Original German Pre-WWI Gewehr 88/05 S Commission Rifle by ŒWG Steyr Serial 8813 Z with Turkish Markings – Dated 1890 Original Items

Original Item: Only one Available. This is a very nice example of the iconic German Gewehr 1888 “Commission Rifle”, also known as the Gewehr 88, or GEW 88. It was manufactured by the famed Steyr Mannlicher firearms division of Österreichische Waffenfabriksgesellschaft (ŒWG, Austrian Arms-Manufacturing Company) in Austria. The rifle then saw long service, as indicated by the large number of different markings on the gun. It definitely looks to have been reconditioned at arsenal, where parts were often replaced with those from other rifles, resulting in mismatched serial numbers.

These rifles were originally chambered for 7.92mm Patrone 88 ammunition and had a fixed magazine. 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 does have 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. 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 dated 1914, possibly the date of conversion.

The right side of the receiver is marked Gew. 88 in German blackface type, however that area has been inlet to make feeding the Gew 98 style feed strips easier, so the marking is partly missing. The receiver is marked with serial number 8813 / Z, while the barrel jacket is marked with 1695 t, and all other parts are 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 Œ / WG / STEYR / 1890, for manufacture by Steyr in Austria. However in addition this rifle was then shipped to Germany’s World War One Ally TURKEY, who stamped a CRESCENT MOON on all of the bolt components.

Additionally, this rifle has been regimentally marked with 40. H. 12. 177. on the left side of the receiver, as well as 63. R. 1. 23. on the upper barrel band. There is even a crossed out regimental marking on the lower barrel band. There is no way to know whether any of these are original to the gun, as so many parts have been swapped out, but they give the gun some great research potential.

Rifle is in very good service used condition, with a stock that looks to have been refurbished at arsenal, which unfortunately removed most of the original cartouches. It does not look to have had any type of finish applied after this except for some oil, and currently is a dull brown color. We do not see any major damage or cracks, and it has both a front and rear sling swivel, as the rear clip fitting was replaced to make it work with standard slings.

The metalwork looks to have been refinished at some point in the past, with the bolt left bright steel while the rest of the metalwork was blued. This finish is still very well retained, so it does not look to have seen much service since it was redone, probably before being shipped to Turkey. There is some wear on the bolt bearing surfaces, however the bore is in very good used condition. It shows clear lands and grooves with a mostly bright finish, showing some rounding on the lands, as well as a bit of fouling in the grooves. The rare double-slot cleaning rod is still present, as is the bolt extractor, which is easily lost during cleaning. The firing pin is still present, and the action cycles nicely. The safety is present and fully functional.

An absolutely genuine GERMAN contract M-1888 Service Rifle issued to the German Army in 1891 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: 1890
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