[gokyo]

I was looking at my P88 while trying to answer a previous topic. I was looking pretty close at my P88 and noticed something disturbing.

When looking at the muzzle of the barrel the barrel rest against the bottom of the slide.  

The hole in the end of the slide is not round.  As I look at it from the end I notice a crescent shaped space between the barrel and the slide.  This I imagine allows the barrel to tip up as the the slide is racked.  

Now to my worry...
The crescent shaped empty space is not uniform in shape.  It seems to be thicker on on side than the other.  

Maybe this needs a picture

the picture is exaggerated to help illustrate the point.

 

[TexBond]

Sorry to inform you that on mine, sn 9451, the barrel rests on the bottom of the slide opening, but the opening is perfectly even and symetrical above the barrel. It is not out of shape as you pictured! I racked my slide several times and each time it presented the barrel on the bottom and a symetrical opening above.

 

[P88]

Can you get a good picture of it on the gun?

 

[gokyo]

I talked to Earl today and he said that it is normal. It is there to allow you to easily remove the barrel when field stripping.

 

[P88]

I just looked at my P88 and it seems to be just like what you are describing. Although not as exagerated as your picture. There is a gap between the top of the barrel and the slide. It looks like a cresent moon with a slight drift to the right, like in your picture.

It does not worry me, because my P88 shoots awesome.

 

[P88]

Quote[/b] (gokyo @ Oct. 16 2006,3:23)]I talked to Earl today and he said that it is normal.  It is there to allow you to easily remove the barrel when field stripping.

That makes some sense.

 

[uncut]

gokyo

Did you talk to Earl about the trigger ??

 

[TexBond]

Folks, after reading your replies about the space above the barrel being an "off-center,schewed to the right crecent" and my original reply that my P88 has a "centered", not "off-center crecent", I thought I'd check mine again figuring my old eyes had failed me! Not so - I looked at the opening on mine again and am convinced that it's a "centered crecent"! I sought the opinion of several shooting buddies and they agree that my "crecent" is centered! Is it possible that some P88's are different than others?

 

[uncut]

yes it is... here is a pic of a P88 on currently on gunbroker.....
it does not look centered to me at all

 

[P88]

That's what mine looks like. Doesn't bother me at all, because it shoots really good.

 

[P88]

I went and looked at that P88 on GB. It's one of the first generation P88's! Too bad I don't have $1k to plunk down right now.

 

[TexBond]

Wow, Uncut, great picture! There's no doubt about the opening, or barrel, being off center! My P88 isn't even close to that configuration - it is centered!

 

[gokyo]

Lets look at date codes

Maybe this has something to do with when it was made.
Asymmetrical opening
Date code is KA serial number 77**

 

[uncut]

the one I posted is serial # 002291....can't make out the date code

 

[Fenrir Wulff]

My P88 is IK dated 005 serial #. Nice crescent above the barrel and centered.

 

[P88]

Mine is also a IK dated 005### serial number. My crescent is just slightly off center, to the right. It's not that noticeable.

 

[gokyo]

Mine looks just like the picture uncut posted. The drawing I made was exaggerated to illustrate the point.