The Winchester Model 88 was a completely new design in lever actions. With no visible hammer; the bolt rotated when operated by the lever, locking up with three lugs just aft of the chamber similar to a bolt action. It fed from a 4-shot detachable box magazine. Its 22" barrel had a featherweight profile leading to the rifle’s 7 1/4-lb. weight. Cartridges were ejected from the side, allowing a scope to be mounted center over the receiver. The one-piece walnut stock had a pistol grip and light weight made it fast-handling.
A year after its initial introduction Winchester included chamberings in .243 and .358 Win.—a year before including them in the Model 70. In 1963 the .284 Win. chambering was included in an effort to provide the flat trajectory in a short-action cartridge.
