1891 Gewehr 88. Need some help!

[sgtheindl]

So this lad came into my work today. I immediately got a call from our Gun Library Outfitter and got wide eyed. 1891 Loeve Berlin Gewehr 88. Its non matching and the bolt is matching to itself and is Turkish. S marked barrel but thats where my knowledge ends. I know there was numerous variations and all the reading I have done has just confused me on which variation this is. Can it take modern 8mm (PPU)? Also $400 is my price if I want it, how does that fair? Any help would be appreciated!

P.S. It does the have charger cuts on the reciever, I didnt get all the pictures I would have liked and can always get more if more info is needed.

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[ffuries]

I have shot modern commercial ammo to include PPU in mine with no issues, stay away from surplus ammo period. There are those that will tell you to use light hand loads only. So do the research and make your decision on commercial versus light hand loads and then go shoot the "Ole Gal".

Oh and you use a standard 8mm stripper clip to load it.

Price wise I don't know what current values are, I paid $200.00 for mine 5 years ago. Some one smarter will be along to chime in on the price.

Mine was complete minus the sling and bayonet which I have since added.

http://www.russian-mosin-nagant-forum.c ... +88#p97470

[sgtheindl]

I have shot modern commercial ammo to include PPU in mine with no issues, stay away from surplus ammo period. There are those that will tell you to use light hand loads only. So do the research and make your decision on commercial versus light hand loads and then go shoot the "Ole Gal".

Oh and you use a standard 8mm stripper clip to load it.

OK thanks for the info on the ammo, good news there. It was a similar situation with my Krag. Some said no modern 6.5x55 and some said they've done thousands of rounds that way. Its churned through 500+ now haha. Glad i saved some stripper clips from a Romanian crate I shot through a few years back.

[SA1911a1]

How about a pic of the bottom of the magazine well. I suspect it is an 88/05.

$400.00 sounds a little steep to me as well. I bought a nice one late last year for about $250.00, and another not quite as nice a year earlier for $200.00. I have shot both, but not with my surplus ammo. Modern 8mm is not loaded as hot as surplus and is a much safer bet. You might shoot a ton of 8mm surplus with no problems and no warnings and then have it come apart on you. (or it could do it on the second round) Its just not worth it.

[sgtheindl]

How about a pic of the bottom of the magazine well. I suspect it is an 88/05.

$400.00 sounds a little steep to me as well. I bought a nice one late last year for about $250.00, and another not quite as nice a year earlier for $200.00. I have shot both, but not with my surplus ammo. Modern 8mm is not loaded as hot as surplus and is a much safer bet. You might shoot a ton of 8mm surplus with no problems and no warnings and then have it come apart on you. (or it could do it on the second round) Its just not worth it.

The bottom of the magazine well has the permanent plate stamped 1914 on it. I'll get a better picture of it tomorrow when I go back into work. Thanks!

[sgtheindl]

Forgot about this picture.

[target]

The Romanian surplus ammo is good to go in these rifles. To be honest it's all I shoot in it. Its loaded lighter that other surplus and has a smaller diameter bullet. Honestly I wish I would have bought a few tins of that stuff before it all dried up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_46JBbQIDSQ&t=682s

[ffuries]

Forgot about this picture.

Now you need to figure out what unit those regimental markings are for. It'll tell you what Prussian units it served with prior to be surplused out to Turkey.

[Longcolt44]

Hey, I got one of those.

1891 GEW 88 25.jpg

[Junk Yard Dog]

Another 1888/05 or 88/14, second one I have seen on the board this morning. Nice find, these used to be very common but in the last 10 years they have pulled a fade. For awhile there I was seeing were rifles missing key bolt components that are not easy to find.

[sgtheindl]

Another 1888/05 or 88/14, second one I have seen on the board this morning. Nice find, these used to be very common but in the last 10 years they have pulled a fade. For awhile there I was seeing were rifles missing key bolt components that are not easy to find.

From my observations this one has all of it correct parts on the bolt. I cancelled my hold on it this morning as it seems the price is just too high. I love this gun and the history that seeps from it but a bad deal is a bad deal. The $400 was my price as an outfitter, it will be $500 on the floor. If it sits for a year I can get it for cost which is $350...yea they overpaid.

Thanks everyone for the responses and info!!!

[Junk Yard Dog]

Oh well, keep an eye on it, you never know when the boss might decide the shelves are too crowded and it's sale time.

[awalker1829]

Bottom line with the Gew 88 family is that you should determine the actual bore diameter by slugging it. The Germans changed the bore diameter during the rifle's service life and not all of the rifles got modified. I have two S barrel Gew 88s-an 1889 Danzig 88/05 and an 1890 Spandau straight Gew 88. The 88/05 has a .321 diameter bore and the straight 88 has a .318 diameter bore.

Modern commercial 8mm x 57 should be safe to shoot. Privi's load uses a .318 bullet that's basically a "lawyer" load-assuming that the shooter will shoot it out of something like a Gew 88 without actually verifying the bore diameter.

[target]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMs5RRTpEPw

Here is a great video on what they did with the rifles during their service lives. Quite a bit actually happened to these guns and a lot of it is misunderstood by US collectors.

[awalker1829]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMs5RRTpEPw

Here is a great video on what they did with the rifles during their service lives. Quite a bit actually happened to these guns and a lot of it is misunderstood by US collectors.

Yep. Good old Beardy and company did a good job.

[bunkysdad]

Ok help me here. You know that cost is 350.00 but 400.00 is too high? Ask anyone that paid 250.00 5 years ago if they would sell you theirs for the same 250.00? I already know the answer. If you don't really want it to badly then no big deal, but if you really like it I'd go buy it if you have the cash. It found you, not the other way around. Good luck.

[tailgunner67]

I feel the same way as bunkysdad. If you want it, get it. As long as you are not spending the rent money. They have not made these since before WW1. They are pretty hard to find and you may never get one if you wait.

[bunkysdad]

I traded a nice shotgun for the one I have. A lightly Turked 1891 Spandau and I am so happy to be it's caretaker. It is one of my most interesting rifles, and the longest. [emoji14]

[tailgunner67]

Before I bought mine the oldest weapon I had was a Finnish M39 with a 1905 Tula tang or my 1903 32 long Smith and Wesson hand ejector. mine is a 1890 Spandau 1888/05.

[sgtheindl]

Ok help me here. You know that cost is 350.00 but 400.00 is too high? Ask anyone that paid 250.00 5 years ago if they would sell you theirs for the same 250.00? I already know the answer. If you don't really want it to badly then no big deal, but if you really like it I'd go buy it if you have the cash. It found you, not the other way around. Good luck.

You make a good point I just think that they paid a little much from the go. It's not as bad of a deal as I'm making it out to be in my head. Thank you for the insight! I have a few days to think about it.