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I bought these two model 88s last week. Top in the photo is SN 58322 in .358 Win. Below is SN 146361A in .284 Win. They are the first and only 88s that I’ve ever owned, and the condition of both is nearly new.
My question is this, what year was the .284 introduced in this model? The vintage magazine Ad above does not yet include this caliber. I’m amazed how comfortable they feel in my hand and up to the shoulder. Surprised that they weren’t more popular in the sporting and collectors circles. Or am I mistaken? Have never seen many here in Michigan.
Winchester introduced the 284 Winchester in the year 1963. S/N 146361A was manufactured in the year 1963.
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Although just a bit modern for my taste… those are very fine pair of rifles.
[email protected] said
I bought these two model 88s last week. Top in the photo is SN 58322 in .358 Win. Below is SN 146361A in .284 Win. They are the first and only 88s that I’ve ever owned, and the condition of both is nearly new.
My question is this, what year was the .284 introduced in this model? The vintage magazine Ad above does not yet include this caliber. I’m amazed how comfortable they feel in my hand and up to the shoulder. Surprised that they weren’t more popular in the sporting and collectors circles. Or am I mistaken? Have never seen many here in Michigan.
George, The Model 88 was introduced in 1955 when I was in the Sixth Grade. Those were the postwar years, a mere 10 years after WWII and Korea was barely over with. Telescopic sights were vastly less expensive, thanks to Bill Weaver, and a lot of the gun-buying public had become very familiar with bolt action and semi-automatic rifles during military service and wanted something like them for hunting game.
Conversely, lever action rifles were becoming less popular and those who wanted one didn’t want a non-traditional hammerless rifle. I’m painting this with a very broad brush but the slide, if gradual, was very real.
UPDATE: However, according to John Walter’s Rifles of the World (Krause Publications, 2006, pp 537-538), the Model 88 was the third best-selling lever action rifle ever produced by Winchester Repeating Arms Co., after the Model 1894 and Model 1892. According to Walter, approximately 284,000 Model 88 rifles were produced between 1955 and 1973.
About 1959 a high school pal of mine got an 88/308 for Christmas but his family was pretty well-off and all I could do was admire it. Decades later I got a minty 1955 Model 88 in .308, which must have been its most common chambering. I took a couple of Whitetails with it before an 88 enthusiast made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.
I think the 88 and its sibling Model 100 are two of the most handsome rifles Winchester ever made and I found both to be reliable, well made, and sufficiently accurate for any reasonable hunting distances in the Southwest. My only objection to both of them was a mushy trigger, although it was completely manageable for field use.
Both the 88 [but see Update supra] and the 100, like the really outstanding Model 59 shotgun and the Model 77 rimfire rifle, deserved a better reception from the public than they got, for reasons that are still a mystery to me. If McNamara’s band of whiz kids from Ford had not cursed Winchester with their presence and shat all over its products for hunters while trying to turn the company into a military contractor — maybe things would have been different for these excellent “modern” firearm designs.
You should count yourself lucky to own both the .284 and .358 versions of the gun. They represent some of the best design efforts of Marsh Williams and Harry Sefried, among others.
- Bill
WACA # 65205; life member, NRA; member, TGCA; member, TSRA; amateur preservationist
"I have seen wicked men and fools, a great many of both, and I believe they both get paid in the end, but the fools first." -- David Balfour, narrator and protagonist of the novel, Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Thanks for the information Bill!
I’m 57 now, and my Dad collected Winchesters for as long as I can remember. We lived and hunted my whole life in the Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I’ve seen very few 88s in all of those years. When I saw the wood on the .358 I knew I had to own it. The picture really doesn’t do it justice. As for the .284….. I just couldn’t bear to break up the pair 😂
Zebulon said
[email protected] said
I bought these two model 88s last week. Top in the photo is SN 58322 in .358 Win. Below is SN 146361A in .284 Win. They are the first and only 88s that I’ve ever owned, and the condition of both is nearly new.
My question is this, what year was the .284 introduced in this model? The vintage magazine Ad above does not yet include this caliber. I’m amazed how comfortable they feel in my hand and up to the shoulder. Surprised that they weren’t more popular in the sporting and collectors circles. Or am I mistaken? Have never seen many here in Michigan.
George, The Model 88 was introduced in 1955 when I was in the Sixth Grade. Those were the postwar years, a mere 10 years after WWII and Korea was barely over with. Telescopic sights were vastly less expensive, thanks to Bill Weaver, and a lot of the gun-buying public had become very familiar with bolt action and semi-automatic rifles during military service and wanted something like them for hunting game.
Conversely, lever action rifles were becoming less popular and those who wanted one didn’t want a non-traditional hammerless rifle. I’m painting this with a very broad brush but the slide, if gradual, was very real.
UPDATE: However, according to John Walter’s Rifles of the World (Krause Publications, 2006, pp 537-538), the Model 88 was the third best-selling lever action rifle ever produced by Winchester Repeating Arms Co., after the Model 1894 and Model 1892. According to Walter, approximately 284,000 Model 88 rifles were produced between 1955 and 1973.
About 1959 a high school pal of mine got an 88/308 for Christmas but his family was pretty well-off and all I could do was admire it. Decades later I got a minty 1955 Model 88 in .308, which must have been its most common chambering. I took a couple of Whitetails with it before an 88 enthusiast made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.
I think the 88 and its sibling Model 100 are two of the most handsome rifles Winchester ever made and I found both to be reliable, well made, and sufficiently accurate for any reasonable hunting distances in the Southwest. My only objection to both of them was a mushy trigger, although it was completely manageable for field use.
Both the 88 [but see Update supra] and the 100, like the really outstanding Model 59 shotgun and the Model 77 rimfire rifle, deserved a better reception from the public than they got, for reasons that are still a mystery to me. If McNamara’s band of whiz kids from Ford had not cursed Winchester with their presence and shat all over its products for hunters while trying to turn the company into a military contractor — maybe things would have been different for these excellent “modern” firearm designs.
You should count yourself lucky to own both the .284 and .358 versions of the gun. They represent some of the best design efforts of Marsh Williams and Harry Sefried, among others.
If I remember rightly ,there were over 720,000 Model 73 rifles manufactured.That is more than the 284,000 Model 88 rifles.So more Model 92,Model 94 and Model 73 rifles made.:)
November 7, 2015
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George-
I’ve never been fond of the 88 or 100 but I’ve always been intrigued by the chamberings they were offered in. In the case of these two handsome rifles I’d likely get over my prejudice as both are chambered for very interesting cartridges. Nice score, George!
Mike
Note to 28gauge: yeah, you’re right. I don’t know where Walter got his numbers but 720K beats 284K for sure.
Total production of the 1895 is said to be 425,881, unless you discount the Imperial Russian contract. If you do, the 88 skunks it and takes 4th place.
The classic lever action Winchesters I know of that lose the production contest to the 88 are the sainted 1886 (about 160,000), the 1866 (about 170,100) and the 1876 (about 63,971). I’ve ignored the 53, 55, 64, 65, and 71. Even if you add them in to the production totals of their respective siblings, I don’t believe the 88’s 4th or 5th place ranking would change.
Looks to me like it’s 1894, 1892, 1873, 1895 or 88. But even 5th place is not a bad place to be, in such a famous lineup!
- Bill
WACA # 65205; life member, NRA; member, TGCA; member, TSRA; amateur preservationist
"I have seen wicked men and fools, a great many of both, and I believe they both get paid in the end, but the fools first." -- David Balfour, narrator and protagonist of the novel, Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson.
The Model 88 is like a Model 70 Featherwieght with a lever. The ones that I have shot have been accurate. I have found the triggers to be better then the Model 100. Over the years I have noticed that most 88s that I have seen were chambered in 308 Win. The 243 Win. I feel has a lower amout made in this Model then what most believe. With the .284, and the .358 being the most desirable chamberings for the Collector. There is not alot of good information out there on the Model 88. Maybe because the interest just is not there yet. Perhaps someday it will be more desirable to the Winchester Collector. Murray’s book is not very accurate with his numbers.
The 284 was introduced in 1963
Google “LeeRoy’s Ramblings, Winchester Model 88 & 100 Information” for more info on the guns
Bo Rich said
The Model 88 is like a Model 70 Featherwieght with a lever. The ones that I have shot have been accurate. I have found the triggers to be better then the Model 100. Over the years I have noticed that most 88s that I have seen were chambered in 308 Win. The 243 Win. I feel has a lower amout made in this Model then what most believe. With the .284, and the .358 being the most desirable chamberings for the Collector. There is not alot of good information out there on the Model 88. Maybe because the interest just is not there yet. Perhaps someday it will be more desirable to the Winchester Collector. Murray’s book is not very accurate with his numbers.
What interested me was the clever way the 88 designers combined a short lever throw with a front-locking, triple lug bolt head. Marsh Williams or his pupils had a lot to do with the lockup design.
I shouldn’t generalize about the 88/100 line because I’ve only owned and used one of each, both chambered for the .308 round. Memory doesn’t serve me well enough to distinguish between their trigger qualities. Both were fully capable of 1.5 moa at 100 yards, consistently, with any factory ammunition, in my hands. That’s better than I can shoot in the field.
In 1955, the 6mm craze had not reached its apogee and, like you, I would guess the majority of the 88 and 100 series were chambered in .308. I say that because of the caliber production numbers for the pre-64 Model 70 Featherweight. Once the .30/06 chambering became available in that rifle, it became the dominant chambering. Thirty caliber hunting rifles were still clearly the preference of the average hunter, likely because of military experience or influence. The very popular .300 Savage was soon swamped by the. 308 in short action lever, pump, and automatic guns.
One thing has always struck me as curious, although I think the answer lay in Model.88 sales figures. I think one reason the .358 WCF was not more popular was its materially increased recoil. The gas-operated Model 100 would have been the perfect home for the .358 but it never was a factory option. I know there have been some conversions. Maybe because several of the Black bear States forbid automatics, there was insufficient demand. But it would have been a great combination.
High velocity lever action rifles have never been completely out of fashion in America, as evidence of which I offer the Savage 99, which had to leave the party only because it became far too expensive to make and sell at a reasonable profit. On the other hand, Browning’s BLR has been a steady seller ever since it’s introduction and seems to be produced in an ever’increasing number of styles and variations. It’s not cheap, either.
When Winchester dropped the 88 from its line in 1974, I’m pretty sure the gun was still selling profitably. One later corporate post-mortem of the 1964 disaster mentions there were several guns being made and sold profitably that were killed for no good reason. I believe the 88 was one of them. Can’t prove it.
- Bill
WACA # 65205; life member, NRA; member, TGCA; member, TSRA; amateur preservationist
"I have seen wicked men and fools, a great many of both, and I believe they both get paid in the end, but the fools first." -- David Balfour, narrator and protagonist of the novel, Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Those are two very collectible calibers….mine is a 1961, in .243 and has a period weaver scope….I like them but detail stripping them is a little bit of a pain…
Zebulon said
Note to 28gauge: yeah, you’re right. I don’t know where Walter got his numbers but 720K beats 284K for sure.Total production of the 1895 is said to be 425,881, unless you discount the Imperial Russian contract. If you do, the 88 skunks it and takes 4th place.
The classic lever action Winchesters I know of that lose the production contest to the 88 are the sainted 1886 (about 160,000), the 1866 (about 170,100) and the 1876 (about 63,971). I’ve ignored the 53, 55, 64, 65, and 71. Even if you add them in to the production totals of their respective siblings, I don’t believe the 88’s 4th or 5th place ranking would change.
Looks to me like it’s 1894, 1892, 1873, 1895 or 88. But even 5th place is not a bad place to be, in such a famous lineup!
You are right ,Zebulon.I had forgotten about the Model 95.As you say, 4th or 5 th is still pretty good for the Model 88.
In the past I had a Model 88 in .308 Winchester.Bagged a deer or two with it.
I did a little reading on the .358. Mostly because I kept thinking to myself,”Why didn’t Winchester just use the time tested .348 in the model 88?” But I quickly learned that the model 88 offerings were all relatively new cartridges introduced in the early to mid-1950s. So, Winchester apparently wanted something completely new and different all the way around. I also read that the .284, introduced in 1963 has been regarded as an early short magnum.
So, here’s a question… If you were dropped into the mountains of Colorado or Wyoming etc… Which would you rather carry the .348 or the .358? I’m guessing it wouldn’t much matter. I’d choose the .348 only because I own about a half dozen of them, and they are a favorite part of my collection. The model 71 was quite popular and a fair number were seen where I grew up in the Western upper peninsula of Michigan.
George, my limited understanding of the intended purpose of the .358 WCF was to replace and replicate the .348 WCF in a modern lever action rifle that (a) could accommodate a telescopic sight mounted low over the bore; and (b) utilize spitzer bullets.
The .348 case is essentially a necked-down version of the huge .50-110 case for which Winchester once chambered its Model 1886. While it would have been technically possible for the company to build a hammerless, box magazine fed, lever action rifle chambered for the .348 WCF cartridge, there was no need to do so because of the very substantial improvements in propellant chemistry by 1955 that could generate equivalent velocities of the same weight and caliber projectiles from a much more compact case. Of course, this was done at significantly higher working breech pressures than a rear-locking Model 71 would tolerate (for very long) so the other half of the solution was a “lever operated bolt action” design with a multi-lug rotating, front locking bolt head, as evidenced by the Model 88, Browning’s BLR, and SAKO’s Finnwolf (which I’ve never laid eyes on.)
I don’t want Savage 99 enthusiasts throwing rocks [I proudly own and use a 1953 99R .300 Savage] so I should mention that Arthur Savage’s 1899 design has always been a strong one and indeed was offered in the postwar short case Winchester chamberings, including the 243, .308, .284, and .358 WCF, not to mention Remington’s 7mm-08 and the wildcat .270-08. However, in order to safely accommodate those higher pressure rounds, Savage had to significantly upgrade the metals chemistry of the steels used to make the postwar 99.
The Winchester Model 88 chambered for the .358 WCF will do ballistically everything a Model 71 can do, and do it at somewhat longer range because of bullet shape. We must remember that the bullet doesn’t know or care from what kind of gun it was shot.
I own a Model 71 Special and wouldn’t trade it for a Model 88 .358 WCF but not because it’s more powerful and useful. However, if a pilgrim offered me the 88 at a price I could afford, I’d tear my pants pocket reaching for my wallet. Either would be a comfort while stranded in remote country.
- Bill
WACA # 65205; life member, NRA; member, TGCA; member, TSRA; amateur preservationist
"I have seen wicked men and fools, a great many of both, and I believe they both get paid in the end, but the fools first." -- David Balfour, narrator and protagonist of the novel, Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson.
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