This old rifle was about 90% on the outside but the lands at the tip of the barrel are worn from muzzle cleaning about 1/2 inch back into the barrel. I did not notice it when I bought it but I paid about what it was worth. Where can you get a .308 barrel for this gun? Or should I try and cut the barrel off an inch or two, loosing the front sight in the process? I have not shot it with a scope yet, it seemed reasonable with iron sights at 50 yards!

I saw at least on 88 barrel on ebay last night. Caliber was .308. Of course, it may be for sale for the same reason that you want a new barrel...worth looking into though.

If I understand your post that the rifling is gone from the muzzle end of the bore, then why not just cut and crown the barrel? Wincehster made "carbine" length 88's. It would be MUCH cheaper then buying a new/used barrel and having a gunsmith fit it. Just my opinion.

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Originally posted by Scrollcutter:
I saw at least on 88 barrel on ebay last night. Caliber was .308. Of course, it may be for sale for the same reason that you want a new barrel...worth looking into though.

I was under the impression that Ebay did not allow gun sales on its site.

Congomike,

What about the front sight. On mine the ramp is silver soldered on. Do the earlier versions have an integral ramp? If not, your method would be doable. I always worry about silver soldering on barrels. I worry about scaling the rifling.

Jim,

Part are available on ebay, but not firearms.

Jim, you can sell gun parts, just not actions, complete rifle.

Or consider reboring it (.243 to .308 or .308 to .358).

I restored a 1954-vintage 88 in .308 a couple of years ago and took 2 Texas whitetails with it; I think it would be an awesome whitetail/hog/black bear gun in .358.

And yes, there was Model 88 barrel on E-bay within the last week.

I'm not sure if the 308 magazine will work for the 358 Winchester.

Maybe Jim Wisner can post here in that regard. He makes 88 magazines on the old Winchester tooling and I have noticed he doesn't offer one in 358.

I have an '88 that has a spot in the barrel about 8" from the end where the rifling appears to be gone or distorted, someone told me that at one time someone shot out a stuck patch. gun shot 2" when I first got it, after a trigger job it will shoot winchester supremes factory stuff into .75 for 3 shots with an old redfield 4x scope on tip off mounts. I would shoot the gun and see how it does, many guns shoot with less than perfect bores

Has anyone tried glass bedding the 88 action and did it help?

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I have not shot it with a scope yet, it seemed reasonable with iron sights at 50 yards!

Why not put a scope on it and shoot it before you take it apart? Who knows, perhaps you've got a shooter on your hands already?

I concur that you should try it out first. If it doesn't shoot, i'd bob that baby back to 20" where it should have been in the first place. You can always have a front sight installed or just leave it plain so it doesn't hang up on brush and such.

Weagle