Marlin Model 88
Marlin Firearms · Rifle · Discontinued · 1948
Also known as: Marlin 88-22, Model 88-22
Overview
The Marlin Model 88 is a .22 Long Rifle semi-automatic, blowback-operated rifle produced from 1948 to 1956. It was Marlin's first tubular-magazine .22 autoloader, feeding from a 15-round tube housed inside the buttstock and loaded through a port in the butt plate. Fitted with a 24-inch barrel (early guns used Ballard-style rifling, later ones Micro-Groove), a one-piece walnut stock, a hooded front bead and an adjustable notch rear sight, it was an inexpensive plinking and small-game rifle. Its awkward butt-plate loading arrangement limited its popularity, and it was superseded by clip- and later side-tube-fed Marlin autoloaders.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3062 g (108.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1156 mm (45.51") |
| Barrel Length | 610 mm (24.02") |
| Action Type | Blowback |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 15 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Tubular |
| Muzzle Velocity | 320 m/s (1050 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 130 J (96 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 100 m (109 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 1300 m (1422 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Conventional |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .22 Long Rifle · primary — also known as .22 LR, 5.6x15mmR
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Tubular Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Buttstock Loading Tubular Magazine, Hooded Front Bead Sight, Adjustable Rear Sight, One Piece Walnut Stock
Service history
Operators
- Civilian sport and small-game shooters
Production
Production years: 1948-1956
Discontinued in 1956; commercial civilian production only.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Discontinued: 1956
Notes
Sometimes cataloged as the Model 88-22. Early production used Ballard-type rifling; Micro-Groove rifling was adopted later in the run. A clip-fed sibling, the Model 89, was offered alongside it.
Background
The Model 88's butt-plate loading tube, where cartridges are dropped one by one through a hole in the butt of the stock, was widely regarded as fiddly and is a large part of why the design never sold well despite being Marlin's first tube-fed .22 self-loader.