Winchester 88 serial number

BT99

I have a win 88 with the serial number of 365xxA. Cannot find when it
was made. Every list I looked at does not have any numbers ending with
the letter A. Any help out there.

Bert H.

The "A" is technically not part of the serial number. You need to just look at the numerical digits.

Spider7115

1956 according to http://www.proofhouse.com/win/index.html

Like Bert said, "A" is not part of the serial number.

BT99

Thanks guys. I never knew that. But then, why is the "A" there???

babun

http://www.leeroysramblings.com/Gun Articles/winchester_model_88_100_info.html

""" You may see a suffix to a serial number of "A" on a few earlier guns. This appears to be possibly a duplicate or more likely a replaced receiver/barrel unit."""

Bert H.

quote:Originally posted by babun
http://www.leeroysramblings.com/Gun Articles/winchester_model_88_100_info.html

""" You may see a suffix to a serial number of "A" on a few earlier guns. This appears to be possibly a duplicate or more likely a replaced receiver/barrel unit."""


That is positively not accurate. The "A" is neither a duplicate serial number, or a replaced receiver/barrel.

The "A" was used to indicate a production change that was instituted by Winchester to the receiver group.

tsr1965

quote:Originally posted by Bert H.
quote:Originally posted by babun
http://www.leeroysramblings.com/Gun Articles/winchester_model_88_100_info.html

""" You may see a suffix to a serial number of "A" on a few earlier guns. This appears to be possibly a duplicate or more likely a replaced receiver/barrel unit."""


That is positively not accurate. The "A" is neither a duplicate serial number, or a replaced receiver/barrel.

The "A" was used to indicate a production change that was instituted by Winchester to the receiver group.


[:D][:D][:D]+1

babun

If it was a production change, why are there so many in so many different years without the "A"???
quick look found several for sale here:

http://www.GunBroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=480432480

http://www.GunBroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=481044827[img][/img]



http://www.GunBroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=481601543

See pic #5

also one with serial #103451- NO "A" is another for sale.

Yet there are some with lower and higher #'s With the "A"

http://www.GunBroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=481060056

And some without.

Bert H.

Winchester never assembled any of there various models in numerical/sequential serial number order. Additionally, when production changes were made, they sometimes stretched across more than 10,000 serial numbers.

babun

Bert, thanks for the reply.

I still find it very odd that some guns have the A, then 5 years later, some guns don't have it. About 70,000 to 80,000 guns. Thats a lot of guns . And then it appears again! I've seen no order or reason to this apparent coming and going of the "A".[?]

Being that the barrel and receiver of the model 88 is a factory "one shot deal" and is almost permanently attached to each other, I would think any factory mods made to them would require a complete change out. Hence the "A".

Almost like the 4 letters assigned by winchester to the gunsmiths fixing the firing pin recall of the model 100 to be stamped inside the action:

B=Bolsa gunsmiths
L=lefever gunsmiths
N=Nu-line

X= for all other independent shops.

I will have to look into this anomaly more.[:D]

MIKE WISKEY

"Almost like the 4 letters assigned by winchester to the gunsmiths fixing the firing pin recall of the model 100 to be stamped inside the action:"

Just to note; while working as a gunsmith, I changed upwards of 100 m-100 firng pins,and got paid $20 ea. from Winchester. I was never asked to mark the receivers in any way.