Gewehr 88
Ludwig Loewe & Company / Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken (DWM) · Rifle · Discontinued · 1888
Also known as: Model 1888 Commission Rifle, Reichsgewehr, Reichsgewehr Modell 1888, Model 1888, Commission Rifle
Overview
The Gewehr 88 is a German bolt-action service rifle adopted by the German Empire in 1888 and developed by the German Rifle Test Commission (Gewehr-Prüfungskommission), which is why it is commonly known as the Commission Rifle. Designed as a rapid response to the French Lebel Model 1886 and its smokeless cartridge, it combined a Mannlicher-style en bloc clip-fed internal magazine with a barrel surrounded by a sheet-metal jacket. It originally fired the M/88 (Patrone 88) round and was later converted to the 7.92x57mm Mauser spitzer 'S' cartridge in the Gewehr 88/05 and 88/14 patterns. It was the standard German infantry rifle until superseded by the Gewehr 98.
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 Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 620 m/s (2034 fps) |
| 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 | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.92x57mm Mauser · primary — also known as 8mm Mauser, 7.92x57mm, 8x57mm IS, Patrone 88, M/88
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: En Bloc Clip, Stripper Clip
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Barrel Jacket, En Bloc Clip Loading, Charger Loading 88 05 88 14
Variants
- Karabiner 88 — Carbine
- Gewehr 88/05 — Charger Loading Conversion
- Gewehr 88/14 — Wartime Conversion
Service history
Operators
- German Empire · adopted 1888
- Ottoman Empire
- Qing Dynasty / Republic of China · as Hanyang 88
Conflicts
- Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901)
- World War I (1914-1918)
Production
Estimated total produced: 2,800,000 · Production years: 1888-1899
Produced by Ludwig Loewe, C.G. Haenel, Steyr (OEWG), and the imperial arsenals at Amberg, Danzig, Erfurt and Spandau; the design was copied as the Hanyang 88 in China and remained in Chinese service for decades.
Origin
Country of origin: Germany
Designer: German Rifle Test Commission (Gewehr-Prüfungskommission)
Discontinued: 1899
Notes
The early barrel jacket trapped moisture and dirt, contributing to corrosion and occasional bursting, problems aggravated when the more powerful S-Patrone was introduced; many rifles were rebored or reworked for the spitzer load. The Commission Rifle is frequently and incorrectly called a 'Mauser', though Paul Mauser did not design it.
Background
Rushed into production after France fielded the smokeless-powder Lebel rifle, the Commission Rifle was Germany's stop-gap answer in the late-1880s small-arms arms race and is often blamed on Mauser despite being a committee design that drew on Mannlicher's clip system.