Frequently asked questions about the
GEW88 COMMISSION RIFLE.
>From the NRA reprint "Mauser Rifles", item number PB 01750, $2.95 plus $3.50 shipping from NRA Sales at 800-233-5459: To strip the bolt, hold it firmly and rotate cocking piece a quarter turn to left. Pull bolt head forward out of bolt. Remove extractor by sliding it forward and outward from bolt head. Ejector is retained by peening the bolt head and should be removed only for repair. Place nose of firing pin against a wood block and hold downward on bolt. Depress safety with thumb and unscrew firing pin nut. Ease pressure on bolt and lift off safety, safety spring and cocking piece. Firing pin and firing pin spring come out through front of bolt. Warning - It is possible to fire this gun without the bolt head installed, and (understatement of the year) this would be dangerous. Accordingly, be sure the bolt head is in gun before firing.
In " The Bayonet : Evolution and History" by Evans & Stevens. It indicates that the German Model 1871 Infantry sword bayonet was used on Mauser M1871, 71-84, and M1888 Commission Rifles. It has a brass hilt, diagonally grooved on one side only with an OA length of 596mm/23.46 inches, a 467mm/18.38 inch blade, and a 17mm/.669 inch muzzle ring. The blade is fullered from a few inches forward of the "S" shaped guard, to about 3/4 of it's length. It has a "beak" on the pommel.
There are several Ersatz (last ditch) bayonets that will fit and are correct for some M88s, especially the Turkish marked rifles. M1893 Turkish bayonets may fit the Turkish variation of the rifle that is missing the barrel jacket.
They're all variations of the same basic catridge. 8x57mm came out originally in 1888, for the German Commission rifle of that year. The cartridge was designed by commitee.. Original bullet diameter was .318" and the bullet was a about 196gr or around 14,70 grams and in a round nose configuration. This was the 8x57J. J begins the German word for Infantry or Jnfanterie. Then sometime about 1904, credited to a man by the name of Arthur Gleinich. they decided to go with the new spitzer bullets and also increased the diameter to .323", which made the 8x57JS. S for Spitzer or Spitzgeschoss. This military 8mm had by then become a popular sporting cartridge., but many of the early single-shot and double rifles could not handle rimless cases due to their extractor/ejector design - a rimmed case was needed and thus was born the rimmed variant of 8x57, the 8x57JR (J for "Infantry", R for "Rimmed") and, later, the 8x57JRS (Spitzer). Note that many U.S. 8x57 commercial hunting ammo manufacturers use .321 diameter bullets. Supposedly this is out of concern that someone will shoot the ammo in the old .318 J-bore and thus meeting half way between the old and modern 8mm diameter. Though new American ammo is generally loaded to lower pressures for the same reasons, it may not be a good idea to shoot jacketed .321 ammo through the old .318 grooved barrels. Also note that I have received reports of S marked barrels on M88 rifles that actually are not a S bore. I recommend slugging the barrel diameter of any M1888 regardless of markings before selecting proper ammo for it. This is all from my recollection and notes from posts on the Curio and Relic listserve over the last three years. If anyone sees a mistake or has information to add, please feel free and email me so that I can make changes.
According to the NRA reprint on Mauser rifles, the M1888 Commission Rifles can be found in original condition or with either of two modifications done to the magazine: - originally, they used an enbloc clip which fell out the open bottom of the magazine when empty. Some were modified with a dust cover to close the bottom of the magazine and a spring to eject the empty enbloc clip through the top of the magazine. The third variation was modified to use stripper clips instead of enbloc clips, these rifles (to quote the article) "used a dust cover over the magazine bottom, but changed the arm from a clip-loader to a charger-loader. This change was accomplished by cutting charger slots in the receiver and fitting a spring-loaded cartridge retaining rib in the upper part of the magazine."