This is another draft article - as always, comments welcome. Hope you find it of interest.

John

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The Winchester Model 88 lever action rifle





In 1895, the Winchester Repeating Arms Company had produced a John Browning lever action rifle that overcame to some extent the limitations of a traditional under-barrel tubular magazine. That Model 1895 allowed the use of pointed bullets by having a single stack magazine directly under the receiver. However, it was still not ideal. It utilized a two-piece stock, the action and magazine were bulky, it ejected from the top (preventing scope mounting), and it was heavy. In 1899, the Savage Arms Company produced a sleeker “hammerless” lever action that contained its cartridges in an under-action rotary magazine. This also allowed for pointed bullets. Still, The Model 99 had a two-piece stock and in spite of its side ejection, it was not designed to accommodate a scope until the late 1950s. Both of these designs required users to remove their trigger fingers from the trigger to outside the arc of the lever when operating the action. Otherwise a severely pinched finger might result when closing the lever.

In 1955, Winchester made good on their intent to offer a truly modern lever action. It would lock up as securely as a bolt action, utilize a first-ever one-piece stock, be able to handle modern high-intensity cartridges, and have a lever that incorporated the trigger. It would also prove to have outstanding accuracy.

The culmination of the company's engineering efforts was the Model 88, and it was heralded in Winchester’s first advertisement for it: “The immensely strong, three lug rotating bolt breeches the cartridge securely. The Model 88 bolt actually has a larger bearing surface at the breech than the locking system of bolt action rifles. The tight breeching plus the careful bedding of the barrel and action in the beautifully contoured one-piece stock combine to permit entirely new standards of power and accuracy for a lever action rifle…its short lever stroke operating smoothly within a 60 degree arc functions with unparalleled speed and ease.” In effect, it was as it was sometimes called, “a bolt action with a lever.” The new rifle was first offered for the sum of $139.95, while extra magazines could be purchased for $3.90. By comparison, the traditional Model 94 in .30-30 was sold for $85.95.

The new rifle was a beauty. The nicely finished black walnut stock featured hand-cut checkering, factory 1” sling swivels and a black composition buttplate. The staggered-round detachable magazine could hold four rounds of then-new .308 Winchester cartridges. The lever was nicely curved to match the pistol grip, and the disconnector-equipped trigger swung down with it. While it was a sleek “hammerless” design, there was in fact an internal hammer which was made a part of the trigger group. On lowering the lever, the slim hammer also swung down inside the trigger housing. A pushbutton safety was placed in front of the trigger. The rear sight was a folding adjustable leaf on the barrel, and the front sight was a hooded bead type on a ramp integral with the barrel. The receiver was drilled and tapped for scope mounts and aftermarket peep sights. The bolt had a rotating 3-lug head that cammed into engagement with the receiver at the rear of the barrel. A cloverleaf-pattern recoil block was used in the stock until the middle of 1959. An elliptical pattern was then used to help guard against stock cracking there. The lightweight barrel measured 22 inches long and had a twist of 1 in 12”. The overall length of the rifle was 42.5 inches. Initially, factory-specified weight for the rifle without ammo was 7.5 pounds, but the rifle pictured for this article, made in May 1957, weighs in at a scant 6.6 pounds.

The action operated extremely smoothly. The trigger pull, while reasonably crisp, was not quite up to the high standards of the Winchester Model 70 bolt actions or Model 94 lever guns. The .308 cartridge propelled a 150-grain bullet at about 2680 feet per second. The rifle was definitely light weight, and with the slim unpadded buttplate, felt recoil could best be described as very stout. It’s been noted by many users that for the most reliable feeding and ejection, the action should be operated briskly, and this is, after all, what it was designed to do. There is no doubt that this is a very fast-reloading rifle for follow-up shots. It’s notable that a variation of this design in semiautomatic mode was introduced a few years later as the Model 100.

In 1956, Winchester offered .243 Winchester and .358 Winchester as alternate chamberings. These were, of course, simply necked-down and necked-up variations on the .308. Following this, in 1963, the .284 Winchester became an option. This was a radical rebated-rim, sharp-shouldered cartridge developed to compete with the .270 Winchester and .280 Remington cartridges that found homes mainly in bolt-actions. It never became really popular. Statistics show that eventually, 110,289 Model 88s were produced in .308, 74,294 in .243, 35,636 in .358, and 35,330 in .284. The .358 was dropped from the line in 1962, but utilizing parts cleanup manufacture, 473 were made in 1965. These later .358s were all shipped to Canada and are considered very rare. There were a number of rather esoteric engineering modifications made to the Model 88 over the years. However, most of these were implemented by January, 1957.

In 1964, in conjunction with other regrettable cost-cutting measures, Winchester decided to abandon hand checkering, and instead adorn the stock with a machine-impressed acorn-and-basket weave motif. This occurred gradually in the mid-151,000 serial range. Candidly, it looked crummy. For this reason alone, pre-1964 rifles command a premium price today. The pistol grip cap was also changed in 1964 from plain to one with a red “W” in the center. It was then replaced in 1970 with a flat cap with a scroll design. A carbine Model 88 was introduced In 1968. This type had a 19” barrel and an unembellished stock with a barrel band. Chamberings were .308, .243, and .284. Carbines chambered in .284 were produced in only 3 years (1968-1970). All carbines were discontinued in 1972, with 28,300 having been produced. 1973 was the last year of the Model 88. The last official serial number was H283,913. However, some more were made in 1975, cleaning up parts and receivers. The final serial number was H284,971. The “H” prefix was adopted sometime in 1968 to comply with the Gun Control Act of 1968.

The Model 88 was definitely the most modern and advanced lever action offered at the time of its introduction. The Sako Finnwolf and the Browning BLR came along later, but any improvements over the groundbreaking Winchester 88 are debatable. Why was the 88 discontinued? Opinions vary, but many think that the traditional levers such as the Winchester 94 and the many Winchester 92 clones were more desirable for their slim, portable designs with hammers and their historical connections. These were also less expensive guns. Also, the 88 was specifically designed for short-action cartridges, while the public was increasingly becoming more enamored with larger, belted magnum rounds which were chambered mostly in bolt actions. Coincidentally, semiautomatic rifles were becoming the norm and are dominant today.

A few notes on maintaining this classic lever action are in order. First and foremost, disassembly and reassembly of the rifle is a nightmare. It involves quite a number of parts and requires special knowledge together with slave pins to hold everything together while reassembling. If you have any doubt, there are some instructional videos on the internet. These will convince you of what I have just said. Please take my advice and forget about detail stripping the Model 88. I would recommend only removal of the barreled action from the stock, and then utilizing a cleaning brush and light lubrication on the visible interacting parts. Bore cleaning with a rod can only be accomplished from the muzzle, so use extra care or a cleaning rod guide so as not to damage the critical rifling at the muzzle.

The Model 88 was the product of advanced engineering efforts at Winchester, and is today known as one of the best lever action hunting rifles ever made. Easy to operate, accurate and slick handling, it’s become a true classic. If you’re a collector, look for one of the pre-1964 guns. They were beautifully made in the finest Winchester tradition.

(c) 2016 JLM

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Interesting post ! We had the Savage 30-30 with the 2 piece stock and rotary magazine. I forgot about the 'finger pinching' . My brother sold it but I don't know what he got for it. It was a beautiful rifle though. Thanks.

You'd have a heck of a time trying to sell that one amongst the Marlin, Browning, and Savage fans.

Great rifle. Here's my dad's hunting sidekick from 1964 to 2008. A pre 64 one year production Model 88 in .284 Winchester. I have enough once or twice fired brass to shoot this gun for two lifetimes. There's an aftermarket Colyer 10 round .284 magazine. Also, .284 cartridge showed next to the longer .30-06.

Go over to Paco Kelly's Leverguns.com
This is a 99A in .375 WIN.
Discussion occurs about Win 88, as well as Martinis, and other lever actions. They reference auctions, for sale etc. On lever guns anywhere.
Couple of serious lever gun guys in England that show off their lever gun purchases and game they take.
They even consider a bolt action with the humerous term side lever ! 😉

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Wherever my mind isn't
Jim

You have a point! So as not to offend the die-hard fans of the above marques, I made a subtle change to OP - "one of the best" is the descriptor now. Personally, and I have many levers, including the ones above, I still think the Model 88 is way more advanced. I don't like its complexity and the fact that it kicks like a mule in .308. Still, it's darn easy to tote and operate, and the bullets go right where I expect them to. I can live with the recoil.

John

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Enjoyed the thread. Very informative. thanks for taking the time.

Didn't they make a few of these in .358 Winchester also?

Yes. More than a few. That is explained in the text. Although originally made in .308, the .358 and the .243 were based on the .308 case and the guns were easily modified to take these cartridges.

John

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I own a mint condition Model 88 that can put three rounds into one ragged hole over the 100-yard bench.

A late friend of mine who was a dedicated Marlin 36 and Savage 99 hunter fell in love with an early Model 88 in .308 caliber; It became his go-to hunting rifle. When he first got it we shot it off the bench on a couple of occasions. I didn’t think the trigger pull was very good and recoil seemed out of proportion for the .308 cartridge and the rifle’s weight but the Model 88 shot accurately for a lever gun and never failed to bring home game.

At some point the stock began to crack at the recoil block at the back of the receiver mortise. When the crack appeared the Model 88 was reserved for serious hunting – no more range shooting. (I’ve noticed cracked stocks on several used early Model 88s I’ve examined). At some point Winchester’s engineer’s redesigned the recoil block. I’ve been told that the redesign was done to counter the stock cracking problem.

I've always thought of a Model 88 as a nice-to-have collector rifle especially if I had a Model 100 to go with it. Plus it's an interesting step in the evolution of the Winchester lever action type of rifle.

Although modern and well designed...Most shooters of lever guns prefer those with the exsposed hammer........Sadly the 88/finn wolf/99 and lastly Rugers attempt failed to garner a large loyal following......I've often wondered why Winchester/Marlin or Henry refused to put a spiral tube on their guns to allow spitzer bullets? Remington solved the problem 75 years ago with the mdl. 14 & 141.

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S&W Accumulator

Nice article, coincidently I had a Win 88 in my hands yesterday at the range, as well as a Savage 300. There is a group of us retirees who shoot together weekly, one of my compadres brought the two lever guns with him. Both of them would make good "meat guns" IMO.

Handled like a 2x4 with a BB gun trigger. Hardly in the discussion of best levergun ever.

Not all 88s developed stock cracks there (there is no trace of a crack on the example pictured), but certainly some did. The replacement block had a more elliptical shape, and this helped to alleviate the potential problem.

The Model 70 Winchester's receiver tang initially also had that cloverleaf shape, which apparently did result in occasional stock splits. It was similarly modified to the elliptical shape at about the same time as the 88's change.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Everyone's entitled to their opinion. However I must say that the gun illustrated has been personally handled and shot by me. I found it to be a very nice handling gun, and the trigger pull, while not in the same league as a Model 70, was surprisingly nice, given the more complex linkage required to allow the trigger to drop with the lever. I will say that the drop of the stock is more suited to offhand use - an advantage for a brush gun, but not of much consequence for prone shooting when one can take more time for a precisely aimed shot. The action is fast and slick, and the gun turned in a 1 1/2" group at at 100 yards with iron sights. Not too shabby in my opinion.

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

Not knocking your article, it was nicely done! But as a Winchester, Savage 99 and Marlin levergun collector, I just disagree with the premise. Regards, 021

Very nice article, John. When I decided to replace the .308 bolt action rifle I had gifted to my son, I was trying to decide between a Winchester 88, Winchester 100, and Savage 99. I received so much encouragement from
fellow Forum members about the Savage 99 that I decided on it and bought same. It is surprisingly accurate, though the trigger is not as good as I thought/hoped it would be.

Regards,

Dave

Attached Images

Savage 99C & target.jpg (99.5 KB, 29 views)

A Model 88 in 308 was my 1st center fire rifle. Bought it in 1959 and still have it ---- complete with Lyman All American scope with a T K Lee dot. I've killed Elk, Mule Deer, Whitetail and Antelope with it. Quite accurate with ammo it likes and mine has a decent trigger.

As a SouthPaw, I appreciated having an option to the Model 70 that worked for me. The safety was easily switched to LH use.

My 1961 model 88 is pictured here with my 26 inch barreled 264 model 70 from 1960. I have taken mule deer in Wyoming and Montana with both of these fine Winchesters.

Attached Images

scan0107.jpg (145.6 KB, 67 views)

I think the M-88 probably inspired the Sako Finnwolf. I've seen only one or two, but they had Sako's fine finish and may be the ultimate lever action rifle for modern cartridges.

I was never too interested, as I prefer bolt actions.

I knew a guy many years ago who had a .284 M-88. He liked it and it shot very well. I fired it a few times.

I bought my 1st Deer rifle at about 18, it was a Win M-100 Carbine in 308 and killed many deer until I started chasing smaller groups with bolt action rifles. Shoulda kept it. But I always looked for an 88 in 284, never run across one until the last few years when prices for it have gone crazy.

I saw an 88 rifle, not carbine, in 308 at a gun show a couple of weeks ago. If it had been a carbine and or in 284 I would have jumped on the $500.00 tag.

John life must be rough when you have to find neat old guns and make yourself write an article on them. Ha.

Bought my pre-64 Model 88 in .308 in 1967. It had been sitting in the dealer's rack for a couple of years. High power rifles aren't big movers in this part of the country. The dealer had ordered it for a guy who fired 4 rds of W-W Silvertips thru it, said it kicked too much, and traded it for something else. I happened to stop in one evening and spotted it. $95 for the Model 88, a Weaver 4X scope, the remainder of the W-W Silvertips, and a leather case. Like Trout mine will shoot within 1" at 100 yds with my handloaded 150 gr SP. I don't find the recoil all that much.
I consider it one of my better buys.

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183rd FBINA

You did well my friend. They are really nice rifles. I don't understand all the complaints about the Model 88. Enjoy yours, I love mine.

Nice write-up on a "gone but not forgotten" rifle, particularly those of us who've had a particularly memorable event with one. The longest shot I've ever made on a whitetail was a doe running straight away from me across a North Dakota stubble field- Post'64 .308 with a K-4.

Regarding 88 trigger complaints, IIRC, in the recent past writer Craig Boddington mentioned a 'smith that he was involved with that had a modification for the 88 triggers that greatly enhanced them. Maybe someone else will remember who it was. It may have been the "Rigby" outfit in CA.

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Good shooting.

If I ever stumble across an 88 or Savage 99 in .358 I'll get it. Perfect woods rifle around here.

Sorry. Forgot Internet Rule # 1 - If there's no pictures then it didn't happen.
Here's my pre-64 Model 88 in .308.
Today, magazines cost as much as I paid for this rifle, 4X Weaver, 16 rds remaining in the box of W-W Silvertips, sling and case. The Weaver bit the dust several years ago.

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183rd FBINA