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Posted: 2/13/2005 11:46:38 AM EDT
| I'm hoping all the Mauser buffs on the web can help with this. Saturday I picked up a GEW 88, and I know little to nothing about this rifle. My mauser book has a drawing in the back but nothing in the book itself detailing what this gun is or where it went. I know it takes a magazine which unfortunatly it didn't come with. The reciever is faintly marked 1890, and possible the factory where it was made but all I can make out is an E and the next line ends with an R. The numbers on the bolt match but not with the reciever or the barrel, it's in really rough shape but I figured it would be a good addition to the collection. If anyone can shed some light on this period rifle it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, The Dr. |
  This is the top of the action  Thw whole action  this is the bolt root, and what looks to be a Polish Eagle stamp and some other type of stamp that I can't make out. I've found several small proof marks that look to be a cursive K under a crown. It's rusted up pretty bad and haven't been able to get it all the way apart. The barrel shroud is rusted thru on the bottom under the wood line. |
| Mauser 88--adopted in 1888 of course. Uses Mannlicher style "clips/mags," shooting a smaller diameter 8mm round than the later K98s etc. Barrel has a full length shroud, so looks really heavy/thick, but isn't. I'm not coming up with too much more, as I'm not an expert, and don't have any of my books around. Still, would be pretty cool. |
| The GEW88 is not a Mauser. It is often called the 1888 Commission Rifle as it was designed by that committee. It replaced a Mauser design and in turn was replaced by a Mauser. But it is in no way a Mauser. While it borrowed from earlier Mauser designs, it is not a Mauser design in and of itself. IIRC, Mauser never even made any of these rifles. |
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The S means that the rifle was rebarelled in 1903. It was changed for the use of pointed bullets. The Eagle is the manufacturers mark. It was made by Spangenberg & Sauer. This was the oldest firarms maker in Germany. If German use, it can not be a K under a crown. That would be a Prussian mark on a captured French rifle. I think it might be a cursive FA with the letters running together. This would be the mark of Frederich August III - meaning the rilfe was issued to a Saxon regiment. I can not make out the other marks well enough to identify them for sure. Could you post a picture of the left side of the receiver rail. It should hold more clues to the origin of the rifle. |
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Nothing of any help there with the exception of the K with the crown. By the three books I looked at it should be on a French rifle captured by the Prussians. I will hand write this one in, but my best guess is that since the factory was in what was Prussia at the time this is why the mark is there. That is a most interesting mark. Others are common for Imperial rifles. |
| Thanks for all the info, I finally got it all apart and cleaned up what I could and those are the only identifiable marks on it. In looking on the web I've found a few for sale and most are Turkish or Chinese marked. I will look it over with a magnifing glass and see what else I can turn up. Atleast I know more than I started with, and that's always a good thing. |
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The eagle on the bolt base is clearly Prussian. What looks like a K is likely an A. The old Fractur style of typeface can be tough to discern. I don't see any marks that suggest either Polish or French provenance. I don't know when the rifle was rebarreled. However, the S marking designates that the chamber has been modified to accept the spitzer round. |
Duh, that is what I already told him. It is a K. |
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I have found several faint stamps throughout the rifle that look to be a capital cursive B. There are several letter and numbered proof marks on the underside of the action but nothing like the others. I will attemp to take a pic in high resolution to see if it will be more clear. On a second note , I have aquired a 1912 Chilean short rifle barreled action. Are there stocks floating about that can be had, or would it be more practical to use the long rifle and cut it back. I appreciate the wealth of Mauser knowledge within the boards, the Dr. |
| The 1912 is Steyr built with the Chilean crest. I also need to find the upper band off of a Brazilian mauser, they seem to be the same as the Chilean short. Does Lee's have a web site or is there a number to reach them at? Thank's for the info, will look into that. |
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Lee's fax number is 972-313-0991. He is open Tues-Thurs. His voice number is 972-790-0773, but he is very hard to get through to. A fax is your best bet. He and his wife work the business by themselves. Trust me, they have millions of parts. He received a number of Steyr carbines and will be parting some of them out. |
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