Maverick 88 vs Extreme Torture Test | Can a Cheap Shotgun Survive?

Turns out the cheapest pump on the market might just be the toughest kid on the playground. We didn’t just “test” the Maverick 88 — we straight-up tried to end it… and it refused to die.

The Maverick 88 has a cult following — folks who swear it’s a blue-collar workhorse that will run forever. And then there’s the other side: “It’s a cheap gun. It’ll choke. It’ll die. It’ll fall apart.” So… we decided to settle it.

Armed with a brand-new Maverick 88 pump, a pile of mixed dirty ammo, several terrible ideas, and a selection of Otis & Shooter’s Choice cleaning products, We put the poor Maverick 88 through it all!

400 rounds of everything from cheap target loads to turkey thumpers, full submersion in water, a mud bath, a few “oops, it fell out of the side-by-side” incidents (on purpose… three times), Gravel, grit, grass, and gunk everywhere it shouldn’t be. Then to top it off, a rinse with the hose before a nice deep freeze nap. But we weren't done there because this wasn’t a “range review.”

This was a full-blown torture gauntlet, and the Maverick 88 showed up with its lunch pail ready to work. And that it did!

Do you have any good stories with the Maverick 88? Share them with us in the TFL COMMUNITY!

We kicked off the day with a clean, fresh, out-of-the-box Maverick 88 — scrubbed down with my go-to Otis & Shooter’s Choice cleaning products. Before the chaos began, the gun ran exactly as expected: stiff, basic, and plenty punch in the recoil department. 

Stage 1: 100 Rounds of Mixed Mystery Ammo

Target loads.
Buckshot.
Turkey loads.
Slugs.
And some boxes that looked like they were found in an old truck toolbox.

The Maverick 88 ran them — all of them — even though I wasn’t entirely sure what I was loading half the time. (Mixed loads: 10/10 do NOT recommend.)

The gun started to heat up, but it cycled everything. No drama yet.

Stage 2: A “Duck Hunting Accident”

We simulated what happens when the shotgun accidentally falls into the water and mud.

Twice.

Okay… three times.

The gun came out absolutely packed with sludge. It was gritty, gummed up, and unhappy — but after a quick in-the-field blast of Shooter’s Choice Shotgun & Choke Tube Cleaner, then some Quick Scrub, and finally a dose of Otis Dry Lube, the Maverick 88 snapped back to life and started cycling again.

Was it smooth? Not exactly.
Was it running? Shockingly, yes.

Stage 3: Side-By-Side Drop Test (x3)

If once is good, three must be better.

Loaded up with gravel, sand, dust, and rocks inside the action, the Maverick still… worked.

Not elegantly. Not politely. But it ran better than I expected.

Even semi-autos with perfect pedigrees wouldn’t dream of cycling in this condition.

Stage 4: Keep Shooting — Because Why Not?

We hit the 300-round mark. Then 350. Then 375.
Everything from clays to steel

Eventually, after freezing the gun solid, the firing pin stuck for the first shot… and then worked flawlessly once we got that loose!

Stage 5: The Barrel Bulge (Oops.)

We managed to bulge the barrel after some debris got lodged in there.

Don’t try this at home. Seriously.

But even with a bulged barrel, the Maverick 88 still shot clays!

Stage 6: Field Strip & Cleanup

When we finally brought the Maverick 88 apart… well… it looked like a compost pile in the receiver.

We gave it a fast scrub down using:

• Shooter’s Choice Shotgun Cleaner

• Shooter’s Choice Quick Scrub (This stuff is magic!!!)

• Otis Dry Lube

And it came back smoother than I expected! (Minus the crack I put in the stock from javelin-throwing it… my bad.)