iamdman9545 said
Hi guys.
Great feedback.  As far as Bass goes, I've bought many guns from them.  They ship for free to your local store and you're able to take a pass on it if the condition is worse than expected.  I noticed on Guns International there is a lag in their listings and many times the guns are sold shortly after the listing even goes up so I don't think anything scam like from that.
Seeing the listing on Merz is making me feel pretty good on the $750.  I can always add period correct sights later.  Can work on getting the stock finish back closer to original with a coat of Linseed oil.
Looking forward to seeing it in person.
Either way, I don't think I'd be out any money if I wound up selling it in the future.
Thanks.
Stephen
  

Well ? Did you get it ? Bore condition ? Pictures ?

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. 

Just my thoughts anyways

88

Zebulon said
The stock on the rifle that is third from the bottom is not a carbine stock. It is a standard Model 88 rifle stock. The forearm is not milled for a carbine barrel band nor does it have a barrel band. 
Could you please photograph the muzzle end of the barrel close enough to see the front sight and its ramp. 
Is there any feature of this rifle other than length of barrel that indicates the barrel is a factory carbine barrel rather than a rifle barrel that has been cut back, re-crowned, and had the sight ramp sweated to the shortened barrel? 
  

I’ll let you know after I visit him tomorrow 😁

He has other guns that are way more desirable to me than this one…..😉

Could you please photograph the muzzle end of the barrel close enough to see the front sight and its ramp. 

Is there any feature of this rifle other than length of barrel that indicates the barrel is a factory carbine barrel rather than a rifle barrel that has been cut back, re-crowned, and had the sight ramp sweated to the shortened barrel? 

Zebulon said
I see 7 items in the photograph, of which 6 are Winchester Model.88s. Of the 6, I see only 3 with carbine barrel bands and none of the 3 appear to have checkered stocks. The photograph does not show full barrel lengths. 
The third from the bottom is a rifle, not a carbine. Does it have a shorter than standard length (22") barrel? 
  

Yes, it has the carbine length barrel.

I’ll get some better photos tomorrow.

My question is….would a hand checkered 88 carbine have possibly come directly from Winchester?

The third from the bottom is a rifle, not a carbine. Does it have a shorter than standard length (22") barrel? 

He had a high condition model 88 in both Rifle and carbine in every caliber.  I’ve purchased a couple of the rifles already, but he has one carbine that sits in a hand checkered stock.  Is there any way this could be factory correct?  Everything that I can find on the 88 carbine has no mention of hand checkering.  Possible to special order?  If so, would there be any way to validate?  This is the only photo I have…. The carbine is third from the bottom.  I’ll take a closer look and more photos tomorrow.

Thanks

Best Regards,

If the barrel is original to the rifle and the receiver is a pre-64 Model 70 showing the milling marks in the bridge and ring indicating it was a 300 Holland when it left New Haven, almost certainly the chamber was reamed to at least approximate a 300 Weatherby Magnum chamber. 

There are things to know about that job only a chamber cast can tell you. First, how close are the dimensions to the SAAMI standard for the cartridge. Weatherby was at one time NOT a SAAMI cartridge and different gunsmiths had varying ideas about how much or how little freebore would be a good idea. Not all gunsmiths bothered to pay for the custom reamer that would cut the radiused Weatherby shoulder. 

If you buy this rifle, before you fire a current factory 300 Weatherby Magnum - or any other - round in it, you absolutely must have a chamber cast made and measured.

With all due respect for the Model 70, of which I own and shoot several, it is NOT a Weatherby Mark V and will not handle 60,000+ psi gas escaping from a burst brass case very safely. 

Your eyes are worth far more than the price of a chamber cast. I can get one for less than a hundred bucks. Yours may be more or less. But factor it into the price of the gun. 

Speaking only for myself, I would not buy the gun without an agreement to rescind if the chamber should be weird as cut. If you are going to buy a pig in a poke, get a warranty of the pig's breed. 

Mike

Is there a link to the GB listing?

Odds are that the "W" stands for "Weatherby" and that it's a rechambered 300 H&H Magnum.  The 300 Winchester Magnum was not released until 1963.  A photo of the top of the action would tell if it's an H&H action or not.  If it's not an H&H action, then it may have been a standard action converted to short magnum.  But those were usually done either by rechambering a 30-06 barrel (that was marked "30-06 SPFLD") or by putting a 1963 barrel in 300 WIN MAGNUM on a converted standard action.

This barrel "300 XXX MAGNUM" was once marked "300 H&H MAGNUM" in style 3C.  Too long a cartridge to convert to 300 Winchester Magnum.  

Best,

Lou

 That being said I have purchased three M70s over time that were originally 300 H&H that had been rechambered to 300 WBY.

 Other may correct me here but to get it to 300 WIN MAG would require shortening the chamber and then reaming to 300 WM.

 A quick test would be to chamber a 300HH cartridge, If it chambers it is likely HH if it doesent ....??

The script of the "W" looks somewhat Weatherby ish.

 Doug

BRP