Are the grips for the p88 and p88c the same?

These are in such great shape that I don't want to damage them. Plus I like the look of wood grips.

quote:

Originally posted by DSgrouse:
Are the grips for the p88 and p88c the same?

Completely different, just like the P226 and P228.

so I need to hunt down some nill p88 grips.

The p226 SSE came home with me today also.

Someone in this thread commented that the mag body is the same as SIG's P226 and that only a new notch would need to be cut for the mag catch. Never heard this but do recall having read years ago that Beretta 92 mags work in the Walther P88 if the same alteration is done to them.

quote:

Originally posted by kaschi:
Someone in this thread commented that the mag body is the same as SIG's P226 and that only a new notch would need to be cut for the mag catch. Never heard this but do recall having read years ago that Beretta 92 mags work in the Walther P88 if the same alteration is done to them.

If that is the case with the Beretta mags being compatible, CDNN has the 18 round Mecgar mags for 19.99. I just ordered a few. At this price, there's not much risk for doing the modification. P88 mags are sky high if you can find them.

I see we have quite a few precision machinists in the forum. That notch has to be cut at precisely the right spot and, I imagine, needs to be almost exactly the same shape.

I have never understood this. It's not as if the position of the magazine has any effect on feeding, right?

Have fun.

I have 2 P88s:


Definitely a gun for people with larger sized hands. I find the P88 comfortable to hold and shoot, but a smaller person or a woman or kid may have problems.

I modded several Beretta 92 mags for use in them and they work flawlessly. The mag catch notch was done with a Dremel tool and hand files. I did screw one up, but the rest work fine.

I don't shoot them much anymore, mostly because they have become too expensive to repair or replace, but they do make it to the range about once/year.

I went to the range yesterday. I put about 800 rounds through a variety of 9mm pistols before trying the new to me P88. Overall the trigger is smooth but heavy in Double action. Single action has take up and a clean break. The taller adjustments sights were nice I was shoved up against the wall of the range. Bay 1 has shit rear lighting. So having large sights with wide room in the back allows me to pick up the front sight easily.

As for the grip, it suited me fine. It is a nice recoiling pistol for its size. Ammo was 115 grn and 124 grain nato stuff. I put about 250 rounds through it.

This is the last group, draw, fire double, fire single action, decock and holster. Two mags, 30 rounds at 21ft.


The only pistol I shot as well as the p88 was my HK USP expert. I have a lot of time with the USP chassis. The BNT MK11 has a red dot on it, and thus isn't the best comparison. My Beretta 92x I have had issues with. I would not that the 92x has felt recoil on par with the p88, and considerably more than my USP expert.

As for notching the mags of a p226. I tested they do fit, but I have three mags. This isn't going to be a carry gun for me. So, I don't see myself notching p226 mags and fiddling with the feed lips to make them work.

A shot of my 226 collection
.

Here's mine. A quick snap, the last time I had it out of my safe deposit box for cleaning. Very late production, proofed 1991. Of the 9894 produced, this is number 9096. The pistol is ANIB w/all and will remain that way for as long as I own it.

I have to say, the gun is as good as i had hoped.


It is nice to see ANIB also.

Always wanted the P88 after 1st seeing it. But at the time they were introduced - I had other obligations..

I am trying to remember if the P88 was developed for military trials or the civilian market.

quote:

Originally posted by Sunset_Va:
I am trying to remember if the P88 was developed for military trials or the civilian market.

I believe Walther was hoping for some military contracts. They submitted a very early version for the U.S. military trials where it did poorly and was withdrawn.

I think the P88's high cost and the fact that the gun was still not fully developed when the trials were being conducted pretty much killed any chance of adoption by any army.

By the time Walther had the design sorted out, time had passed the P88 by and the polymer frame, striker fired pistols were in ascendency.

I had a P88 at one time. A fine gun, but a very weird manual of arms as I recall. I sold it because of that. I was never comfortable with how differently it operated.

The first experimental pistols were manufactured from 1980 with the project designation "P485" (SNs in discontinuous sequence V1170 - V1195). In October 1981 a further eight experimental pistols followed (SNs in discontinuous sequence V1223 - V1408). In November 1981 more experimental pistols were made: V1536 - V1549 and 88/1379 - 88/1389 (SNs not "V" prefixed). In December 1981 a pre-series followed: SN 881 200 - 881 390.
Amongst others some of these pistols were made for tests by the US Army in Aberdden, (sic) as the US was searching for a successor to the Colt Government 1911A1 service pistol as pistol "M9". This "Joint Services Small Arms Program" (JSSAP XM9) began in 1981 and ended in 1985. - Dieter H. Marschall, Walther Pistols Models 1 to PPX, Factory Variations and Copies, Third Edition, page 217

Pre-series P88 from December, 1981. Full length dust cover, full slide flats, trigger stop on trigger and not on frame, different grip shape.





This is the configuration of the P88 American consumers first saw. Interarms was the importer for this pistol and this is the P88 as it appeared in the 1987 Interarms catalog. This pistol has the same "88" serial number prefix as the pistol pictured above,

quote:

Originally posted by randyman:
If that is the case with the Beretta mags being compatible, CDNN has the 18 round Mecgar mags for 19.99. I just ordered a few.

Thanks for the heads up. They now have five less in stock.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
Pre-series P88 from December, 1981. Full length dust cover, full slide flats, trigger stop on trigger and not on frame, different grip shape.

They should have kept this original grip profile.

Can I just want one of each? I'll not pass judgment on the grip angle. I shot mine just fine.

You can have a low cost alternative to the P88. The Bersa Thunder 9 was an almost copy of the Walther, I am not sure if it's currently being produced.

I looked at one several years back and liked it.