Winchester Model 88
Winchester Repeating Arms Company · Rifle · Discontinued · 1955
Also known as: Win 88, Model 88
Overview
The Winchester Model 88 is an American magazine-fed lever-action hunting rifle produced by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company from 1955 to 1973. Unlike traditional tube-fed lever guns, it used a detachable box magazine and a rotating bolt with three locking lugs driven by the lever, allowing it to safely handle high-pressure pointed-tip rifle cartridges such as the .308 Winchester. Its enclosed hammer, side ejection, and one-piece walnut stock with a pistol grip made it well suited to mounting a telescopic sight, combining the fast handling of a lever action with near-bolt-action accuracy.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3289 g (116.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1067 mm (42.01") |
| Barrel Length | 559 mm (22.01") |
| Action Type | Lever Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Internal Hammer |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 4 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 840 m/s (2756 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3500 J (2581 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 300 m (328 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .308 Winchester · primary · 7.62x51mm NATO — also known as .308 Win, 7.62x51mm, 7.62 NATO
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Rotating Bolt Three Lugs, Side Ejection, One Piece Walnut Stock, Pistol Grip, Scope Mountable, Enclosed Hammer
Variants
- Winchester Model 88 Carbine — Carbine
Service history
Operators
- Civilian hunters · adopted 1955
Production
Estimated total produced: 283,913 · Production years: 1955-1973
More than 280,000 rifles and carbines produced across all chamberings.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Winchester Repeating Arms Company
Discontinued: 1973
Notes
Chambered in .308 Winchester, .243 Winchester, .284 Winchester and .358 Winchester over its production run. Standard rifles had a 22-inch (559 mm) barrel; a 19-inch (483 mm) barreled carbine variant was introduced in 1968.
Background
The Model 88 was Winchester's first all-new lever-action design in over eighty years and was developed to fire modern high-velocity, spitzer-bullet cartridges that traditional tubular-magazine lever guns could not safely chamber.