Schmidt-Rubin Model 1889/96
Waffenfabrik Bern (W+F Bern) · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1896
Also known as: IG 89/96, Infanteriegewehr 1889/96, Model 1889/96, 89/96
Overview
The Schmidt-Rubin Model 1889/96 is a Swiss straight-pull bolt-action service rifle, an improved reworking of the original Model 1889 approved for service on 31 July 1896. Its key change was relocating the bolt locking lugs from the rear of the bolt sleeve to a more forward position, which strengthened the action and allowed the receiver to be slightly shortened while still firing Eduard Rubin's 7.5x53.5mm GP90 cartridge. This intermediate model bridged the original 1889 and the later 1896/11, and almost all of the roughly 137,000 examples were subsequently converted to the more powerful GP11-chambered Model 1896/11.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4445 g (156.8 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1303 mm (51.30") |
| Barrel Length | 787 mm (30.98") |
| 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, Reinforced Action, Shortened Receiver, Detachable Box Magazine, Magazine Cutoff Lever
Variants
- Schmidt-Rubin Model 1896/11 - Rechambered Gp11
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Swiss Armed Forces · adopted 1896 · as Infanteriegewehr Modell 1889/96
Conflicts
- Swiss armed neutrality (pre-WWI) (1896-1914)
Production
Estimated total produced: 137,000 · Production years: 1897-1911
About 137,000 Model 1889/96 rifles produced; nearly all were later converted to Model 1896/11, leaving roughly 1,280 in original configuration.
Origin
Country of origin: Switzerland
Designer: Rudolf Schmidt
Discontinued: 1911
Notes
Of the approximately 137,000 Model 1889/96 rifles produced, only about 1,280 are believed to have survived in their original unconverted configuration, the remainder having been rebuilt into Model 1896/11 rifles during the 1910s.
Background
The 1889/96's forward-moved locking lugs were the structural stepping stone that let the Swiss eventually upgrade the entire Schmidt-Rubin family to the high-pressure GP11 cartridge, a quiet engineering fix that kept the straight-pull system in front-line service for decades.