anyone know a good gunsmith I can send a winchester 88 to get the action slicked up and the trigger fixed up a little? Does not look like I will be selling mine for what I want on it, so I might as well get it into shape for me!

maybe with some instruction I could do the work myself??

dave

digitl dan,

thanks again, I found a contact phone # and will call next week!

dave

Try this out: www.johnrigbyandco.com 805/227-4236 Paso Robles, CA. Unless I'm off the tracks on this, RRR purchased the John Rigby Co. a few years back, and may have changed their name to better suit their new market. If I'm wrong, sorry. Hope this helps.


Another avenue might be to contact David Yale at SMT, Inc in Yellow Jacket, Co. at 970/562-4225. He stays busy and may not be the man for the job, but is very knowledgable in the trade. Might get a reference from him...and he does excellent work BTW.

DD,

thanks for the info-do you have a link or contact ##? I can't seem to find them on the web

Only folks I know of with any great experience is Rouge River Rifles, out in California as I recall. Don't know about the action slicking process but I think most of them will benefit from it. The trigger is a bugger to work with as I understand, in part because of the action type. I'd guess that none of this is a job for the inexperienced.

Few years back RRR was advertising a tune up package for the 88, and after all that and a new barrel you'd be light a grand or so, but they claimed sub MOA accuracy for three shots I think. Great rifle, I just learned to live with mine, rough edges and all. Killed my first deer with one, 8 pt buck.

Don't know what caliber yours is, but if you go for the upgrade you might consider coverting to .358 winchester. Never were a rifle and cartridge so perfectly joined IMO.

Well, spoke with RRR today and HOLY FReAKIN COW!! They will do the trigger work, slick up the action, and put a new stock on-new barrel...a total re-freakin-build on the thing and all for the low low price of

$4800

yep that's right $4800!

I don't think I'll be getting the work done after all-it is no thtat bad.

and Gerald, I hear what you're saying and I believe I will follow your advise and hold on to that win 88-I appreciate your wisdom and experience on this matter-

Did yo ureally like the Savage 99 better than the win 88? I had a late model Savage 99 in .243 that just did not feel right-kinda heavy and bulky, but maybe the older models were slimmer-or at least not as clunky-'course it coulda been the scope that was on mine...

Thanks again

Dave

Gadzooks, inflation is a scary thing huh??? Don't guess I'd be sending mine off either. lubbockdave, try a call to Dave Yale at SMT. I don't know what he'll tell you but it won't be $4800....

Dave:

You're absolutely right that I was thinking of older Model Savage 99s. The Savage 99 in 250-3000 made in the 1920s and 1930s was one sweet little rifle. My father's old Savage 99 in 30-30 (his was made in 1903) was a very oldfashioned rifle (curved butt plate, octagonal barrel) but it was a slim rifle. I think the trend towards a beefier looking Savage 99 began with the 300 Savage cartridge. That's just a wild guess, of course.

It is absolutely staggering to read the quote you got for gunsmith work! Even with a new stock and new barrel.(I asssume you're not looking for top grade Circassian walnut nor a Douglas barrel -and even then the quote is unbelieveable) Maybe I'll get a lot of flak but that seems like piracy! I'm sure you have been thinking about this but I'll say it anyway. There must be some local gunsmiths (maybe they run a gun store?)who can help. Frankly, smoothing out an action (that might only be gummed up with powder gook and residue from so called "bore cleaners") and removing trigger creep (which is the only really serious trigger problem in my book)is well within the capabilities of a competent man with guns. (I'll take my chances on some more flak by saying that many of these gunsmiths mentioned on websites seem to get a lot of business from people with more money than brains. No one without an axe to grind ever will convince me that you should pay $4800 for the work you want. I wouldn't pay it if I won the Mega lottery tomorrow morning -because I would feel that I was being treated as a fool who was being soon parted from his money!