Opinions, Pros, and Cons on each one. In the market for a budget home defense shotgun.

Definitely go with the Maverick 88 over the Savage.

 

Why?  It's a Mossberg.  It'll just plain work.  There's tons of other parts/accessories that will work for it as well.

I would say spend a little bit more and get either a Remington 870 or a Mossberg 590.

I've had my maverick 88 for a bit more than a year, and it has been flawless thus far. To be fair I know 1 year isn't a long time for a guns life, and on top of that I'm a pretty big noob.. but still for what it's worth I am very happy with my purchase.

Maverick can be had dirt cheap and you can change out parts to better 500/590 parts as needed - action tube, barrels etc - I wouldn't hesitate, Mossberg makes a solid platform

 

Agreed with above though, if you can get a Maverick for $200, if you spend another $100 to $150 you could get a nice Mossberg 500 or 590

You shoulda asked to try my 320 at the shoot, it was sitting 2 feet from your stuff!

 

I bought my 320 security with the ghost rings 3 or 4 years ago, and i had problems when i would cycle it too fast, it would catch the tip of a new shell against something while moving up on the elevator, so youd have to move the action backward, which would release a new shell from the tube, ejecting it to the ground.

 

I sent it back to savage and got it back working much better, but it still has had that happen a couple times since.

 

No idea if thats specific to my gun or the 320 line (happened to my friend sunday, so not just me), but turned me off that gun. Also made in china, iirc.

 

I dunno mav88s at all, but i will say hunt for a nice used 870 or 500 if you can. I dont think Im going cheap on cheap gun again, now i gotta spend more to replace it (with something I really did want to begin with)

If money is an issue, then the NEF Pardner pump is cheaper than your two choices and they work just as good as the big 2 (500 and 870).

If money is an issue, then the NEF Pardner pump is cheaper than your two choices and they work just as good as the big 2 (500 and 870).