Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Model 88 Gunsmithing

Are there any gunsmiths left who know how to properly tune these old model 88 triggers? I've got a bit of an heirloom M88 284 that I'd really like to get the trigger smoothed up and the stock bedded. Shoots ok right now, but would like to tighten things up so I can take it out more often with confidence.

Rogue River did mine, but I don't know if they still work on them.

Their phone number is disconnected and no website, so I'm guessing they're long gone sadly.

To bad

I have sent a few guys my info on bedding the 88 that works well. I have smoothed up the action but not much help on the trigger.

Here is some general overall info on it.

https://www.leeroysramblings.com/Gun%20Articles/winchester_model_88_100_info.html

Free advice...don't mess with it. I have had a few 88s and own 2 still. Both shoot good enough to hunt with. 1 to 1.5 moa easily. And most I've shot or owned will do that or better. How good does your rifle need to be to hunt with "conference"? How far do you plan to shoot game with it? It's never going to be a real long range tool but if you're walking around after whitetails with it you likely won't even notice that trigger when shooting at game. JMO

Enjoy it for what it is.
Rob

I hear you, but once you have hunted with a rifle with a nice, crisp light trigger, it's painful to go back....My 88 would probably get hunted more if it had a decent trigger.......

I get it Tim, my point is that 88s are not simple to work on and best left unmolested. If you want a nice, light, crisp trigger, move on to a bolt gun and leave the 88 at home. Personally, I'd hunt the heck out of it.

Use it enough and you will get use to it.I have had mine since 1964.I took it out to the range last year and it still shots 1" groups.

I'm with Tim on this. It's not a pristine specimen by any means and its a 1967 so no special value. I enjoy it because it is relatively lightweight and the 284 is an exceptionally capable round. I like my triggers crispy and relatively light (3 lbs). Bedding the rifle and improving the trigger will mean that it gets more field time. It also adds confidence. When one is considering which rifle to grab for a hunt, that matters to me. Appreciate the feedback, still looking for a good smith who knows how to tackle one of these.