Winchester 88 Owners?

[Deleted User 327]

I recently completed a 20+ year hunt for a good condition, affordable pre-64 .308 Winchester 88 by falling into a sweet deal on an unfired 1959 Winchester 88 in my favorite caliber. It was a Christmas gift back in 1959 by this recently widowed woman to her husband who put it in the safe to "someday set it up for elk." but never quite got around to it. Anyway, it was rock stock when I picked it up including an optional Winchester recoil pad with some nicely grained wood.

I finished the process and added an old cobra sling I had as well as a Redfield base, rings, and Revolution 3-9x40 scope on it to keep the period correct look as best I could while acceding to the fact that my 65 year old eyes need more than a 4x scope to make use of this fine piece. I think it came out just fine.

Let's see and hear about your Winchester 88s too.

[Ranch Dog]

Very nice!

[pricedo]

Very nice!

The Winchester model 88 lever and it's semi-automatic running mate the model 100 were 2 of the classiest rifles ever built.
Owned an 88 in 358 Win 20 years ago but sold it cause I didn't like the trigger which was very heavy, gritty and creepy and I couldn't find a gunsmith back then that could or would touch a 88 trigger.

[pricedo]

Jim Green of Gun Works in Maine has an excellent youtube video on the step-by-step dis-assembly/re-assembly of the Winchester model 88 for cleaning which is well worth watching for those who still own one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1ceRdhLG0c

[Deleted User 327]

Very nice!

The Winchester model 88 lever and it's semi-automatic running mate the model 100 were 2 of the classiest rifles ever built.
Owned an 88 in 358 Win 20 years ago but sold it cause I didn't like the trigger which was very heavy, gritty and creepy and I couldn't find a gunsmith back then that could or would touch a 88 trigger.

That's what sold me on this one, the trigger, while a bit heavy, is actually quite decent with no gritty feel or excessive creep. I know that the .308 is the most common caliber, but it's my favorite as I've developed a number of loads previously in .308. All in all, I just love shooting my 88 and so far out at 450yds it's 'minute of cabbage' accurate with my 165grn handloads. I have to agree with Ranch Dog that it's a classic beauty; it's one of those rifles that every time I walk by it, I pause and admire it's lines.

[pricedo]

Very nice!

The Winchester model 88 lever and it's semi-automatic running mate the model 100 were 2 of the classiest rifles ever built.
Owned an 88 in 358 Win 20 years ago but sold it cause I didn't like the trigger which was very heavy, gritty and creepy and I couldn't find a gunsmith back then that could or would touch a 88 trigger.

That's what sold me on this one, the trigger, while a bit heavy, is actually quite decent with no gritty feel or excessive creep. I know that the .308 is the most common caliber, but it's my favorite as I've developed a number of loads previously in .308. All in all, I just love shooting my 88 and so far out at 450yds it's 'minute of cabbage' accurate with my 165grn handloads. I have to agree with Ranch Dog that it's a classic beauty; it's one of those rifles that every time I walk by it, I pause and admire it's lines.

I'm sorry I sold mine.
The extra weight of the 358 bullets made it an excellent elk & moose gun.
Some thought the 358 Winchester was a short range brush gun.........not so.
Somehow 35 caliber rifles never took off in North America while the 35 caliber (.357/358) handguns did.
The 35 Remington still has a small but loyal fan club among deer hunters.

[pricedo]

The 2 BLRs I have remind me a lot of the trigger configuration of my old Winchester model 88.
I'm going to get Neil Jones the BLR trigger guru to do the triggers on my BLRs...........love the guns....hate the triggers.
His shop is not far from where I'm now living.
There were no Winchester model 88 gurus back in the day & you were pretty well stuck with whatever came out of the box.

[44WCF]

that is about the most beautiful wood i have ever seen on an 88! i can't recall ever seeing one with the red rubber but pad though?

i also own a pre-64 88 in .308, mine has a custom left hand monte carlo stock, and the saftey has been reversed for a left-handed shooter. yes, i'm a south paw. my dad, grandad, and father-inlaw each own post-64 88's in .308, so i guess you could say i come by it honest. my dad and my brother each own 100's in .284 and a step brother at one time owned a 100 in .308. my family has seen our share of 88's and 100's! around these parts they are not too uncommon, i see them at every gun show.

one question, does yours have the clover-leaf tang on the back?