Читать книгу Gun Digest 2011 онлайн

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As with any mass-produced rifle, there are conflicting opinions as to the rifle’s performance and reliability. Some maintain that the complexity made it susceptible to malfunctions and feeding problems. This may be, but the older 88 pictured in this article was bought by our friend Steve Hamilton second-hand and was literally rusted shut. After being cleaned up by a gunsmith, it has given decades of trouble-free service despite being treated little better by its present owner, who is a hunter who hunts in all-weather conditions no matter how severe. He feels that if he can take it, his equipment should also, since both are around the same age. While we don’t recommend using such a rare rifle under these conditions, that this Rifle has performed flawlessly under severe winter/sleet conditions is perhaps the best indicator of its reliability.

CALIBERS

The 88 was literally designed around the compact dimensions of the .308 Winchester cartridge and was offered only in this caliber during its first year of production, 1955. By 1956, it as well as its sister, the Model 70 bolt action rifle, introduced two new cartridges based on the .308 case, the .243 and .358 Winchester. While the .358 chambering was discontinued in 1962 due to a lack of sales, the .243 chambering remained available until termination of the 88’s production in 1973.