Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original Imperial German Gewehr 88 Commission Rifle manufactured by Ludwig Loewe & Co. of Berlin in 1891 and later updated to the Gewehr 88/05 S configuration. It retains German military markings, later Turkish crescent and Eastern Arabic numeral markings, a German regimental marking on the nose cap, and matching serial number 8854 f on the receiver and barrel jacket. The bolt and several smaller components are nonmatching, reflecting its long service and arsenal reworking history.

This is an antique black powder firearm manufactured before 1899. Under federal law, it may generally be owned within the United States without a special license or permit and does not require transfer through a Federal Firearms Licensee. However, state and local laws may vary. This firearm is sold solely as a historical collector’s item and has not been test fired or inspected for firing safety by a professional gunsmith. Any mechanical or bore observations provided below describe only its present condition and should not be interpreted as confirmation that the firearm is safe to load or fire. The purchaser is solely responsible for complying with all applicable federal, state, and local laws.

These rifles were originally chambered for 7.92mm Patrone 88 ammunition and had a fixed magazine loaded by En-bloc clip. As with virtually all Gewehr 88 rifles in service, this example was converted to take the 7.92×57mm Mauser S Patrone, and has an S stamped above the chamber, indicating the conversion. The Spitzer-shaped S Cartridge was ballistically superior to the M/88, however the chamber required modification to accept the thicker walled shell casing.

This particular rifle also has notched plates welded to the rear of the receiver on either side to accept the 1905 pattern stripper clips, making this a Gewehr 88/05 S. This conversion also involved filling in the slots on the inner sides of the receiver where the en-bloc clip used to be, and installation of a floor plate to keep dirt out of the magazine, though it is missing on this example. It also has the tell tale "notch" cut into the rear of the receiver, as the loaded clip would run into this area.

The right side of the receiver is marked in German blackletter:

Gew. 88.

The receiver and barrel jacket are both numbered:

8854 f

Other numbered components, including parts of the trigger guard and magazine assembly, are nonmatching.

The chamber is clearly marked:

LOEWE BERLIN.
1891.

Ludwig Loewe & Co. was one of the major manufacturers of the Gewehr 88 and later became part of Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken, better known as DWM.

A Turkish crescent marking was subsequently applied above the maker and date on the receiver, with additional crescent marks on the bolt components. Eastern Arabic style numerals also appear on parts of the bolt, while the rear sight retains Western numerals. These markings are consistent with the rifle having entered Turkish service after its German military use.

The left side of the nose cap is marked:

3. G. R. 6. 120.

This is a German regimental property marking indicating assignment to the 3rd (Queen Elizabeth) Guards Grenadiers, 6th Squadron, weapon 120.

The stock is in very good service used condition with an attractive dark, worn patina from long handling. It shows numerous dents, scratches, dings, gouges, and other marks consistent with extended military use. Any original inspection cartouches are now extremely faint, and the rifle appears to have undergone arsenal reconditioning at some point in its service life.

An old repaired crack runs through the receiver securing bolt area on both sides of the stock, with additional smaller repairs around the rear of the receiver. The letters M M have been scratched into the right side of the butt. The front sling swivel remains present, as does the rear sling fitting for a Gewehr 98 style sling. The distinctive double slot cleaning rod is missing.

The metalwork is in good service used condition. Most of the original finish has worn to an aged oxidized patina with scattered evidence of old peppering. The receiver appears to have been blued during a past refurbishment, supporting the likelihood that the rifle was completely refinished during arsenal reconditioning.

The bore is in very good condition with clear lands and grooves and a mostly bright interior. There is slight rounding to the lands from service use, but no major bore damage is noted.

The action cycles smoothly and the safety operates during manual inspection. The bolt release is also functional. However, the bolt head is completely missing and the firing pin was ground off long ago, leaving the bolt assembly incomplete and the rifle incapable of normal operation in its present state. These observations describe only its current mechanical condition and should not be interpreted as confirmation that the rifle is safe to load or fire.

With its 1891 Ludwig Loewe manufacture, Gewehr 88/05 S conversion, German regimental marking, Turkish crescent and Eastern Arabic numeral markings, serial number 8854 f, surviving sling fittings, and very good bore, this is a particularly interesting example of a Commission Rifle with evidence of service under both German and Turkish ownership. The nonmatching components, missing cleaning rod, missing magazine floorplate clip, repaired stock cracks, old refinishing, missing bolt head, and ground firing pin are all fully disclosed. It would fit especially well in an Imperial German, Gewehr 88, Ottoman or Turkish military, WWI era, or advanced European service rifle collection. A rifle that possibly saw service on TWO fronts of WWI.

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: 1891
Maker: Ludwig Loewe
Model: Gewehr 88/05 S
Serial No.: 8854 f
Caliber: 7.92×57mm Mauser
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 29 inches
Overall Length: 49 Inches
Action type: Bolt-Action
Feed System: 5 round internal magazine
Federal Classification: Pre-1899 Antique

History of the Gewehr 88

In 1886, the French Army unveiled the Modelle 1886 "Lebel" rifle. There was an immediate reaction in German military circles bordering on hysteria. Why? Because the Lebel was the world's first small bore military rifle using an efficient smokeless powder cartridge. Now, the Lebel, which used a tubular magazine located under the barrel was not a particularly noteworthy design, but the power and flat trajectory of the new French 8mm round far outclassed the 11mm Reichspatrone black powder round used in the contemporary German infantry rifle, the Mauser 71/84.

In this rather charged atmosphere, the German Gewehr Prfungs Kommission (GPK - Rifle Testing Commission) went to work. Initially, the idea was to revise the Mauser Gewehr 71/84 to use a small caliber smokeless powder round based on the old 11mm black powder Reichspatrone. To this extent, production machinery was ordered from the Ludwig Loewe Company of Berlin-Charlottenburg in December, 1887. As things progressed, the GPK became disillusioned with this technical approach, and so a rather strange hybrid of ideas took shape.

The bolt design was highly revised by a Spandau Arsenal technician named Louis Schlegelmilch and features a separate bolt head. The ensuing rifle had a Schlegelmilch/Mauser action, a five shot clip loaded Mannlicher style magazine (note: while the clip falls out as with the Mannlicher clips, this one was markedly improved in that it could be loaded with either end down as opposed to only one end on the true Mannlicher), and a full length barrel jacket designed by Armand Mieg. The pitch and profile of the rifling were copied directly from that of the Lebel. The cartridge chosen was a modified Swiss style rimless design based on the ideas of Eduard Rubin. By March 23, 1888, the Bavarian military observer in Berlin, General von Xylander reported that the development was virtually complete.

Field trials for the new rifle were completed in November, 1888, and the GPK recommended that it be adopted immediately. The adoption orders were signed by Kaiser Wilhelm II on November 12, 1888. Issue of the Gewehr 88 as the new rife was designated, were first made in the spring of 1889 to the XV and XVI Armeekorps stationed in Elsass-Lothringen. Issue to the Bavarian military units began in October 1889, and by August 1890, all Prussian, Saxon, and Wrttemberger line units had been re-equipped.

The Gewehr 88 was made by the three primary Prussian arsenals at Danzig, Erfurt, and Spandau, a smaller Bavarian establishment at Amberg, as well as several private contractors, including the Ludwig Loewe Company, Osterreichische Waffenfabrik Gesellschaft (Steyr), and Haenel. Production figures up to the time production ceased in 1897 are as follows:

Prussian Government Arsenals: 750,000

Amberg: 425,000

Loewe: 425,000

Steyr: 300,000

Haenel: 100,000

Total: 1,675,000

IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to most US States and most U.S. territories.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to most addresses within the United States.