Anyone hunt with a Winchester 88 ?

[Country Boy]

My neighbor has offered to sell one to me. One is a pre 64 the other is a post 64 the action on the pre 88 is a little stiff and hasn"t been fired, the action on the post is slick as grease. The pre seems to fit better,not clunky.
    He also has a model 100 that he has hunted with for 8 yrs and didn"t have any problems with, I don"t know if the firing pin recall was done or not.
    What can you tell me about these rifles, which one would you take ?

[deltecs]

I brought a pre 64 Win 88 to Alaska in 1969 that I'd bought in 1967 in PA.  I've not shot anything bigger with it than deer in this .308.  I had a couple of issues, one was broken firing pins, if accidentally dry fired.  I had to send it for repair twice.  The last time it was sent back to factory for a firing pin replacement and I think I received the newer type pin.  No problem with firing pins now for over 20 years. The other problem was barrel pressure differences in the barrel channel.  I glass bedded the action and barrel channel and it shoots fine now.  1 1/2" consistent groups at 100 yds with almost any ammo, factory or hand loads.  I used this rifle mostly for horse back hunting, but haven't done that for years now.  It sits in the rack as I use a Ruger RSI in .243 Win for deer and bigger calibers for bigger game.  I like it and will keep it for nostalgia, appreciated value, and use it on occasions.  I have nothing against it, just gravitated toward the bolt guns.  I think I'd go with the pre 64 lever over the 100, although the 100 if priced right may be the better buy.  I think the lever is a tad bit more reliable than the semi auto for extraction. 

[mannyrock]

OK, Countryboy, I'm gonna try to save you from yourself here.  :-)

  The model 88 is a gorgeous rifle, sleek design, nice wood, some would even say sexy looking.

  Don't fall into this trap.

  In my experience, and most others I have talked to, the Winchester 88 has one of the worse trigger pulls of any lever rifle ever made. To me, it feels long, stacked and gritty, like an old  daisy BB gun.

   Before you decide to buy one, ask to take it out to the range, and fire a box through it from the bench.   Start by firing one of your rifles with the nicest, cleanest trigger pull, and then switch over to the model 88.  You may decide to just hand it back to your friend and tell him you'll pass.

  Just my opinions.

Best Regards,

Mannyrock

[deltecs]

I don't know about other 88's, however, my trigger pull is not bad.  The lock time isn't the fastest, a very little creep, and relatively crisp release.  It does take some getting used to after pulling a Rem trigger, but I've had Sako, CZ, late model Rugers, Browning, and Marlin's that were worse from the factory.  I'd say try the trigger WITH AN EMPTY FIRED PRIMED CASE, and see focus on the trigger pull alone first, to try it out.  Then decide.  I say empty case, cause the modified pin may not be installed and can easily break the firing pin.  I'm thinking of having mine rebored to .338 Fed or .358 Win. and using it more.

[Echo4Lima]

My 2 uncles and my 2 cousins love thiers and will not part with them...

[mannyrock]

    Modified pin?  Er, , , ,What ?

Mannyrock

[deltecs]

    Modified pin?  Er, , , ,What ?

Mannyrock

It has been a couple of decades ago, but I seem to recall the last time I had the firing pin repaired, the gunsmith told me that Winchester made a modified pin to prevent breakage and it was installed at the factory.  I could be wrong, but that is my recollection.  I've not had much experience with the post 64 88's, so don't know much about the triggers on them.  All I know is the 3-4 pre 64 models I've used.  All of them had adequate triggers, not the finest, but adequate.  Your experience may differ. 

[Tencubed]

I regret having traded off the one "88" I have owned.  It was a 243 and very accurate right out of the box.  Being a pre 64 it had the raspy action which was easily cured by taking it apart and stoning all the flat surfaces that rubbed against each other.  The factory finish on these surfaces left something to be desired but a few hours with some flat knife stones would clean them right up.  Made for a very slick and smooth action.  Never had a firing pin failure or other problems with the rifle.  Trigger was a little heavy but did not creep or bind as I recall, don't believe I ever did any work on it.  Should have kept the rifle and done a rebarrel when the throat started eroding from way too many hot loads.

I'd grab that pre 64 and put a little time into it to slick it up.  These rifles make a decent saddle gun and carry easy.

Mike

[jbmi]

Unlike other Winchesters the post 64 88 is actually a better gun. They made a number of improvements including adding another ejector pin. The only nice thing about a pre 64 is the stock, it had nicer checkering instead of the impressed basketweave oak leafs.
I also had a per and post 64, sold the pre and had the post 64 reobored into a 338-08. (338 Federal) it's a great gun and with just a little work you can make the trigger a nicer.

[jager]

While in North Carolina for a "tech" school, I bought a Pre 64 model 88 that came with two boxes of.308 ammo. I took it to a "dump" to sight it in (iron sights) and went directly to a "deer stand" 45 minutes before dark. 30 minutes later I shot a nice 8 point buck at 75 yard (pure luck!). I sold that rifle within 6 months because it "kicked" more than any .308 I had ever shot and the trigger had an abnormal amount of creep. Everytime I see one at a "gun show I have to pick it up; for they have one of the "slickest" actions made in a lever, but I just can't get past the "negatives". There was a "custom" outfit that used to "redo" the "88" with an "improved" trigger, barrel, and stock (I want to think it was "Rogue River"); that one I'd have to have in a .358Win.

[Winter Hawk]

Mine was built first year of issue (1955) and I have owned it 20+ years.  It has put deer in the freezer with great regularity.  The trigger is not the greatest, and I broke the firing pin on it 16 years ago.  Installed the newer, improved (better steel) pin in and it does all I need it to.  I do keep a dummy round with silicon bathtub sealer in the primer pocket for a snap cap, and that is chambered all the time since the firing pin was a bugger to find a replacement for.

-WH-

[Country Boy]

jbmi :  How did you get euch a wonderful finish on your rifle ? What did you use and how ?

[jbmi]

Bluing on the metal is factory, I bought the unfinished stock from Fajen years ago and spent the winter putting layer upon layer of  Polyurethane, apply, let dry 48 hours then sand it off  just about back to the wood then apply another thin layer. I think I ended up with something like 12 or 15 layers. Then take the shine off with some Brownells Triple F and Five F stock rubbing compound. Finish up with 0000 steel wool and Johnson paste wax.
Thanks for noticing.

[Huntsman1]

Anyone hunt with a Winchester 88 ?
http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,124214.0.html

[Country Boy]

Manny ,you couldn"t save me. I bought one off the net cheap. It's a rough looking booger in the pictureand some one added a recoil pad so it has no real  collector value. Seems to have a pre 64 stock with checkering and a round recoil block instead of the cloverleaf desigh on pre 64's ? It doesn"t have a clip. It may be a dog but I'm going to try to work it over. I'm retired,have nothing to do and physically injured so I can"t do much buit I figure I could sand down,refinish a stock and glass bed it. I will tell what it's like tomorrow and ask for someone to tell me when it was made. God Bless and thanks to everyone.