I want to build / restore a GEW 88

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I'm thinking of buying this pile of junky, crappy GEW 88s for cheap money.
Figure it'll be a good way to practice assembly & gunsmithing, etc & I'd like to restore / build a nice shooter.

These are commonly always sold without a bolt head so I'm looking for sources for this part & some tips / reccomendations for build.

Basically I'll take the dozen tomato stakes & unassemble them, clean off the parts & see what's good & what's junk then try to build a good shooter out of the good parts. I suppose I'll find a stock blank, buy a bolt or bolt head & I gather the barrel will be sent to a professional.

Anyone here build there own 1888
 
I am in the process right now. I bought 3 of them and got luck as all three are restoreable. I am going to rebuild one and part out the rest. The hardest thing to find are the bolt heads, extractor and ejector. Those alone will cost you over $100. There is a fellow that is making new ones. He goes by Swedenelson on the surplusrifle.com forum. If you are interested in any parts IM and we can talk. From what I have read the ones that are out now are truly bottom of the barrel. If you are looking for a project than these are a fun and reasonable project. If you are looking for something that will be a collector than your best bet is to find one already whole.
 
coastie said:
I am in the process right now. I bought 3 of them and got luck as all three are restoreable. I am going to rebuild one and part out the rest. The hardest thing to find are the bolt heads, extractor and ejector. Those alone will cost you over $100. There is a fellow that is making new ones. He goes by Swedenelson on the surplusrifle.com forum. If you are interested in any parts IM and we can talk. From what I have read the ones that are out now are truly bottom of the barrel. If you are looking for a project than these are a fun and reasonable project. If you are looking for something that will be a collector than your best bet is to find one already whole.
Click to expand...

I've found several that are whole, but the prices people are asking seem excessive for non matching & found one that was chinese too
 
Here is the only source for the repro parts that I can find:
http://www.gunloads.com/fam/swedenelson/album2.htm

You are looking at $150 for just the three missing bolt parts. No price on the stocks yet but I guess you are looking at a couple hundred for a repro. If you have to have any barrel work done that is going to be expensive unless you do it yourself.

I did this with the 71/84s that CFS had a few months ago. What a mistake. I ended up buying a decent shooter from gunbroker.com and hope to recoup some of my money by selling the parts from the junkers.

I am having a lot better luck with the Gew 88s. I got 3 from CFS. All more or less intact with decent stocks and barrel shrouds. They all came with bolts that were only missing the above pieces. I now have a big pile of parts patiently awaiting the parts washer. I think I can build a good shooter for about $200 and make most of that back selling the unused parts.

Unless you get very lucky with the ones that CFS is selling now I am willing to bet you will be into one for about $400 after buying all the parts.
 
coastie said:
Here is the only source for the repro parts that I can find:
http://www.gunloads.com/fam/swedenelson/album2.htm

You are looking at $150 for just the three missing bolt parts. No price on the stocks yet but I guess you are looking at a couple hundred for a repro. If you have to have any barrel work done that is going to be expensive unless you do it yourself.

I did this with the 71/84s that CFS had a few months ago. What a mistake. I ended up buying a decent shooter from gunbroker.com and hope to recoup some of my money by selling the parts from the junkers.

I am having a lot better luck with the Gew 88s. I got 3 from CFS. All more or less intact with decent stocks and barrel shrouds. They all came with bolts that were only missing the above pieces. I now have a big pile of parts patiently awaiting the parts washer. I think I can build a good shooter for about $200 and make most of that back selling the unused parts.

Unless you get very lucky with the ones that CFS is selling now I am willing to bet you will be into one for about $400 after buying all the parts.
Click to expand...


Yes, it is CFS I am looking at, but then I found a place selling 5 for $75, but the pic of them there was horrible, with missing buttstock, etc.. now I forget name of place because I did not save link. I think I'll just buy a whole one.. I found a couple here & there for $100.. I'm waiting though.,,, a show is coming up this weekend.. who knows, maybe I'll find one. I'd like a 71/84 too.
 
All CFS has is the box of parts. OWS has another deal going but you will pay more in shipping.

There was a Gew 88 for sale at Kittery Trading Post for 195 a couple of weeks ago. It looked like it had been through about 50 wars. The stock was all beat up and the bolt looked wire brushed. I think it was one of the South American ones Gibbs put together.

The 71/84 is pretty neat. I still havent gotten around to finishing that project and I still need to load for it but it is definitely a great piece of history.
 
I ended up just buying this one.
http://www.auctionarms.com/search/displayitem.cfm?itemnum=7958396


I hope it has cleaning rod.. it says complete, but I don't see it in the pic

He had a 71/84 parts gun for $115 but someone snatched it the same second I was looking at it. :(

Are any 88 parts interchangeable with 71/84


Ah,, yes.. OWS was the one with the 5 pack.. but the description & pic are scary,, not sure if it's worth it or not?
 
Looks good. It appears to be a cleaned up early one from CFS. No bolt head which means no extractor and ejector as well. You are also missing the rear sight slider. No chance at a cleaning rod as none were sent with these. As long as the barrel is good that is an easy one to restore. I do not believe that any of the 71//84 parts are interchangeable.
 
well, I just picked up a 5 pack of relic condition parts guns as well as a 71/84 six pack of relics.. I think I was just being stupid.. I bought 11 junk guns & could have bought another nice finn m39, lol.. But I want to take them apart & tinker & bring something back to life. I think it's going to be fun.
 
Well, got my 2 that I'm going to restore.

6czd72s.jpg


I went to KTP & the one they have there is F'd up & IMO the one's I have a far better shape, & cheaper too. [grin]

& here's the pile of junk that came in from OWS
6270pqr.jpg
[crying]
 
Milsurps 4 Me said:
Wow... break out the Kroil and steel wool.
At least you can always save some of the stock wood for making repairs.
Click to expand...

I think these will be my practice pieces, so I can practice bluing & various metalwork like polishing, etc.

If any of the barrels are good, I'll save em, but figure I can use the junk ones to practice reaming & other barrel tasks, etc.

As far as the wood goes, I figure I can use em to learn how to splice & repair, re-finish, etc..

On another note, I suppose I have enough parts to make a custom bubba if I find a complete bolt.
 
well, I cleaned everything up on one that I started. Polished all the bright parts, & re-blued all the blue parts with perma blue. Fixed a crack in the stock with some gorilla glue & re-finished the stock with true oil & she's coming along great. On the one I started, everything is matching #s except the bolt. I decided to leave the dings & little dents in the stock & only lightly sanded it.

Once everything dries up I'll take some pics.
 

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