Hanyang 88
Hanyang Arsenal · Rifle · Discontinued · 1895
Also known as: Hanyang Type 88, Hanyang Zao, Type 88 Hanyang, Hanyang Made Rifle, Han-yang 88
Overview
The Hanyang 88 is a Chinese bolt-action service rifle chambered in 7.92x57mm Mauser, produced at the Hanyang Arsenal as a close copy of the German Gewehr 88 Commission rifle. It fed from a five-round Mannlicher-style en-bloc clip and served as the standard infantry rifle of Chinese forces for over half a century, seeing action from the Boxer Rebellion through the Chinese Civil War, the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Korean War.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4060 g (143.2 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1250 mm (49.21") |
| Barrel Length | 740 mm (29.13") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Fixed Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 600 m/s (1969 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2304 J (1699 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 500 m (547 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 2000 m (2187 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 15 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | 4 Grooves, Right-Hand Twist |
| 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, 7.92 Mauser, 8x57 IS, 7.9x57mm, Patrone M/88
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: 5-Round En-Bloc Clip
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Mannlicher-Style En-Bloc Clip Magazine, Cock-On-Open Bolt Action, Wooden Handguard Over The Barrel, No Barrel Shroud (Unlike The Gewehr 88), Bayonet Lug
Production
Estimated total produced: 1,100,000 · Production years: 1895-1947
Approximately 1.1 million rifles produced; the Hanyang Arsenal manufactured the design for over five decades, making it one of the most numerous Chinese service rifles.
Origin
Country of origin: China
Designer: Hanyang Arsenal (after the German Gewehr-Pruefungskommission Gewehr 88)
Discontinued: 1947
Notes
Distinguished from the Gewehr 88 by the omission of the steel barrel shroud, the addition of a wooden upper handguard, and a longer bayonet drawn from the Mannlicher M1904. Often nicknamed the 'Hanyang Made' rifle in Chinese service.
Background
Nicknamed the backbone of Chinese resistance, the Hanyang 88 armed waves of conscripts and revolutionaries across China's turbulent first half of the 20th century. Its long production run meant grandfathers and grandsons could carry the same pattern of rifle into different wars.