I would like to try the 88 in a 284 win.
I believe it is front locking, the action should be strong enough and durable .
I am a levergun guy and stay clear of rear locking bottleneck rounds in a lever action rifles for my hunting - many will disagree.
A model 88 would be a great project and I am sure a guy would mess with the bedding and the trigger but it appears as functional as my BLR's.
It is a pretty thing, imo.Cheers
