Mossberg Maverick 88 Security 3104612 Gauge

The 12-gauge pump shotgun is a mainstay for home defense and as a truck gun. Pump actions offer ease of use, easier maintenance, and versatility because they can be loaded with shells that range from non-lethal types and bird shot to 00 buck and slugs that can still be cycled through the gun. Also, pump shotguns are typically less expensive than semi-autos, which require more maintenance and can be finicky with light target loads. We gathered three 12-gauge pump shotguns and put them in the hands of our testers to evaluate the guns with an eye toward gauging affordability and assessing performance, two traits that are not usually found together. The pump guns matched up in this review include the Mossberg Maverick 88 Security, $264; Savage 320 Tactical FDE, $270; and the SDS Imports Duo-Sys Force, $469.

First, let’s look at the similarities. All are designed for defense work, are chambered for 3-inch 12-gauge shells, and are equipped with polymer stocks. From there, the Mossberg and Savage are on the pump-gun side of the fence, and the SDS plays on both sides of the fence, operating as a semi-auto and pump. We found features we desire in a defense gun, such as ease of loading, smooth cycling, easy recoil management, sights that are fast to acquire, and adequate round capacity. If there are aftermarket parts available, that’s all to the better so we could customize the shotgun to fit our needs.

We found we could have both affordability and performance. In our opinion, the Savage and Mossberg offer features desirable in a defense shotgun at a cost that pleases our wallets. The SDS, with its hybrid action, is more expensive, but it allows the shotgun to run on any ammo you feed it, just make sure it is in the correct mode. Yes, as you might have suspected, the SDS M3 clone didn’t cycle light target loads, which we will get into.

How We Tested

We used IDPA-style targets set at 15 yards and fired all rounds off hand to gather shot patterns and slug-group data. With the Savage and Mossberg, we couldn’t control the patterns as much as we wanted because both of these guns use a fixed Cylinder choke. The SDS uses choke tubes, which enable the user to be surgical with the Full choke tube. Ammo consisted of a light target load, Federal Ultra Clay & Field No. 8 shot with a factory muzzle velocity of 1255 fps. Defense loads were Aguila High Velocity rounds with 0 buckshot (1275 fps factory muzzle velocity), Panzer Defense 00 Buck (1350 fps factory muzzle velocity), and Hornady Critical Defense 00 Buck (1600 fps factory muzzle velocity). We also fired Federal Hydra-Shok 1-ounce rifled slugs. Note that factory muzzle-velocity data is included in the Range Data table. You will see why we included the velocities, especially for the SDS shotgun. Hornady and Federal loads provided more felt recoil than the 00 buck loads. We could have fired the light Federal loads all day long, and in fact, we did. Using the push-pull method of recoil control, we pushed the fore end with our support hand and simultaneously pulled back on the pistol grip with the firing hand just before loosing a round. This method minimizes the punishing recoil 12-gauge pumps can dole out. We shot one target to obtain pattern and group data, then fired for speed on another target. 

Stock styles included fixed pistol-grip tactical buttstocks on the SDS and Savage. The Mossberg was equipped with a traditional-style stock. Our team slightly favors this stock over the pistol grip, for reasons we’ll get into. The top line is the Savage and Mossberg chugged through the range test with no hiccups, but the SDS had initial FTE jams when it was eating light loads in semi-auto mode. We would use any of these shotguns in a heartbeat to defend ourselves, but we had our preferences. Here are the details on these shotguns.

Mossberg Maverick 88 Security 3104612 Gauge

$264

Gun Tests grade: A-

This is a basic 12-gauge pump stripped down to the essentials. We liked the 7+1 capacity, ease of use, and smooth cycling pump action. The brass-bead front sight was basic, but it was not a liability. Plenty of aftermarket parts are available. Recoil was tolerable

Think of the Maverick 88 as a pared-down version of Mossberg 500. The primary differences between the 88 and the 500 is that the 500 has a top tang safety; the 88 has a crossbolt safety. Metal finishes are different, too. The Model 500 has a factory matte-blue finish, while the Maverick 88 is blued. All 88 shotguns are fully compatible and interchangeable with 500 accessory stocks and barrels within gauge and capacity. The Maverick 88 Security is a plain-Jane utility pump with a 7+1 round capacity. The finish was good, and the 88 felt solid in hand. It felt a bit muzzle heavy due to the extended magazine.

There was nothing fancy about the furniture, polymer stock, and fore end, looking all business. The stock had a ventilated rubber recoil pad that was nicely fitted. The 20-inch barrel is equipped with a brass-bead front sight. Sling attachments are on the butt and the magazine cap.

The action uses twin action bars, and it has dual extractors for sure ejection, which are all standard on Mossberg 500 and Maverick 88 guns. The 88’s safety was in the front of the trigger guard. The action lever is a small metal tab the protrudes behind the trigger on the left side of the trigger guard. Right- and left-handed users can operate the lever easily with a finger by rotating their firing hand slightly.

The 88 is easy to load. Drop a shell in the chamber and close the action, then insert shells via the loading port located on the bottom of the receiver. Initially, shells were rough to insert, but the effort eventually smoothed out. It did not take a lot of effort to fully load the 88 to capacity. With seven shells in the magazine, the shotgun has extra weight at the muzzle, which helped to stifle recoil and muzzle flip.

Going hot, the 88 performed well. The fore end cycled smoothly to eject and chamber rounds. We had no issues. The length of pull is 14.5 inches, and with the traditional stock, we found the shotgun was easy to operate, though some testers found their grasp on the fore end was close the back edge. No hands were pinched against the receiver during the rearward stroke, and this might be because we all learned our lesson years ago running pump shotguns.

The brass-bead sight is fairly rudimentary compared to tactical sights, but the small bead does not obscure the target, and we were able to average 2.4 inches for three-shot groups using slugs at 15 yards. That is good for slugs and a bead sight. The Hornady Critical Defense buckshot provided a tight 5-inch pattern at 15 yards, which we thought was excellent for a fixed Cylinder-bore choke. The 20-inch barrel helped to keep patterns tighter. We did note the Hornady had the most pronounced recoil of all the buckshot loads used. The Aguila and Panzer buckshot patterns were 9 and 10 inches, respectively. We didn’t have any buckshot miss the IDPA torso-size target, and that gave us confidence the 88 could keep all buckshot pellets on the target. The Federal No. 8 bird shot produced a 23-inch pattern, which oversprayed the target. At closer ranges, the bird shot is a viable alternative to buckshot, which can overpenetrate and potentially harm bystanders.

The push-pull method made shooting the 88 pleasant. There was plenty of ribbed texture of the fore end, and the pistol grip on the stock was checkered for a sure grip. Shooting for speed and unloading a complete magazine was easy to accomplish. The destructive force of multiple shotgun-round hits shredded the cardboard targets. There were no sharp edges in the loading port, which made reloading easier. The trigger-pull weight was 6.6 pounds and broke fairly cleanly.

Our Team Said: We liked the 88 a lot because it is a basic pump with a hefty 7+1 capacity. It ran well with no issues, and we all did good work with the 88. Shortening the LOP would make the 88 more user friendly, especially when wearing bulky clothing. What the 88 lacks in factory features can be made up for with aftermarket parts, such as a tactical light attachment and an elastic shotshell holder for extra ammo.

To collect pattern data with shotshells and groups with slugs, we fired off hand at a distance of 15 yards.

Written and photographed by Robert Sadowski, using evaluations from Gun Tests Team members. GT