Original Item: Only One Available. Adopted in 1888 the new German Infantry round in 7.92 X 57mm replaced the old 10.4mm large bore cartridge adopted in 1871. The M-1888 Rifle was referred to as the "Commission Rifle" and was manufactured as a full Infantry Rifle and a Carbine starting in 1888 and an Artillery Carbine adopted in 1891.

Our example is of the Cavalry Carbine is marked over the chamber with (CROWN) / ERFURT. / 1890., for 1893 manufacture at the Imperial Erfurt Arsenal, located in Thuringia. The right side of the receiver is marked with Kar. 88. in German blackface type, short for Karabiner 88. There are no "n.m." markings under this marking, so the barrel does not appear to have been updated. There are additional proof marks on various components of the carbine, some highlighted with white to make them easier to read. The receiver, barrel jacket, magazine housing, bolt, and other components are marked with serial number 8888, or shortened number 88. That makes this a very desirable "ALL MATCHING" example, with no parts swapped out over the years!

The stock is in very good service used condition, and has some lovely grain patterns throughout. There are some stains from long service, and the expected dents and small cracks, as well as what looks to be a crack / split starting along the grain on the right wrist, which was stabilized at arsenal long ago. The metalwork has a lovely service used look, with much of the original bluing still present on the barrel jacket and sides of the magazine well. The receiver and bolt are still the correct bright steel with evidence of past cleaned away staining, and the barrel band and nose cap have had the original finish partly worn away.

The carbine has an 18" barrel which has a very good bore, showing some wear and oxidation from service. The rifling is still visible, with the lands showing a bit of wear and some past fouling in the grooves. The rifle cycles and dry fires well, and the firing pin and bolt extractor are fully intact, as is the often lost cartridge ejector on the bolt face. There is an S marked over the chamber to indicate modification for the S-PATRONE cartridge introduced in 1903 (we do not recommend firing the S-cartridge in this carbine). This short carbine was intended for use by cavalry units.

The upper barrel band / sight guard has a great regimental marking stamped on the left side: B. 5. Ch. 1. 39., for the 5th Royal Bavarian Chevau-légers "Archduke Albrecht of Austria" (Königlich Bayerisches Chevaulegers-Regiment „Erzherzog& Albrecht von Österreich-Este“ Nr. 5), 1st Squadron (Eskadron), Weapon (Waffen) #39. This was a light cavalry regiment of the Royal Bavarian Army, and later Imperial German Army. This unit was first raised 1 April 1776, and was garrisoned in Saargemünd and Zweibrücken on the French / German border. The regiment was part of the II Royal Bavarian Corps and fought in World War I, as well as other earlier conflicts during its long history.

The lower barrel band / sling swivel ALSO has regimental marking, which was crossed out before it was reissued: B. 1. U. R. 1. 54., for the 1st Royal Bavarian Uhlans "Emperor William II, King of Prussia" (Königlich Bayerisches Ulanen-Regiment „Kaiser Wilhelm II., König von Preußen“ Nr. 1), 1st Squadron (Eskadron), Weapon (Waffen) #54. This was a light cavalry regiment of the Royal Bavarian Army, and later Imperial German Army. The regiment was first raised during 1863 in as an Uhlan unit, garrisoned in Bamberg and part of the II Royal Bavarian Corps. It fought in the Franco-Prussian War and World War I.

Both of these are the exact type of unit that would have been issued this type of carbine, and really represents some nice potential for historical research. In 1890 this was cutting edge technology as the Gewehr 1888 Mauser rifles and carbines were the first to use the 7.92mm cartridge that replaced the 10.4mm used in the Mauser 1871/84 tubular magazine rifles.

This little carbine used an integral 5 shot box magazine and was extremely popular. It was superseded in 1898 with the introduction of the Gew 98 rifle also in an updated version of the same caliber and many 88s were updated and then marked with a small "S" on the receiver ring to indicate it could be used with the upgraded ammunition.

Both the Kar 88 and 91 were already being slowly taken out of service before World War One, as the new Mauser 98 pattern carbines introduced in 1909 or 1910 were taking their place. This would change with the outbreak of war, of course, and every one of the 88 / 91 pattern carbines in German inventory would be re-issued during the Great War. Their size and weight made them ideal for the troops who needed a personal weapon but were unlikely to actually have to fight with it (artillery crews, cyclists, supply drivers, balloon crews, etc).

Both the Mauser Model 88 and 98 rifles and carbines saw extensive use in WWI. During the Great War cavalry was quickly becoming a thing of the past once trench warfare was introduced. By WW2 the Germans had adopted the Mauser 98K Rifle, again in the improved 7.92mm caliber, this rifle was shorter than the Gew 98, longer than the carbine, and became the standard.

A rare 1890 dated Mauser Kar 88 Carbine, only 37 1/2" in overall length, federally classified as an antique due to its pre-1899 manufacture date. In lovely condition and ready to display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1890
Caliber: 7.92×57mm Mauser S Patrone
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 18 Inches
Overall Length: 37 1/2 Inches
Action type: Bolt-Action
Feed System: 5 round internal magazine

History of the Gewehr 88

In 1886, the French Army unveiled the Modelle 1886 "Lebel" rifle. There was an immediate reaction in German military circles bordering on hysteria. Why? Because the Lebel was the world's first small bore military rifle using an efficient smokeless powder cartridge. Now, the Lebel, which used a tubular magazine located under the barrel was not a particularly noteworthy design, but the power and flat trajectory of the new French 8mm round far outclassed the 11mm Reichspatrone black powder round used in the contemporary German infantry rifle, the Mauser 71/84.

In this rather charged atmosphere, the German Gewehr Prfungs Kommission (GPK - Rifle Testing Commission) went to work. Initially, the idea was to revise the Mauser Gewehr 71/84 to use a small caliber smokeless powder round based on the old 11mm black powder Reichspatrone. To this extent, production machinery was ordered from the Ludwig Loewe Company of Berlin-Charlottenburg in December, 1887. As things progressed, the GPK became disillusioned with this technical approach, and so a rather strange hybrid of ideas took shape.

The bolt design was highly revised by a Spandau Arsenal technician named Louis Schlegelmilch and features a separate bolt head. The ensuing rifle had a Schlegelmilch/Mauser action, a five shot clip loaded Mannlicher style magazine (note: while the clip falls out as with the Mannlicher clips, this one was markedly improved in that it could be loaded with either end down as opposed to only one end on the true Mannlicher), and a full length barrel jacket designed by Armand Mieg. The pitch and profile of the rifling were copied directly from that of the Lebel. The cartridge chosen was a modified Swiss style rimless design based on the ideas of Eduard Rubin. By March 23, 1888, the Bavarian military observer in Berlin, General von Xylander reported that the development was virtually complete.

Field trials for the new rifle were completed in November, 1888, and the GPK recommended that it be adopted immediately. The adoption orders were signed by Kaiser Wilhelm II on November 12, 1888. Issue of the Gewehr 88 as the new rife was designated, were first made in the spring of 1889 to the XV and XVI Armeekorps stationed in Elsass-Lothringen. Issue to the Bavarian military units began in October 1889, and by August 1890, all Prussian, Saxon, and Wurttemberger line units had been re-equipped.

The Gewehr 88 was made by the three primary Prussian arsenals at Danzig, Erfurt, and Spandau, a smaller Bavarian establishment at Amberg, as well as several private contractors, including the Ludwig Loewe Company, Osterreichische Waffenfabrik Gesellschaft (Steyr), and Haenel. Production figures up to the time production ceased in 1897 are as follows:

Prussian Government Arsenals: 750,000

Amberg: 425,000

Loewe: 425,000

Steyr: 300,000

Haenel: 100,000

Total: 1,675,000