Model 88 .308
- Thread starter Mike64ss
- Start date
Chuck Hawks' post about the Winchester Model 88 HERE is a good starting point. As the .308 is the most common, value is best determined by it's condition. I've seen pristine .308 versions like mine go for over $1000 without a scope here in Denver.
If your great grandfather bought it around that time, you've got an early version as production started in 1955. Records at the factory indicate the following serial numbers were assigned to guns at the end of the calendar year so you should be able to date yours from the listing below.
MODEL 88
1955 - - - - - 1 TO 18378 . . . . . . 6? - - - - - - - - - 139838 . . . . . . 69 - - - - - - - - H239899
56 - - - - - - - - - - 36756 . . . . . . 63 - - - - - - - - - 148858 . . . . . . 7U - - - - - - - - H258229
57 - - - - - - - - - - 55134 . . . . . . 64 - - - - - - - - - 160307 . . . . . . 71 - - - - - - - - H266784
58 - - - - - - - - - - 73512 . . . . . . 65 - - - - - - - - - 162699 . . . . . . 72 - - - - - - - - H279014
59 - - - - - - - - - - 91890 . . . . . . 66 - - - - - - - - - 192595 . . . . . . 73 - - - - - - - - H283718
60 - - - - - - - - - 110268 . . . . . . 67 - - - - - - - - - 212416
61 - - - - - - - - - 128651 . . . . . . 68 - - - - - - - - - 230199
I've got a 1959 Winchester Model 88 in .308 and with the Winchester Model 1873, I believe that they are arguably the two most beautiful leverguns ever made. Even though the '73 is renowned for it's short, smooth action, my 88's action (unfired when I got it in 2012) is surprisingly smooth even though it has a long throw. It's lines, very reminiscent of my 1951 Winchester Model 70 in 30-06, give it a sleek and timeless look.
If your great grandfather bought it around that time, you've got an early version as production started in 1955. Records at the factory indicate the following serial numbers were assigned to guns at the end of the calendar year so you should be able to date yours from the listing below.
MODEL 88
1955 - - - - - 1 TO 18378 . . . . . . 6? - - - - - - - - - 139838 . . . . . . 69 - - - - - - - - H239899
56 - - - - - - - - - - 36756 . . . . . . 63 - - - - - - - - - 148858 . . . . . . 7U - - - - - - - - H258229
57 - - - - - - - - - - 55134 . . . . . . 64 - - - - - - - - - 160307 . . . . . . 71 - - - - - - - - H266784
58 - - - - - - - - - - 73512 . . . . . . 65 - - - - - - - - - 162699 . . . . . . 72 - - - - - - - - H279014
59 - - - - - - - - - - 91890 . . . . . . 66 - - - - - - - - - 192595 . . . . . . 73 - - - - - - - - H283718
60 - - - - - - - - - 110268 . . . . . . 67 - - - - - - - - - 212416
61 - - - - - - - - - 128651 . . . . . . 68 - - - - - - - - - 230199
I've got a 1959 Winchester Model 88 in .308 and with the Winchester Model 1873, I believe that they are arguably the two most beautiful leverguns ever made. Even though the '73 is renowned for it's short, smooth action, my 88's action (unfired when I got it in 2012) is surprisingly smooth even though it has a long throw. It's lines, very reminiscent of my 1951 Winchester Model 70 in 30-06, give it a sleek and timeless look.
Model12Win
Moderator
Wrong.
The '60 Henry is the most beautiful leevra-gun ever made!
The '60 Henry is the most beautiful leevra-gun ever made!
g.willikers
New member
Thanks for the memories.
I had forgotten about owning one of these in .308.
Didn't realize how long they had been around, either.
Chuck Hawks article is pretty much on the mark, as memory serves.
A very good looking rifle that was absolutely no fun to shoot at all.
So it went down the road without me.
Enjoy.
I had forgotten about owning one of these in .308.
Didn't realize how long they had been around, either.
Chuck Hawks article is pretty much on the mark, as memory serves.
A very good looking rifle that was absolutely no fun to shoot at all.
So it went down the road without me.
Enjoy.
I agree that without a buttpad, the 88 kicked a bit, however, people now don't remember that back then many gunshops ordered their rifles from Winchester as customers bought them (they didn't carry a huge inventory) and Winchester would make them up as ordered. My dad ordered his Model 70 in .270 back in 1961 and as a 14yr old, I was there when they wrote it up. He also ordered a buttpad from Winchester as was common back then.
This Model 88 also came from the factory with a Winchester buttpad installed. I have the order receipt showing the buttpad as an option I got from the widow who got this for her husband in Sept. 1959 for Christmas. BTW, it was $148.92 OTD as shown in the post above.
I've added a Redfield Revolution 3-9 scope and a sling on it (68 yr old eyes need some help) and with the extra weight and buttpad, it shoots really sweet with reasonable recoil using my handloads. I take it out to the Pawnee Grasslands where we shoot long distance steel plates (400-500yds) and off of the bench. A 12" plate is dead meat with my 168grn HPBT handloads when I'm on my game.
