Author Topic: Winchester 88 comeback possiblilities? (Read 888 times)

ba_50 · « **on:** November 04, 2004, 01:00:38 PM »

Has anyone checked with the gun companies about bringing the Winchester 88 back? CZ brought out what appears to be a copy of the Pre-64 M70. Maybe an 88 will be next.

leverfan · « **Reply #1 on:** November 04, 2004, 02:15:18 PM »

CZ/Brno has always made Mauser-based bolt guns, because Mausers have always sold like hot cakes. The 88, despite being an excellent hunting rifle, has never sold like hotcakes, and it isn't likely to start selling any better. With modern manufacturing techniques, it might be possible to make 88s for reasonable prices, but the market is saturated before the first one comes off the line. Guys that want an 88 can find them second hand for decent prices Most guys don't like lever guns that look like the bastard offspring of a bolt gun and a lever gun. They want one or the other. I think 88s are kind of ugly, and I love them. Chambering for a really interesting cartridge isn't likely to help, that's been tried, too.

ba_50 · « **Reply #2 on:** November 05, 2004, 12:17:57 AM »

I too like the looks of traditional lever guns better, but only the BLR will handle the modern HV rounds and it looks worse than an 88 in my opinion. I need to try an 88 sometime as it has been a long time since I've seen one up close. I'm a left handed shooter.

Prince of Wales · « **Reply #3 on:** November 05, 2004, 07:23:08 AM »

ba_50 don`t forget the Savage 99. It will shoot anything the Win 88 will. I have had both and of the two prefere the Savage.
I think the long action BLR is an ugly rifle but can easily live with the earlier Belgian FNs. In fact I like them. POW

ba_50 · « **Reply #4 on:** November 06, 2004, 10:44:24 AM »

To P of Wales

I've never shot a 99 either but would like to sometime. The Savage rifles weren't known for accuracy until the last few years but the 99 is probably ok for hunting. I was hunting elk with someone who had a very old 99 and it was very heavy for the mountains.

I think Bill Austin(govt hunter) had a 99 converted to a 22/250 so it must have impressed him. ba_50

BoarHunter · « **Reply #5 on:** November 06, 2004, 09:31:45 PM »

I have a friend who hunts with a Win 88 in .284. It keeps jamming. Looks like an extractor problem but I wonder if it is worth fixing it.
It is also rough to operate.
This summer we came across a pack of 20 running wild boars. I managed to shoot 4 times with my Win 94 444Marlin while he just managed one shot ! Three boars laid on the ground, one had his bullet and one of mine !.

leverfan · « **Reply #6 on:** November 07, 2004, 09:54:42 AM »

Quote from: BoarHunter

I have a friend who hunts with a Win 88 in .284. It keeps jamming. Looks like an extractor problem but I wonder if it is worth fixing it.
It is also rough to operate.
This summer we came across a pack of 20 running wild boars. I managed to shoot 4 times with my Win 94 444Marlin while he just managed one shot ! Three boars laid on the ground, one had his bullet and one of mine !.

When it came out, there was a lot of talk about the 284 being difficult to cycle through a rifle action. The straight sides and rebated rim call for a carefully dimensioned action, and it sounds like your friend's action or magazine was not made correctly, or it has been damaged. My step grandfather had an 88 in 284 that always worked just fine, and he accounted for plenty of elk and deer with it.

As for the rough operation, I would recommend that the gun be stripped down and cleaned. My experience with 88s tells me that they can work very slick and easy, but grit and grime in the action can't help. The already bad trigger really suffers if you allow dirt to build up in there. It feels downright crunchy.

I've never had any trouble with feeding in any 88 I've used, but I've heard stories about other rifles being cranky, especially the .284s. If your friend's 88 is in decent shape otherwise, I'd say fix the feed problem. They have a lot of collector interest, and they're still popular with hunters, too.

As for the running boars, maybe you're just a better shot than your friend, and the choice of rifle doesn't much matter.

Buckeye · « **Reply #7 on:** November 07, 2004, 05:24:55 PM »

Hey Boar Hunter ! Tell your friend that ole Win. 88 he has ain't worth fixen, But I'll be real neighborly and take it off his hands !

Buckeye

BoarHunter · « **Reply #8 on:** November 07, 2004, 09:18:48 PM »

I am not a better shot but he just fired once because of the jamming (the boars did not wait for him to fix it, shameful isn't ). Upon exam, the cartridge that failed to load after the first shot, had the bullet nose very blunt but on other occasions it failed to extract the case properly (extractor ?). The gun has been cleaned and oiled but still it is not as smooth as my 94. I believe this is because of the cam system to rotate the bolt.
I agree the .284 is a nice cartridge in term of design, short and stubby, in fact I consider it an ancestor of the short magnum !