Gewehr 88/05

Germany’s first smokeless powder design was not without its problems, but still found itself a prolific presence on the battlefields of the Great War.

The History

The introduction of the Lebel M1886 by the French Republic had caused a massive upset around the world, rendering essentially every firearm from the largest naval cannons to the smallest pocket pistols obsolete. France’s neighbor and bitter rival, Imperial Germay, had just adopted a new black-powder repeating rifle in the form of the Mauser M71/84, but with a similar rifle and revolutionary cartridge in service along the Empire’s western frontier it was obvious that a new weapon was required.

The front sight of the Gewehr 88 is a simple blade. Also note the barrel jacket and side mounted bayonet lug

Accordingly, the German Army set to work, appointing a commission to design a new rifle using the best features available as a composite. The end result of this process came in 1888, just to years after the Lebel, but was unquestionably superior. This new Gewehr 88 utilized a Mauser-influenced action designed by Louis Schlegelmilch mated with an improved version of the Austrian Mannlicher packet loading system. Other unique features included a thin barrel enclosed in a full length metal jacket designed by Armand Mieg and a new 7.92mm cartridge.

The rear ladder sight of this example had been remarked in Ottoman Farsi before being restored to standard numerals after the new Turkish Republic was formed. It is graduated up to 2,000 meters

Production was undertaken by several German government arsenals in the early 1890s, but issues soon surfaced with the new weapon on the legal front. Mieg took issue with his barrel jacket design being used without compensation, resulting in complications in production both in Germany and Austria-Hungary. Ferdinand Mannlicher, on the other hand, had issues with the production of his magazine, which remain unclear to this day but resulted in the international production rights of the rifle falling to the Austrians, allowing the Germans only to produce rifles for their own service.

The receiver ring is marked with the German Imperial Crown (lightly defaced here) as well as the arsenal and date of production. The “S” marking indicates the conversion to the spitzer cartridge. Note also the seam of the barrel shroud, which is threaded to the receiver.

The Gewehr 88 was objectively superior to the Lebel, but was not without problems. Its early cartridge was not taken to the peak of its potential ballistic performance, and issues arose with metallurgy as well as with moisture buildup and corrosion under the barrel jacket.

The receiver wall is marked with the model dsignation

In addition to all this, Paul Mauser had been working on his own design, but was not invited to participate in the commission, and as a result his superior Model 1889 was sold to Belgium instead. This would be followed by a series of improvements over the following decade, with the Belgian M1889 being followed by the Spanish M1893, and eventually in 1898 the Germans adopted the ultimate refinement of Mauser’s action as the Gewehr 98, relegating the Gewehr 88 to a reserve role.

The action of the Gewher 88 was designed by Louis Schlegelmilch with some modifications. Note also the charger guides added as a component of the 1905 upgrade program

Despite this, a significant quantity of Gewehr 88 rifles had been produced, and in a move that would prove quite prescient in the coming Great War the Germans commenced a program in 1905 to update the existing stocks of Gewehr 88 rifles to utilize the new M1898 Spitzer cartridge as well as the new charger clips of the Gewehr 98. The result was that when Germany mobilized in 1914 there was almost a half million of these rifles on inventory to equip the now rapidly expanding army.

The weapon was the primary arm of German reserve units in the first half of the Great War, but as Gewehr 98 production caught up these were eventually earmarked as foreign aid, with large quantities ending up in Ottoman service to compensate for the fact that the pre-war contract for M1903 Mausers had long since been supplanted by German military production. These would serve on in later Turkish service through the 1940s before being withdrawn by the 1950s.

The Mannlicher-style follower was retained after 1905, but a simple feed lip was added to the magazine to allow its use without a clip. Note again also the charger guides.

The Design

The Gewehr 88/05 is a bolt action repeating rifle that chambers the 7.92x57mm cartridge. It utilizes a rotating bolt action mechanism designed by Louis Schlegelmilch using the Mauser M71 as a base, incorporating dual locking lugs along with a detachable bolt head. ALso distinctive is the full length barrel shroud designed by Mieg, intended to allow for a free-floating barrel as well as serving as a heatshield. Originally, the weapon was fed via a Mannlicher style packet clip, but a major component of the 1905 update program was the retrofitting of the magazine to accept loose rounds and Mauser charger clips.

This retrofit entailed attaching a charger guide to the split receiver bridge, as well as fitting feed lips to the existing magazine. A simple sheet metal cover was also attached to cover the now redundant clip ejection port on the underside of the rifle. The rifles were also at this time rechambered to allow for the use of the spitzer cartridge then in service. Otherwise, the Gewehr 88/05 was identical to its predecessor.

The now redundant clip ejection port was covered with a simple spring steel clip, stamped with a logo and the year of its addition

This Example

The example in the collection was manufactured by the German Imperial Arsenal at Spandau in 1890, and was later put through the 1905 upgrade program before seeing service in the Great War. The rifle was later sent as aid to the Ottoman Empire, as were many of its fellows. After the war, this rifle was one of a relatively small number sent by the new Turkish Republic to the also-new Czechoslovakia, where it was refurbished to a near-new condition. This pilot program would in turn lead to the Czechoslovaks supporting the later Turkish programs to modernize their rifles that would lead to the Gewehr 88/35 modification among other alterations.

Turkish markings on the bolt of this example

Opinions

The Gewehr 88 was certainly not without serious problems. Problematic metallurgy combined with design features that would prove to be a flash in the pan did not serve it well. Despite this, the rifle is an attractive piece, and has a phenomenally smooth bolt (indeed this action would be the basis of the famously glassy “Mannlicher” turn-bolt designs of the following decades), and generally good ergonomics. The 1905 conversion is somewhat sticky in operation, but is the rifle remains quite accurate and boasts excellent sights for the period.

An added feature lies in that the lesser known Gewehr 88 and 88/05 is a relative sleeper in the German World War Era rifle market, and can be had for much less than a Mauser in similar condition. Combined with its historical provenance, this makes the 88/05 a prime addition to any collection.

German soldiers manning a trench armed with Gewehr 88 rifles during the early phases of the Great War

Observed Values and Frequency

Updated: November, 2024

AVERAGE VALUE (USD): $750

FREQUENCY: Uncommon

COLLECTOR’S NOTES: 88/05 Rifles are more common than unaltered Gewehr 88s. Great care must be taken before firing to ensure the weapon is in good condition and that its bore has been altered to the proper dimensions for modern ammunition.