Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Winchester Model 88

In 1955 Winchester introduced the Model 88, proclaiming it the "Bolt Action Rifle with a Lever" let's post some pictures:

1968 mfg M88 in .284 WIN - this M88 only killed one deer while it was in my stewardship, it was killed with a handloaded 145 grain Speer HotCor.





1963 mfg M88 in .308 WIN - this one has made a lot of meat and will be with me next week when the rifle season opens in eastern NC. All three of these shot the same week from the same box of 150 grain CoreLokt ammo.

nice pics....an 88 and an army coat.....remember them well....

leaning inside a home made blind hunting a dark stand of cedar a couple years ago.

Today it wears a vari x scope manufactured within a year or 2 of the rifle itself in a new old stock weaver tip away mount.

I wanted to set the rifle up and hunt it as it might have been rigged when it was new.

In one of Jack OConners books he describes the Winchester M88
as a Savage 99 that was scared by a Winchester M70. Cabelas
in WVA had two 88s in 358 Win awhile back, Im sure they sold
fast.

Dave, love the look with the vintage scope and mounts. In the pictures above, my .308 WIN has an old M8 Leupold 4X in Redfield mounts. Unfortunately I had to change it out to a Leupold Century 3-9x40 - I simply cannot see squat anymore without using scopes with good multi-coating on the lenses. I have a VX-III that came off of the .284 WIN that is sitting in the box - going to compare the two at the end of legal light and see which is best - then have that one on the .308 from now on.

Started life as a post 64 308, about 10 years ago read a story about someone making a 338-08 out of the very same rifle. Thought it sounded like a great idea so off it went to be rebored.
Found a new stock from Fajen and here it is. It will shoot the new 338 Federal but likes my handloads much better.
Has alway worn a Leupold VX-II 2-7X in Redfield low rings.

I killed two blacktail bucks with my BIL's 88 in .284.
We ran the Speer 130gr soft point redicuously fast and it really did a number on them.

Rolled the loads on an old Herters World Famous (or something like that) press...surprised I didn't blow myself up!

He sold it to buy a .300 win mag for elk hunting, as he was convinced the the 7's weren't up to the job... regrets it now...

Here in mine. I just bought it from a neighbor and have not yet hunted with it. It is a .308.

Notropis, you are going to enjoy that rifle. I have shot both 150 grain and 165 grain bullets in mine - it prefers the 165 grain in a handload (1 MOA), but does tolerably well with the 150 factory CoreLokt (2 MOA).

I think I want to swap out the scope with a Leupold and get some better rings before I try getting her in shape for some serious hunting. I will start this season with a .257 Roberts in a 98 Mauser that is scary accurate but may try the 88 or a 100 I bought with it later on in the season.

I hope to have a date with this fellow. The time on the picture is wrong.

I just want to toss something out for consideration. I'm telling everybody because I'm a big "buy made in USA" guy.

Probably old news to the masses but I was happy to recently learn that redfield is once again made in the USA. Leupold purchased the redfield name and they now manufacture the redfield rifle scoped in the Oregon Leupold factory.

Folks are comparing the glass quality to that of VX I and VX II, it carries the same sort of warranty as leupold scopes, it has click adjustments like a VX II... They are getting great reviews and I honestly believe it's the best buy out there right now in a rifle scope. Example, the 3-9 40mm scopes sell for $160 - $170 depending on which reticle you buy.

The 2-7 33mm are less.

look up redfield revolution scopes.

The Win 88's are great guns to collect and shoot. I have a full set in all calibers and the 284 and 358 are fun to shoot and hunt. The 358 especially is a real killer out to about 200 yds. Have fun. Daryl.

I've had the 88 in evercartridge it was made in one time or another. Right now I am down to a .284 and a 308 rebarreled to .358. Had the triggers worked on so they are better than normal, but not great.

The last deer I shot with the .284 was with the 120g NBT at 3200 fps MV. The gun really shot those well. The .358 likes the 225g Sierra and partition.

This young buck wandered out in front of the M88 .308 WIN a couple of days ago; got to use the 165 grain Interlock handload on game for the first time - DRT. Placement was just behind shoulder and in top of lungs (downward angle) - virtually no meat damaged - all sausage and burger now. Ps The Leupold Century scope is very bright - shot taken at 0621, sunrise wasn't until 0639.

Can anyone tell me the serial # ranges of the Pre-64 88's (i.e. what's the last # prior to post-64)--I'm looking at a particularly clean 88 and would like to know if it's pre or post as I'm fairly unfamiliar with the model. Thanks.
Greg

As I understand it, cut checkering on an 88 is pre-64, pressed basket-weave checkering is post. Mine is a post-64 in 308. Excellent hunting rifles, those 88s.

Congrats odessa!

Did you shoot it with an interlock or did you accidentally chamber a tomato?

lol!

Thanks Dave, that is actually the exit wound - the big bullet (for such a small deer) brought a lot of what it passed through out with it - the wound was still bubbling when I walked up 45 minutes later.

Greg, last serial number listed by Blue Book for 1963 manufacturing of the M88 is 148858. Douglas Murray, author of the only book on the M88, lists the pre/post change-over around serial numbers 151,300 - 151,693. My rifle is a middle 1963 (pre-64) mfg rifle based on either of the two serial number lists, but has an impressed checkered stock (post-64 design). As I didn't buy the gun new (bought it from Shuman's near Carlisle PA in 1996) it could have a replacement stock or it could have been fitted with the new style stock at the factory, but either is speculation on my part.

Odessa and TNrifleman----thanks mucho. The one I'm looking at has cut checkering, will check the serial # this afternoon. If I understand you guys, cut checkering is a confirmation-at-a-glance issue as long as it's the original stock?????
Thanks again.
Greg

Greg, I would use the serial number for confirmation as to whether or not it is a pre-64 or a post-64 action. The basket-weave stock is the post-64 design, but stocks can be retrofitted; a cut checkered stock can easily be put on a post-64 rifle and vice versa. There is not much difference between the action on a late pre-64 and a post-64 Model 88 (unlike the Model 70). Per Murray some post-64 guns might have gotten late, narrow pattern cut checkered stocks and some last mfg 1963 guns may have gotten pressed checkered stocks. I don't know that Winchester attempted to isolate the M88 and M100 guns - in 1955 they were radically new and used some of the latest mass-production techniques - which is what the post-64 fiasco was an attempt to accomplish. Bruce

From what I've read and seen on my pre & post 88's is the post 88 is the better gun and the pre 88 has nicer wood.
The post 64 88 have a lot of improvements over the pre 64, Don't turn down a post 64, they are not like the pre & post Model 70's

jbmi, I have to agree with your statement. I leave the first three years of production rifles (1955-1957) for the collectors. In 1958 Winchester introduced several upgrades for the M88 that continued until the end of production; a few important ones include the cartridge feeding assist machined into the third bolt lug in conjunction with an improved magazine to improve feeding (and add an additional round of capacity). The round tang to eliminate stock splitting by the original cloverleaf tang was another 1958 improvement.

I have two 1956 model 88s in 308 and love hunting cow elk with them. One of the 88s I bought not to long ago in new condition and unfired from a Winchester collectors estate sale. It is so nice I felt bad just to shoot the darn thing.

Hey, Chris, welcome to the Fire.

My 88 was a .308 at birth and is now, thanks to a change in magazines and a re-chamber job, a "7mm-08". I rechambered it to the 30-284, which duplicates the 30-06 in a lever gun. It does take .284 magazine$, which are trea$ured by their former owner$.

Yeah, the dies were somewhat pricey, but the 88 was made for power and now I have it. Admittedly, there are no fly-specks on the .308, but I'm a rifle looney and there is no hope for me.

Thanks for the welcome.
That is really neat what you did with that 284.
There are so many people like us that wish they would bring the 88s back. With todays CNC machine systems and steel investment castings it would be affordable to reproduce these guys again and compete with Browning BLRs no problem.

The reproduction of model 88s would be a good project for Ruger Firearms. Ruger does alot of steel investment casting and they have access to nice plain standard walnut as you see in their model 77s stocks. Ruger already makes copies of other companies products like 1911s, ARs, 380 Keltecs copies so copying an 88 would be no problem.
Writer/Editor Craig Boddington wants the 88s to return also so maybe some day we might see them come back even if in limited production numbers. I could never understand why Winchester never did a limited reproduction run from the Japan Miroku plant.

I wish Winchester would make the 88 again and in 260 this time , what a great deer rifle it would make.

gmoats, the Winchester catalog from 1964 does not mention anything about a press-checkered stock on the 88s or 100s and shows the original cut-checkered design. It's only in the 1965 catalog that the "new" checkering is advertised. I don't know whether Winchester still had stocks with the older style checkering to use up, or whether it was shipping them without a mention of the styling change. I've always wondered whether these were guns that didn't change until the following year, or whether the changes just weren't mentioned until 1965. Doug Murray states that the changes were made in 1964, so perhaps the catalog with cut checkering was just an oversight. Matt

1955 four digit serial number .308

I've got #435xx in .308. Bought it from an uncle in 1959. It is handy and quick to get into action. I killed five bull Elk with it in five years using 180 grain Rem CoreLoks. It would put three 165 grain Sierra MatchKings in an inch @ 100 yards --- I used these for Antelope. It still wears a Lyman All American 4X w/ T. K. Lee Dot and a military sling.

I started reading gun rags, found out how undergunned I was, and bought a 7 Mag for big game.

That is a very nice condition first production 88 and wonderfull picture setting you took.
My father just purchased a 1955 308win 88 and the metal finish is in very nice condition for only $250. The only problem is that the original wood stock is missing and a fiberglass syn stock had been installed on it, also the front sight hood is missing but no biggie. I know that Boyds makes replacement 88 wood stocks but they are only semi finished with no cut checking on them. I wish Boyds would make a fully finished exact reproduction 88 stock and just double the price of their semi finished model.
It would be also nice to see a reproduction line of 88s to get chambered in 338 Federal.

My .308 came without checkering at all.

It looks like my youngest daughter in law will be helping me out by clearing out some room in my safe. It is sure a sleek gun, but I never had a chance to take an animal while carrying it.

I hope she has better hunting luck while carrying it than I had.

The good checkering is on the pre 64 models, with the basketweave on the later ones. I have always wanted an 88.

I purchased my first pre '64 M/88 .308 in 1973, took it to Maine the following year and killed the biggest whitetail of my hunting career. A non-typical heavily palmated 11pt. that field dressed 254#, used a handload with 180gr. RN Hornady over a moderate load of IMR4895. One shot in the neck was all it took, deer traveled 30yds. or so in a death run. Subsequently went to loading 165gr. bullets over a variety of powders. I've owned 2 or 3 .358's, never hunted with any of them and foolishly let them slip thru my fingers over the years. Fine rifles, I scoped mine with K2.5 Weaver 60B scopes with post and crosshair reticle in a Weaver flip over mount. Always wanted to have a .243 rebored to .257 Roberts, that would be my idea of perfection in an 88.

Thanks
Another picture of the 1957 .243: