel from Midway USA. They usually have them "on sale" for $80 or so.

Alternately, find an older non vent-rib barrel and shorten it. I've done this to a couple/few barrels and the results came out factoryish... :)

Would I also need to buy a new mag tube?
 
Well I picked up the shotgun today after work. Like I said, I don't really know anything about shotguns, so the guy at the gun store where I had it shipped to asked if I wanted to look it over and make sure everything looked to be in good condition while we waited for them to do the background check. I told him I wouldn't even really know what I was looking at so he looked it over for me and like he said it seemed to be in good shape and said it was good that it had the two bars instead of some older versions that just had one...the only thing he said he noticed "wrong" with it is after sticking his finger in the barrel he said it was missing a choke and said I needed to get one before I shot it. I asked about buying one from him but he said he was out of them and had ordered some but they hadn't come in yet.

When I stick my finger in about an inch-1.5 inches or so I can feel like the barrel is threaded? I assume that's where the choke is supposed to be?

Is there a specific type of choke I need to buy?
 
Yup, do NOT shoot without a choke--you can ga-ga the threads.

Read up on chokes--do a search here at MO--there is plenty of info. You need to know what kind of shooting you want to do before you pick out your choke. Slugs, 00, steel shot you probably want a more "open" (less restricted, or "choked") choke tube. You can probably pick up a single choke so you can shoot the gun for $10-$15 inc. shipping from Debay or GB.
 
The reason you don't want to shoot it without a choke is that the shot will destroy the exposed threads. Most outdoor sporting goods stores will sell chokes for $15 and up depending on the manufacturer...
 
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