Original Item: Only one Available. This is a very good example of the iconic German Gewehr 1888 "Commission Rifle", also known as the Gewehr 88, or GEW 88. It was manufactured at the Amberg Imperial Arsenal, located in Amberg, Bavaria, and then and then saw long service, as indicated by the large number of different markings on the gun. However, it does not have any export markings from Turkey or other countries, so this was never shipped off as WWI aid. We very rarely see these rifles without these markings!

These rifles were originally chambered for 7.92mm Patrone 88 ammunition and had a fixed magazine loaded by En-bloc clip. As with virtually all Gewehr 88 rifles in service, this example was converted to take the 7.92×57mm Mauser S Patrone, and has an S stamped above the chamber, indicating the conversion. The Spitzer-shaped S Cartridge was ballistically superior to the M/88, however the chamber required modification to accept the thicker walled shell casing.

This particular rifle also has notched plates welded to the rear of the receiver on either side to accept the 1905 pattern stripper clips, making this a Gewehr 88/05 S. This conversion also involved filling in the slots on the inner sides of the receiver where the en-bloc clip used to be, and installation of a floor plate to keep dirt out of the magazine. It also has the tell tale "notch" cut into the rear of the receiver, as the loaded clip would run into this area. The magazine floor plate is present with a J marking on the bottom, and there is a bit of an inlet added to the left receiver to aid in loading stripper clips.

The right side of the receiver is marked Gew. 88. in German blackface type, and also has serial number 394 / d stamped on the receiver and barrel jacket, while the serial numbers on the trigger guard magazine housing and other components are all non-matching. This gun was definitely re-worked at arsenal before being issued for reserve use during WWI, and possibly earlier. Over the chamber it is clearly marked (CROWN) / AMBERG. / 1894., for manufacture at the Bavarian Amberg Arsenal. There are however no Turkish markings, which is very rare to see on a rifle updated for WWI service.

There is also a German regimental designation of 55. R. 7. 9. on the left side of the upper barrel band for the 55th Reserve Infantry Regiment, indicated by the stylized "R" in the designation. This could be for the 55th (6th Westphalian) Infantry "Count Bülow von Dennewitz" Regiment, though it is possible that the reserve regiments were kept separate.

Rifle is in very good service used condition, with a lovely stock that has a great worn patina from use and long service. It definitely looks to have been arsenal reconditioned, which has unfortunately made the original proof markings very faint, but has also given it a beautiful red-brown color. There is a "dutchman" style repair to the stock on the bottom of the wrist, but we do not see any other major damage or cracks. The front sling swivel is still present, and a sling swivel clip attached to the rear fitting, so that a standard sling can be used.

The metalwork is in good service used condition, looking to probably have been reblued at arsenal, as both the receiver and barrel jacket are now blued, with some evidence of past removed oxidation near the wood line. The refinish is still retained, showing the expected wear on the raised areas, while the bolt is still bright steel, showing wear from staining and removed past oxidation. There is some wear on the bolt bearing surfaces, however the bore is actually in very good condition. It has clear lands and grooves with a bright finish, showing just a bit of rounding on the lands. The rare double-slot cleaning rod is still present, as is the bolt extractor, which is easily lost during cleaning. The firing pin and extractor are both still present, and the action cycles, with the safety fully functional. The bolt release works well, allowing easy field stripping. The only issue we noted is that the magazine follower sticks up a bit, so the bolt will stick on it when closing.

An absolutely genuine GERMAN contract M-1888 Service Rifle issued to the German Army in 1890 and subsequently shipped as Military Aid to Turkey during or before World War One. This possibly saw service on TWO fronts of the Great War. Fully cleaned and ready to display!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1894
Caliber: 7.92×57mm Mauser
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 29 inches
Overall Length: 49 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 Wrttemberger 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

IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to most US States and most U.S. territories.

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