Schmidt-Rubin Model 1889
Waffenfabrik Bern (W+F Bern) · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1889
Also known as: IG 89, Infanteriegewehr 1889, Model 1889
Overview
The Schmidt-Rubin Model 1889 was the original straight-pull bolt-action service rifle of the Swiss Army, adopted in 1889. It pioneered the now-iconic Swiss straight-pull system designed by Colonel Rudolf Schmidt, paired with the smokeless 7.5x53.5mm GP90 cartridge developed by Major Eduard Rubin - the first widely adopted small-bore military cartridge with a copper-jacketed bullet. The rifle features a long 12-round detachable box magazine extending below the receiver and uses a rear-locking bolt mechanism that was later refined in the 1911 and K31 variants.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4450 g (157.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1302 mm (51.26") |
| Barrel Length | 780 mm (30.71") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Two Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 12 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 610 m/s (2001 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2549 J (1880 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 600 m (656 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 2000 m (2187 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 12 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 270 mm (10.63") |
| Number of Grooves | 3 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.5x53.5mm Swiss · primary — also known as GP90, Gewehrpatrone 90, 7.5x53.5mm Schmidt-Rubin
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Magazine Cutoff
- Features: Straight Pull Bolt, Rear Locking Lugs, Detachable Box Magazine, Magazine Cutoff Lever
Variants
- Schmidt-Rubin Model 1896/11 — Modernized
- Schmidt-Rubin Model 1911 — Rechambered Gp11
Service history
Operators
- Swiss Armed Forces · adopted 1889 · as Infanteriegewehr Modell 1889
Conflicts
- Swiss armed neutrality (pre-WWI) (1889-1914)
Production
Estimated total produced: 211,000 · Production years: 1891-1897
Approximately 211,000 Model 1889 rifles produced at Waffenfabrik Bern before transition to improved variants.
Origin
Country of origin: Switzerland
Designer: Rudolf Schmidt
Discontinued: 1897
Notes
The Model 1889's rear-locking lug arrangement gave it a long bolt throw and limited it to the relatively low-pressure GP90 cartridge. Later 1896/11 conversions moved the locking lugs forward to safely handle the more powerful GP11 round.
Background
Eduard Rubin's GP90 cartridge introduced for the Model 1889 was the world's first full-power military rifle round to use a copper-jacketed bullet - a Swiss innovation that the rest of Europe would imitate within a decade and that effectively defined every modern military cartridge that followed.