88 GEWEHR

[CartridgeCalls]

Are most chambered in 8mm Mauser? Also known as 7.92X57.

[Spaffo]

Yes, but don't fire hot mil surp in it. If it doesn't have the "S" stamp, you can't fire modern Spitzer(sp?) ammo at all.

[CartridgeCalls]

I was going to use old milsurp greek/yugo 8mm in it.

[Quiet]

AFAIK...
The Mauser Gewehr 1888 was chambered in the old style 7.92x57mm ammo, then some were later rechambered in the new style 7.92x57mm ammo.

If it does not have a "S" stamp, then it can only use the old style 7.92x57mm Mauser ammo.
If it has a "S" stamp, then it can use the new style 7.92x57mm Mauser ammo.

Old style ammo on left, new style ammo on right.


Using/forcing the new style ammo in a non-"S" stamp rifle can cause the firearm to kaboom due to the firearm not being rated to handle the chamber pressures of the new style ammo.

[mycrstuff]

I would slug the bore to see what diameter bullet it uses .318 or .323. Shooting a .323 bullet in a .318 barrel can be dangerous. After WW I a lot of guns blew up from using .323 bullets. That is why commercial 8MM is loaded light in the USA.

[IVC]

Yugo military ammo used in M48 has spitzer bullets. But I think the OP is asking *whether* the rifle is "8 Mauser" or not - that's a much trickier issue if there are no markings on the barrel, especially if it's an old rifle in unknown condition.

[CGZ]

The Gewher 88 "commission rifle" was originally in patrone 88, the parent case for the 8x57mm. As others have stated, many of the G88s were converted to fire the 8x57 and would be marked with a S on the barrel.

The wiki artile for Patrone 88 is good enough and you can also watch the G88 and G88/05 episode by C&Rsenal on Youtube for more info.

[Spaffo]

20190221_172007.jpg

20190130_153043.jpgHere is the "S" meaning it's been converted to the spitzer. I shoot Romanian milsurp in imy 1890 G88. I've been told some of the old Turkish milsurp is too hot due to powder deterioration, but that may be urban legend. Your results may vary. LOL

[CartridgeCalls]

Thanks guys, it is marked S on the receiver

[smle-man]

Turkey rebarreled a bunch of 88/05 rifles with modern .323 bore barrels and designated them 88/05/35, safe to shoot with .323 bullet 8mm rounds.

This one was a fine shooter but the 88 action doesn't handle ruptured cases well so be careful shooting 1954 dated Yugo ball that have had some base failures.

[Spaffo]

Mine is a "Turked" 88/05, but was not rebarreled in 1935 (88/05/35 model). It still has the original German barrel with shroud and several different German unit markings.

[hambam105]

Cool Deer Rifle.