The invention of smokeless powder in the late 19th century immediately rendered all of the large-bore black powder rifles then in use obsolete. To keep pace with the French Lebel, which was adopted only 15 years after France's defeat by German forces during the Franco-Prussian War, the Germans began work on a new rifle designed to utilize the new propellent. The new rifle was developed the Army's Rifle Testing Commission, and was adopted for service in 1888. For this reason the Gewehr 88 is also known as the "commission rifle," or "Kommissionsgewehr".
Some early models had flaws due to rushed ammunition production. This was used in 1892 by the then notorious anti-Semitic agitator Hermann Ahlwardt, member of the German Reichstag, to spread an anti-semitic conspiracy theory. Many of the Gewehr 88-rifles were produced by the armament manufacturer Loewe & Company, whose chairman was Jewish entrepreneur Isidor Loewe. Isidor Loewe also held a controlling interest in the Waffenfabrik Mauser. According to Ahlwardt's claims, Loewe would either deliberately supply the German army with insufficient rifles, or, along with other Jews, secretly exchange rifles with flawed ones after they had passed the reliability tests. Ahlwardt accused Loewe of being a spy for France, and denounced the rifle as a Judenflinte ("Jews' musket"). After these claims were found insupportable, Ahlwardt was sentenced to 4 months in prison for malicious falsehood.
Part of the production run was exported to China and Latin America. The commission rifle saw field service with Germany's colonial expansion, including in China during the Boxer Rebellion (with the Gewehr 88s and the unlicensed Hanyang 88 copies also being used by the opposing Chinese troops), and served as a front line weapon for German troops during World War I until 1915 when the supply of Gewehr 98s increased. When Germany replaced the 88 with the Gewehr 98, many of the rifles were given to Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire during World War I because both states had a shortage of rifles.
Because the rifle was adopted during a period of rapid development in firearms technology, and marked Germany's shift to a smokeless powder, the Gewehr 88 remained in service for much longer than its official service period of 12 years. Despite officially being replaced by the Gewehr 98 in 1898, the Gewehr 88 saw limited use in Germany as late as 1944-45 by the Volksturrm, or German Homeguard. The rifle was exported to several other European countries and used extensively in various conflict throughout the first half of the 20th Century; including the Russian Civil War, Revolutions and interventions in Hungary (1918–20), the Greater Poland Uprising (1918–19), the Silesian Uprisings, the Turkish War of Independence, the Polish–Soviet War, and both sides of the Spanish Civil War.
This particular Gewehr 88 was made by Ludwig Loewe & Company in Berlin, the company that eventually become the famous Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken Aktien-Gesellschaft (German Weapons and Munitions public limited company), known more commonly as DWM. They were a major producer of weapons for Imperial Germany before and during the First World War. It is all correct and original and features original WWI-era German unit markings on the receiver. These markings read: "22.R.R.10.225" translates to "Weapon #225 of the 10th Company of the 22nd Reserve Infantry Regiment".
Raised primarily from Prussian Saxony and the Thuringian states, the German 22nd Reserve Division was a diverse formation that began its extensive combat chronicle on the Western Front at the start of World War I. Mobilized as part of the IV Reserve Corps, its infantry regiments drew personnel from various principalities, creating a mixed contingent that was initially meant to largely act as a support unit that would miles behind the frontline. However, as the scale of the war grew, Germany had to call many of its reserve units to the front to make up for troop shortages. As a result the 22nd was almost immediately plunged into heavy fighting. The division participated in a few campaigns as early as 1915, including the Battle of Mons and the subsequent First Battle of the Marne. Over the course of the war, it saw action in some of the most critical and costly engagements, notably the Battle of Verdun, the later phases of the Somme, and the Battle of Passchendaele. The division remained active until the final year of the conflict, participating in the 1918 German spring offensive, including the Battle of the Lys.
Prior to its issuance during the Great War, this G88 was updated to fire the 7.92×57mm Mauser S Patrone cartridge and had an S stamped above its 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. In addition to the new chambering, this G88 is one of a number of guns that also had a set of notched plates welded to the rear of their receiver on either side to accept the 1905 pattern stripper clips, which collector's have dubbed the "Gewehr 88/05 S".
After the Great War, this G88 was one of roughly 55,000 that was sold to the Turks, who subsequently reblued the barrel and receiver and engraved the sight ladder with Turkish "Sanskrit".
The rifle was obviously well cared for while in Turkish service as it remains in beautiful condition. The stock with no damage and beautifully crisp edges, indicating that it has never been sanded or refinished.
Made in 1890, and therefore classified as an "antique" this gun remains in good working order - the action of the bolt is smooth and crisp with no wear or damage to the lugs.
The magazine is intact and functional; with a crisp magazine spring.
The barrel is full length with a good bore. The rifling shows some minor wear, but is still sharp with no real rust or pitting.
