Model 88 carbine question….|Winchester Rifles|Forum|Winchester Collector

Thanks Ed. If anybody would know, I thought it would be you. 

It was too bad the Model 88 and later 100 were designed when the Commercial Gun Department was under pressure to cut costs. Lots of labor trouble and Olin Mathiesen wasn’t helping by making a series of bad acquisitions and spinoffs. 

I’ve owned a 1955 Model 88 and a 1960 Model 100 and liked them both – took several Whitetails with the 88. Both rifles were .308 caliber. But each had an inexplicable flaw that made it awkward and, I think, hurt sales. Neither was priced as a bargain rifle. 

In both models, the trigger design, as I understand it, uses the trigger return spring in a manner preventing a decent trigger pull. Creepy and soft. There are custom 88s with substitute triggers that eliminate this issue, but not for the average deer hunter. EDIT: A LARGE PART OF THE TRIGGER FEEL IS DUE TO DIVIDING THE FIRE CONTROL ASSEMBLY INTO TWO PARTS, ONE OF WHICH MOVES AS PART OF THE LEVER, IN AND OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OTHER PART. The design features deep sear engagement to prevent jarring the hammer off the sear when the action is worked violently. 

And the 100 needed a bolt hold-open device and manual release. The market was used to this on automatic shotguns and the Remington competition 740.

At the time these rifle actions were designed, the Model 1907 trigger/magazine group had already been used almost intact in the M1 Carbine and the trigger group used for the Model 50 automatic shotgun. Most think it was the best semiautomatic trigger to be had. I can only assume it was internal jealousies or cost-cutting not to employ it. 

Even Jack O’Connor liked the Model 100 in 308 as a woods rifle and had one for awhile. There is a photo of him shooting one that was published in at least one of his books.