The short-lived Winchester Model 88 rifle was introduced in 1955, a rifle a bit ahead of its time. Following its discontinuance in 1973, gun writers were of the opinion that the rifle’s one-piece stock represented a radical visual departure from traditional lever actions with two-piece stocks. Lever action enthusiasts were too accustomed to the look and feel of the Model 94, which sold in the millions. Marlins and Savage 99s also had their faithful adherents.
Considering the investment of dollars it takes to make the tooling necessary, as well as to market a new design, one would think that such a basic “like” or “dislike” would have easily been discovered through market research. Whether or not Winchester conducted any such research is unknown to me.
A possible second reason for its demise and which contributed to Winchester’s eventual bankruptcy was their cost cutting catastrophe of 1964, forever resulting in all Winchesters being suddenly judged by whether they were pre or post-64.
The Model 88 was offered in the then-new .308 Winchester as well as the .243 and .358 Winchester calibers. Later, it was offered in .284 Winchester, a cartridge offering ballistics very similar to the .270. Even critics of the rifle called it a lever operated bolt action as the rifle as right out of the box, it could easily shoot one-inch, 100-yard groups and could hold its own against any stock bolt action of the era. My own 88, chambered in .308 and untouched by any gunsmith, has put three rounds under a Nickel at 100 yards and can do it all day long.
Fortunately for me, my rifle’s previous owner had not butchered the gun by cutting the stock to install a recoil pad, an unneeded item on a hunting arm but helpful for target practice. A carbine version of the rifle was offered with a barrel band and 19-inch barrel. Oddly, it was not offered in .358, a cartridge that fit that era’s pre-conceived notion of what a “brush cartridge” should look like.
Today, the rifle has indeed caught on and has a loyal following. Rifles in either .358 or .284 sell for a king’s ransom while the more commonly encountered .308 and .243 can still be found for around a thousand bucks. Winchester produced about 300,000 rifles, mostly in the latter calibers.
The Model 88 makes a lot of sense for the eastern woods hunter. It’s handy and quick in wooded terrain although longer then either the Model 94 or Marlin 336 yet, any of its chamberings can reach out really far for that occasional long shot. The rifle is fed from a detachable box magazine, allowing the safe use of spitzer bullets.
My only regret is that I wish I had discovered the Model 88 in its heyday. It would have kept me from buying and selling enough rifles to outfit a small revolution in my search for the perfect rifle that could do it all in the east, where I hunted.
Considering the investment of dollars it takes to make the tooling necessary, as well as to market a new design, one would think that such a basic “like” or “dislike” would have easily been discovered through market research. Whether or not Winchester conducted any such research is unknown to me.
A possible second reason for its demise and which contributed to Winchester’s eventual bankruptcy was their cost cutting catastrophe of 1964, forever resulting in all Winchesters being suddenly judged by whether they were pre or post-64.
The Model 88 was offered in the then-new .308 Winchester as well as the .243 and .358 Winchester calibers. Later, it was offered in .284 Winchester, a cartridge offering ballistics very similar to the .270. Even critics of the rifle called it a lever operated bolt action as the rifle as right out of the box, it could easily shoot one-inch, 100-yard groups and could hold its own against any stock bolt action of the era. My own 88, chambered in .308 and untouched by any gunsmith, has put three rounds under a Nickel at 100 yards and can do it all day long.
Fortunately for me, my rifle’s previous owner had not butchered the gun by cutting the stock to install a recoil pad, an unneeded item on a hunting arm but helpful for target practice. A carbine version of the rifle was offered with a barrel band and 19-inch barrel. Oddly, it was not offered in .358, a cartridge that fit that era’s pre-conceived notion of what a “brush cartridge” should look like.
Today, the rifle has indeed caught on and has a loyal following. Rifles in either .358 or .284 sell for a king’s ransom while the more commonly encountered .308 and .243 can still be found for around a thousand bucks. Winchester produced about 300,000 rifles, mostly in the latter calibers.
The Model 88 makes a lot of sense for the eastern woods hunter. It’s handy and quick in wooded terrain although longer then either the Model 94 or Marlin 336 yet, any of its chamberings can reach out really far for that occasional long shot. The rifle is fed from a detachable box magazine, allowing the safe use of spitzer bullets.
My only regret is that I wish I had discovered the Model 88 in its heyday. It would have kept me from buying and selling enough rifles to outfit a small revolution in my search for the perfect rifle that could do it all in the east, where I hunted.
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