dont know what shotgun to buy?

Question

i am haveing a hard time trying to find the right shot gun. i know Rem. 870s are awsome guns but they are a little pricey. i was thinking like a mossberg maverick how are thoes? and i want something more tords a security shot gun i know mossberg maverick makes a few. what are some good inexpensive shotguns?

Answer 1

AVOID The Maverick! You get what you pay for, get a Remington 870 and stop whining about the price.

IF you buy any Mossberg, get the 500 or the 550, NOT the Maverick 88, biggest pile of crap on the planet.

Answer 2

You really can't go wrong with either a Mossberg 500 or a Remington 870. The 870 is awesome like you say, I own a couple of them. If you don't mind buying one used, this may be a good way to get one at a better price. I can usually find one locally for $160-200 with the 28" vented rib barrel and in varying, but acceptable condition.

The Maverick is a bit of a junkier gun, I would go for something else, even if it meant spending a bit more. If you really want cheap, then there is the world of used Coast to Coast and Sears guns. I got a Coast to Coast 367H pump for $20. Mine is old and a copy of a Savage, I forget the model number, but it is ok. No switchable chokes, but fo a defense gun, it probably won't matter as that the barrel is going down to the legal minimum anyways.

Answer 3

Hmmm... so much prejudice against lower-priced guns... seems to be the main reason folks don't like the 88.

I have an 88. Bought it about 5 yrs ago, $180-something at WalMart. No, it's not fancy. No, it doesn't have great wood or elaborate accessories.

But I've taken it out shooting every couple of months since I got it, and I've had ONE jam when it was new, and no other kind of problem whatsoever.

I've heard bad stuff about almost all lower-priced firearms. While there IS such a thing as cheap junk (Google "Jennings"), many of these statements are based on a lack of knowledge.

Another example of this is the prejudice against Hi-Points. I have two Hi-Point handguns, a 9MM and a .40S&W. I have never had a problem of any kind with either one, the 9MM after having put approximately 900 rounds through it and the .40 around 1500. They're butt-ugly, though, and pretty heavy. If you want pretty and lighter weight, you DO have to spend more. But they, LIKE the Maverick 88, are pretty good for the money. Plus they have a lifetime warranty.

There's a lot of snobbery about cost in the gun world, plus a lot of "I know better" attitudes, especially towards new people. When I was new I got yelled at for calling a 1911 an "automatic" - the speaker screamed "SEMI-auto" and accused me of being in the pocket of the Brady gun banners. I don't see how we can get more people to get involved with this fun and politically useful sport if we scream at newcomers who don't know the right terms, or say something we think is against our politics. And did you know that there are liberals (and even socialists!) who are pro-gun?

I've also noticed that in gun magazines there are very few reviews of lower priced guns, and very few negative reviews. Could that be because the reviewers get the guns free from the manufacturers, and the manufacturers also buy advertising in the magazines?

You'll also hear a lot of nation-based nonsense like "Never buy a gun made in (fill in name of country in disfavor in the news this week)."

If you are working within a tight budget (as most of us are these days, with liberals and conservatives competing to see who can screw working people more), you could do a LOT worse than buying a Maverick 88. Better a cheaper gun that ain't pretty but WORKS than none at all.

Do your research, check 'em out, and take EVERYONE'S statements with a grain of salt (including MINE).

Have fun, stay safe, and keep shooting.

Answer 4

They have 870s in stock at my local Wal-Mart for $229. How is that Pricey?

Avoid the Maverick, and most Chinese knock-offs

You can probably find a good used Remington 870 or Mossberg 500 in any gunshop for @$200

Answer 5

In response to the unenlightened few above, I'll simply point out that the Mav 88 *IS* a Mossberg 500. It's the cheapest grade of 500 but it is a 500. It is no less a 500 than an Express is an 870.

The 500 has a nice wooden stock and forearm....the Mav 88 cuts costs by using synthetics front and rear....but then most folks, tactical weapon-wise, go and replace their nice wood with synthetic anyway.

The 500 has a tang safety....the Mav 88 cuts the cost by avoiding that machining step (the cut in the receiver) and uses a trigger crossbolt same as the Remington.

The 500 tactical comes standard with sling studs....the Mav 88, you have to buy your own. $6.

The 500 has a separate forearm action tube and forearm with the action tube held in tight place by a flat spring....the Mav 88 skips the tube entirely and uses a very simple pinned forearm. It can become loose with a lot of use, but it can be replaced in seconds and "loose" isn't exactly a bad thing. If you want to replace your Mav 88 forearm with a 500 action tube type, it's $12.

The finish on the 500 is nicely polished.....the Mav 88 is lesser so. It's a tactical....who really cares?

The Mav 88 Cruiser is the ONLY weapon (shotgun) currently available on the US market that can be legally converted into an AOW for a $5 license fee. Translated, that means that you can put a 14" (or shorter if you wanted) barrel on your Mav 88 with a $5 registration....you make a Remington into a 14" shotgun pistol and you might as well shoot yourself with it as get caught with it.

The Mav 88 can be had as low as $100 at near any pawn shop and will last a lifetime without a misfire. It's as reliable as any shotgun at any price, as tough, as functional etc. It's a fine choice for a home defense weapon.

Addendum to MBenson below: great post, sir! I've been agreeing with you for a lot of years! Btw, welcome to Yahoo Answers!

Answer 6

I have to agree, buy the Remington 870 , or a Mossberg 500, do not buy the maverick, it truly is a crap shotgun, not made for defensive shooting at all, it's a beginners shotgun, it will not last as long as the other 2 guns.

Answer 7

if its a pump you are after the 870 is great, dont get the maverick, if you want mossberg go for a 500 or 550 and also i like the winchester 1200, less expensive than the remington but still a great shotgun

Answer 8

The cheapest reliable shotguns are the "Maverick" series made by Mossberg. You can get them at Academy Sporting Goods for about $ $170. The Remington 870 Express Magnum sells for about $220 at Academy. I would opt for the Remington, if I were you.

Answer 9

Get the Remington..

The 870 Express is an entry priced gun and basically the same mechanism as the Wingmaster for 1/2 the price.

Answer 10

If you are just getting something to stick under your bed in case the bogeyman visits in the middle of the night there is nothing wrong with a mossberg 12 gauge pump. For multi-purpose use look hard at the Remington 870 with interchangable chokes; it is a keeper. If you have a business requiring a security item it may be a tax deductible business expense as security equipment; sort of like a burlar alarm or fire extinguisher.