Winchester Model 88 ???

4406v

I was given a Winchester 88 in .308 by my neighbor (great neighbor huh?) It has a 5 digit serial #1936* what year was it made? He was unable to find the clip for it so I am going to have to buy one. Should I look for an original or are the reproductions o.k.?

MIKE WISKEY

"or are the reproductions o.k.?"..........GOOD LUCK FINDING ONE; HOWEVER M-100 MAGAZINES WILL WORK (THEY HAVE A 'HOLD OPEN' AFTER THE LAST SHOT)

Bert H.

Buy an original if you can find it.

The partial serial number indicates very late in 1955 or early in the year 1956.

CapnMidnight

Ron,
As usual, Bert is right on the money. 1955 is the first year of production for the model 88, I have one in 308 with a 5,000 serial number, a gift from my father.
W.D.

4406v

Thanks Bert! I found an original magazine right here on GunBroker already won the auction and sent payment.Can't wait to send a few down range with it.

Ambrose

You can shoot it w/o the magazine if you want to.

dfletcher

quote:Originally posted by 4406v
I was given a Winchester 88 in .308 by my neighbor (great neighbor huh?) It has a 5 digit serial #1936* what year was it made? He was unable to find the clip for it so I am going to have to buy one. Should I look for an original or are the reproductions o.k.?


I have a first year in 308 Winchester, the first year has a few different parts than the following years. Magazines are all intechangeable though.

Now that you have an original magazine getting a repro from Numrich is a good back up. Clymer used to sell a 10 rounder, but they're now expensive as heck. Mags for the 88 and semi auto 100 are interchangeable, the 100 has a "last shot bho" tab on the follower.

Two things about the Model 88 - they have about the worst trigger pull of any rifle I've owned and are a PITA to reassemble. Disassemby is a bit of a challenge, but putting the darn thing together without slave pins is something I just couldn't do. Close, but ultimately I paid attention to the pretty good You Tube vid on reassembly.

I had to take it apart and reassemble because when cleaning took the barreled action from the stock and worked the lever. Doing so caused the toggles and bolt to (for lack of a better phrase) pass a tipping point which prevented the lever & bolt from being closed. I'm glad I learned how to do the takedown/reassemble, just wished I'd learned under less aggravating circumstances.

I found mine to be surprisingly accurate, given the trigger pull and fairly thin barrel.

Oakie

Magazines for the 88 are a dime a dozen on ebay. I bought one on there this week for my 88. They have original and repos on there. Good luck and you just got my favorite gun. I have all four calibers and different models. I have post and pre 64's. I am an 88 aficionado. I even have a tattoo of my model 88 on my arm. I have every ad they ever made for the 88's including hang tags and boxes for the guns.

Here is a picture of my tattoo.


[img][/img]

Ray B

Wisners Mfg in Centralia, WA makes parts for old Winchesters, including magazines forM88/100. They are high quality.

JimmyJack

I looked high and low for a dozen for a dime, no luck. I have just what you are looking for, a new in the box never fired M88 in .308. It is a backup in case my first year gun has a problem.

Oakie

quote:Originally posted by JimmyJack
I looked high and low for a dozen for a dime, no luck. I have just what you are looking for, a new in the box never fired M88 in .308. It is a backup in case my first year gun has a problem.


I found six on ebay right now.