# There was once a Winchester model 100 & 88



## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Introduced in 1955, sixty years after Winchester's last all-new lever-action design, the Model 88 was unlike any previous lever action; it was really a lever-bolt hybrid. A short-throw underlever operated a three-lug rotating bolt, and rounds were fed vertically from a detachable box magazine. These bolt-action features in a "lever-action" permitted the use of high-powered modern short-case cartridges with spitzer bullets: .243, .284, .308 (7.62mm NATO) and .358 Winchester. The 88 did not prove to be especially popular, although it has its share of devoted enthusiasts, and was discontinued in 1973. It is, however the third biggest selling lever action rifle in Winchester's storied history, following only the M1894 (1st) and M1892 (2nd). The later Sako Finnwolf and Browning BLR have similar actions. *A Winchester Model 88 in .308 Caliber was used to harvest the current World Record Typical Whitetail Deer (Hanson Buck).*

We had both in our family for a short time. Dad for some reason liked the 284 model 88 although with factory ammo it kicked like a crazy mule. I think dad devloped a extra thick layer of skin on the side of his nose and over his right eye he had been whacked with the scope so much.

The Winchester Model 100 was an semi-automatic rifle, manufactured by Winchester Repeating Arms Company. It was first introduced in 1961, and was manufactured until 1973. A total of approximately 262,838 were manufactured. Variants of the weapon are capable of firing a .308, .243, or .284 Winchester cartridge. The barrel is 22 inches (56 cm) long. The weapon weighs 7.5 pounds 








I bought a use model 100 in 308 in 1970. I liked it very much at first and told my brother how well I liked it. He was in the service so told me to keep my eye open for another for him. I found one at a decent price which we bought and put away for him.
Soon after buying the one for my brother we got snow on the ground. *Being a reloader gathering my expended brass at the range was never a high lite of the day, but with the snow it was a crappy chore at best. I devloped a bag of sorts that most times would catch the brass before it hit the ground.
*My brother finished up his service for uncle sam in the spring. We went out to the range to shoot and his 100 was experinceing problems with my reloads fitting in the chamber. I went and got a couple of boxes of factory loads I had bought to try. Same problem so we stopped shooting for the day. We took it to a gun smith to look at. He said it had a minium speck chamber and would polish it up to loosen it up.
a week latter it was finished. It shot the factoruy loads with out a hitch as well as the reloads. After 20 or 30 rounds it litterly exploded in my brothers hands. Pieces hit his right leg near the groin and burned a large hole in his pants. I thought that was what his yelling was all about but he dropped to the ground and started removing his boot. a chunk of the rifle went thru the top of his boot thru the arch of his foot and out the sole of the boot.
I made sure he wasn't bleeding any place else then ran to get my dad to take him to the hospital.
While they were on their way I picked up as many pieces as I could find. some thing like 173 pieces. I took them to the gun smith who said right away we would have a good time with winchester over this. We laid out the pieces on a sheet and took several pictures of it. the gun smith said the Winchester guy was coming to his shop the next day and would show him the pictures and not to give the remains to any one except our lawyer if we got one.
Winchester got all our ammo factory and the reloads. They commented on how close all our powder charges were on their scales. I weighed every charge and rolled in grains of IMR 3031 with a tooth pick to get the load just right (I was new to rifle reloading then). They tried to claim a double charge but latter found the fireing pin was broken and wedged in the channel it ran in. 
After a year and many many months Winchester finall settled out of court and gave my brother a new winchester of his choice a model 70 in 243 too.
soon after that *winchester did a recall on the model 100 for a fireing pin problem. *I was afraid of mine so took it to the gun smith we delt with who sold it for me I made 25.00 more than I paid for it even after the commision. I bought a Remington 700 BDL in 243. It is my favorite rifle out of all of them in my safe.there are several more Remington 700's there too. I only own 3 winchesters all model 94's, My first deer rifle in 30-30 , One my brother traded to my dad who was going to trade it off in 32 special and a one of 6000 30 30 still new i n the box.

My brother got dads model 88 when dad was giving out his hunting and fishing stuff. He loads a 120 gr. bullet in it and loves the thing. He bought a Remington 760 carbine in 308 to replace the 100 so he would have a deer rifle. He gets lots of ribbing over that short barrel belching fire and smoke out the end of the barrel.


 Al


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Very cool story, and what a drag to hear about your brother. You can tell times are different... Today, that would have been a HUGE settlement, and not just a couple of guns for the "inconvenience". 

I have a feeling this story came about because of me and 1shot talking about him looking for a 100 yesterday?

Oh.. the 88 in 308 kicks like a crazy mule too.. worst kicking 308 I've ever shot... I can say though, they got one heck of a chamber. Last year I had gotten a hold of some Magtech ammo that had been recalled because it was over pressured. Something about too much of several powders that got mixed together or something.. Anyway, first shot about knocked me over, but I couldn't open the bolt.. I had to hammer on a cleaning rod while I had my wife pulling the lever... 

I was trying to figure out what the heck, so tried a second round.. Same thing.. SO I came in, got on the web, and found other people that had that happen. A couple people evidently had their guns split after a couple rounds... SO, I'll give testament to the 88 as having one heck of a strong chamber.. I pressure tested mine to the limits..

I contacted Magtech and they replaced the ammo, and tossed in an extra box.. That was nice, because it was right in the height of the ammo shortage, and I couldn't find any 308 anywhere..


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## interceptor (Jun 19, 2014)

I have a 1956 model 88 .308 that my dad bought in 58. It's the rifle I used as a kid when I first started hunting. It's probably the only gun I'd never consider selling. One of these days I'll make a replacement for the missing front sight hood.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I think there was a stock design on the 88 that caused/allowed them to wound the shooter.
Ran in to a guy at deer camp one year who had a couple stiches over his eye. He had a Model 88 in 308 with a World class scope that had a share lip on the rear.
Said the think would take skin off his nose or bloody his forehead every year at least once.
Next year he had a Ruger 77 MK II in 308. Nice gun but that Tupper ware stock is U G L Y. 

 Al


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## diamondtim (Jun 10, 2005)

I inheirited my grandfather's Model 100 in .308. Nice rifle and the one gun that will never be sold. Had Winchester/Olin fix the firing pin before I would shoot it.

The story of how he got it was pretty funny. He was hunting with his buddies on the Gunflint Trail in Northern Minnesota, when one of them came back into camp and said, "The first person to offer me $50 for this gun can have it!" Grandpa saw it was a new one and pulled out the money as fast as he could and bought the gun. Apparently, his buddy went out to hunt on a very cold November morning (about 10 degrees F) and had taken aim at a trophy buck only to pull the trigger and get ... nothing. Grandpa said the gun was fine. His buddy took the gun hunting and had not properly cleaned out all the cosmoline out of the action. When out in the cold, that cosmoline hardened and prevented the gun from firing. So, his buddy's failure to properly clean his gun and hot-headed decision to sell it when it failed him, allowed my Grandpa to pick up a new gun at a significant discount.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

When I first started using Remington 700's I used 3 in 1 oil in the bolt.
One cold November deer season I had the 308 fail to fire. Took it to thre gun smith that afternoon to get it checked out. He told me to never oil the bolt again use some thing like dry slide to lube it.

Have used this every since.



 Al


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

My 88 Didn't fail me yesterday.. Got it's second deer of the year... I almost had to use the Pachmayr tip-off on it... I couldn't see squat through the scope. It was getting fairly dark and the deer was in the brush (behind Autumn Olive bushes)... I got lucky and just barely picked her out enough to take a shot... 

Funny.. that gun don't kick when it's shooting at a deer, but you try to sight it in and it will knock the heck otta your shoulder..


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## diamondtim (Jun 10, 2005)

Went to the gun show today. Saw a later made Model 100 in .308 for $400 (very good price) and a Model 88 in .308 for $900 (somebody needs a drug test).


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Model 88's are sort of rare to find in and caliber and the carbine version is about impossible to find with a search party.

 Al


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## interceptor (Jun 19, 2014)

I would expect to pay around $800 for a pre-64 model 88, so that gun show price doesn't seem too bad. My dad paid $144 for this one in '58, in today's dollars that's almost $1200 so I guess it wasn't such a good investment.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

That $900 is around the going price for the 88. Especially if it's in really nice condition, and has any extra mags for it... Add a good scope on it, and easily more...


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