Winchester 88 New Production Possibility

[Pete44ru]

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I heard that, three weeks ago, on Tom Gresham's Sunday radio show, that there's a STRONG posibilty of the Winchester 88/100 being re-intoduced ! ! ! !

Maybe we'll hear something after the NRA convention ?

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[Blaine]

That should make my old one in .284 worth more

[Old Savage]

Weee doggie!

[Sixgun]

I don't believe it. The 88 and especially the 100 were never great sellers. (as compared to 94's, 700 Rem. etc) The guns that came along to replace/compete with them, like the Browning BLR, Marlin Express, Sako Finnwolf or the 99 Savage (chambered in the hotter cartridges) did not exactly set the world on fire either. The 88 is a complicated gun and would probably cost 15 c-notes or more if marketed today.-----6

[Rusty]

Tom Has been talking about a new 88 for a few months. From what he has said it won't be made by Winchester. Someone else will be bringing it out.

[airedaleman]

Why bother?

[Old Savage]

They have a dedicated if small following.

[Mescalero]

airedaleman be right.

[Buck Elliott]

.358

[Rimfire McNutjob]

I'd have one in 284 or 358 ... unless it says Made in Japan on it. I know, they make good quality stuff ... I let go of a Browning 65 that was silk smooth for that reason. With all of the CNC systems available today, I don't know why this stuff can't be made here. Certainly if you can make a Model 70 in South Carolina you could justify other Winchester arms. I mean, South Carolina's main export is Shrimp and Grits for God's sake. If those people can make rifles profitably then anything is possible.

[homefront]

People are clamoring for "scout" rifles in military calibers. This would appeal to that crowd, especially if it was prepped with both sights and scope mounts.

[Blaine]

People are clamoring for "scout" rifles in military calibers. This would appeal to that crowd, especially if it was prepped with both sights and scope mounts.

I don't think the 88 would qualify unless they come up with a hi-cap mag, and shorten the barrel a bunch....

[Marlin32]

I would entertain the notion if in 358 or 338 Federal
But will have crappy trigger, day I buy it will have to take it to gunsmith to work on trigger, that is a guarantee

[wm]

I'm skeptical ...............if Savage could not see a way to make the 99 and turn a profit I wonder how Winchester or anyone else can make a profitable 88. I hope someone proves me wrong.

[homefront]

I don't think the 88 would qualify unless they come up with a hi-cap mag, and shorten the barrel a bunch....

"Jeff Cooper said that the Winchester Model 94 was one of his original sources of inspiration."

To each his own, I suppose.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/win94_scout_rifle.htm

[MrMurphy]

There was never a magazine size stipulation at the scout rifle conference in the '80s, only that there be a way to quickly reload (Cooper, being old school, favored stripper clips, another reason for the forward scope mount) or detachable magazines.

I can't see an 88 being remade. The cost of the redesign for CNC alone would be tremendous (having seen the other side of that in the gun manufacturing business for ARs, it isn't pretty) and it would never sell enough to be seriously profitable.

[Blaine]

I don't think the 88 would qualify unless they come up with a hi-cap mag, and shorten the barrel a bunch....

"Jeff Cooper said that the Winchester Model 94 was one of his original sources of inspiration."

To each his own, I suppose.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/win94_scout_rifle.htm

Yet, it's a far, far cry from what his final vision was. I have a 94, and a Ruger scout-concept. If the Zombies were coming over the wall, I'd take the Ruger, and 10 mags....do I need to explain why?

[TedH]

There isn't a very large segment of the shooting population that will be interested. Those that are will probably already have originals, and most won't drop the kind of coin that a new one will cost. Unless it's some Chinese made knock off, in which case they won't be interested anyway.

[Blaine]

There isn't a very large segment of the shooting population that will be interested. Those that are will probably already have originals, and most won't drop the kind of coin that a new one will cost. Unless it's some Chinese made knock off, in which case they won't be interested anyway.

I could very possibly be wrong, but, I always considered that the 88 could compete with the Sako, and the Savage versions... Some of the old time gun writers did, too. I'm willing to be convinced otherwise.

[Ray Newman]

"There isn't a very large segment of the shooting population that will be interested. Those that are will probably already have originals, and most won't drop the kind of coin that a new one will cost. Unless it's some Chinese made knock off, in which case they won't be interested anyway."
--Ted H.

Agreed. I recall when the Browning 1886 came out. Shooters grumbled about the price and the fact that it was made in Japan. A few bought them and then the remaining stock was sold off. My former local dealer bought about 12-14 of them and sat on them. Then all of a sudden, Shooters wanted them once they heard Browning discontinued the 1886. Seems like in the blink of an eye, process were US$1000.00 +.

Myself, I'll believe it when I see them on the dealer's racks. I remember a few years ago all of the internet excitement and anticipation expressed when it was said that Savage would reintroduce the Model 99.

[Ben_Rumson]

They are a neat looking modern design levergun IMO, I always wanted one since the time I handled and shot my hunting pard's 88 in .243... Years later I looked into getting one, I was dismayed to learn of some of the negatives about the 88, ( worst was unexplained firing when the safety was utilized) and even after several iterations to perfect the rifle's flaws, the final design still suffers from a very thin & weak stock in the receiver area. (Leaving you with a stock the flexes at that point)

I decided the Savage 99 was better design... Hard to beat a repeating falling block. Savage just about beat Winchester in getting the .308 to market... Winchester did win that race but only by a month...

Here's some dope on the 88s and stuff to look out for http://www.leeroysramblings.com/Gun%20A ... _info.html

[Mike Armstrong]

Personally I think the Browning BLR (also an American design and briefly manufactured here) is a big improvement on the 88, especially the takedown version of the BLR. Never liked the lever of the 88, nor the trigger, and while I was used to a hammerless lever gun from using a Savage 99, I prefer a hammer. The one I hunted with was an early .308; killed a couple of blacktails with it and then decided to go back to the 99.

The BLR seems me to incorporate everything that was right about the 88, including action strength, and none of what was wrong. The one I fired extensively was a .243. Very accurate and very handy to carry. Feels just like a levergun ought to.

(I can get over the "Made in Japan" thing for a truly good rifle or shotgun. I know I can....I think. I'll TRY to learn not to say "Blowning"....).

[Canuck Bob]

As I read through this thread it struck me that I have never owned a lever without an exposed hammer. I respect the 99 a bunch and the 88 and Sako's version really interest me yet I've never even got close to laying down cash. The continuing success of traditional lever designs seems to work against the hammerless designs. Levers and hammers are synonymous it seems. If I needed a lever with pointy bullets there are the 95 or the BLR. I just don't think they would sell.

[Old Savage]

Shot a three point at 275 yds with a 40 yr old 88 .243. Might have been a stretch for a 95. BLR would have worked fine but the exposed hammer hardly makes that one traditional. In fact the 88 is older. I have a very accurate BLR but don't care for the way it handles. 88 is much better for me.

[Canuck Bob]

OS, I mean traditional in the sense of exposed hammer and tube magazine. In fact the BLR doesn't make the list actually. One of my bucket list guns is the Sako lever but the price kept me away. The thread got me to wondering if there was room for a new lever in the marketplace. That would suit me just fine, the more the merrier. Once I considered it it struck me that there is a fairly wide selection of traditional levers in production but the other fine lever rifle designs are gone. The above was more an observation about the marketplace certainly not some fine rifles.

It seems dirt cheap but reasonably accurate bolt actions are going to rule the rifle market for years to come. There are some bright spots in levers but mostly in the traditional styles. I like the idea of the magazine tube that works like a tube fed 22 with easy unloading as example.

I once owned a 243 BLR and made my only really bragging running shot on a coyote with it many years ago. Modern rimless levers are a dandy gun and deserve better recognition. It is a wonder they did not catch on better. I never warmed up to the 243 but the BLR was a nice handling rifle. At the time I went back to a peep sighted 444 and the outstanding hand carry of traditional levers kept me in that club. If I had continued with a scoped rifle a 358 BLR was on the list but that sweet handling 444 won my heart once limited to a peep sight moose rifle.

[Blaine]

I'll TRY to learn not to say "Blowning"...

Nikon cameras go "Crick"

[Bullard4075]

.358

358/100 +1

[Old Savage]

We'll C Bob, my reaction is have them all. When I began to look at rifles my favorites were the Model 94, the Model 70 and the Model 88. Got'em all. Like them all.

[CowboyTutt]

I would like to see that! I've had a project levergun that I have wanted to do on a Win 88 for some time, even had a custom magazine made already. I just could never find a good donor rifle that I could afford to finish it. Chambered in 416-284 wildcat cartridge. The action is strong enough to handle this wildcat cartridge which is similar to "Marlin 1895 45-70" loads and maybe more. The 88 trigger assembly had some problems with accidental discharges even with the safety on, and the assembly was modified a few times in the rifles history. I needed/need a donor rifle of the last year or maybe two of production to get the latest trigger assembly upgrades.

So if they come out with it again, you can bet it would need to get past the lawyers. But the action is VERY strong according to people I won't name because I'm told I name drop too much.

It is such a pity that we will never see a new Savage 99. All the original engineers are long gone and efforts to recreate the design from scratch have faltered. Bummer.

-Tutt