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
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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