Gewehr 1888 Commission Rifle
Ludwig Loewe & Company / Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken (DWM) · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1888
Also known as: Gew 88, Commission Rifle, Reichsgewehr, Model 1888, Repetiergewehr M13
Overview
The Gewehr 1888, commonly called the Commission Rifle, was a German bolt-action service rifle developed by the Gewehr-Pruefungskommission (Rifle Testing Commission) in response to the French Lebel and its smokeless powder. It combined a Mauser-style action with a Mannlicher-pattern five-round en-bloc clip and a distinctive tubular steel barrel jacket. It introduced the 7.92x57mm cartridge that would go on to arm the German military through both World Wars.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3800 g (134.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1245 mm (49.02") |
| Barrel Length | 740 mm (29.13") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | En Bloc Clip |
| Muzzle Velocity | 620 m/s (2034 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2806 J (2070 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 500 m (547 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 2000 m (2187 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 12 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 240 mm (9.45") |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.92x57mm Mauser · primary — also known as 8mm Mauser, 7.92x57mm, Patrone 88, M/88
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: En Bloc Clip
- Safety mechanisms: Bolt Mounted Safety, Third Locking Lug
- Features: Barrel Shroud Jacket, Mannlicher En Bloc Clip, Two Front Locking Lugs, Smokeless Powder
Variants
- Gewehr 88/05 — Charger Loading Conversion
- Gewehr 88/14 — Modernized
- Karabiner 88 — Carbine
Service history
Operators
- German Empire · adopted 1888 · as Gewehr 88
- Ottoman Empire
- Qing China · as Hanyang 88
Conflicts
- Second Boer War (1899-1902)
- Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901)
- World War I (1914-1918)
Production
Estimated total produced: 1,675,000 · Production years: 1888-1897
Manufactured at multiple German state arsenals and private firms including Ludwig Loewe and DWM; widely copied unofficially as the Chinese Hanyang 88
Origin
Country of origin: Germany
Designer: German Rifle Testing Commission (Gewehr-Pruefungskommission)
Discontinued: 1915
Notes
Designed by a commission rather than Paul Mauser, who was excluded from the program; this prompted Mauser to develop his own competing rifles. The original M/88 cartridge used a 0.318-inch round-nose bullet; the rifle was later rebored or rebarreled to the 0.323-inch S-bore for the spitzer 7.92x57mm IS cartridge.
Background
The Commission Rifle was designed by committee specifically to keep Paul Mauser out of the project, so the snubbed Mauser went off and built the Gewehr 98 that ultimately replaced it; the rifle's 7.92x57mm cartridge, however, long outlived the gun and armed Germany through two World Wars.