The Gewehr 88 thread.

[cchris]

I couldn't find a thread solely dedicated to this rifle in general, but I'm asking anyone who owns this to give me some info on it - the general questions that people ask, minus the overly generic ones (i.e. "which AR lower?"). I don't know much about it - how accurate it is, how it compares to the 98, the bolt, etc. but I'd certainly like to own one, and they seem pretty reasonable in price.

 

[Rampant_Colt]

I have 3 parts rifles that i plan on turning into one decent shooter.
Centerfire Systems may still have a few available.


http://www.gunloads.com/fam/swedenelson/album2.htm

Careful of older .318 dia barrels, because modern 8mm ammo is .323 dia

 

[jimmyraythomason]

It is easy to tell if an 88 has been modified to .323,just look for a large "S" stamped on the bottom of the barrel and sometimes the receiver. MOST were converted but there is a very small number that remain. I recommend a military surplus specific forum for serious questions.

 

[blkbird513]

Here's a link or two...

cchris:

Here's a link or two...

http://www.texastradingpost.com/m88/commission88.html
http://www.gunloads.com/fam/swedenelson/album2.htm
http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?t=82466&highlight=danzig
http://www.gew88.com/Gew_88_Assembly_Diagram.htm
http://www.cruffler.com/trivia-December99.html

Enjoy,

JOHNC

 

[dirtyjim]

i have a 88 sporter in 6.5x55 swede. i need to start working up the stock for it. right now it just has a cut up militarty stock. i'm going add side panels & rework the front of the stock into a schable, add a fore end key then reshape the butt before i have it duplicated. i'm still trying to decide on what i want for the buttstock, i may do a straight shotgun style or possibly a rounded pistol grip, either way it will get a lot of drop & a little bit of cast off.
it has 3 leaf express sights, i've got the first leaf sighted for 100 yards i still need to work the other two for 200 & 300 yards. i'll weld on a butterknife bolt handle too before i have everything rust blued.


after this one is done i'm going to do another one in 9mm mauser with a color case harrdened receiver & triggerguard & a octagon to round barrel

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Impressive rifles for their time; very smooth actions, and many are quite accurate.

Regardless of whether yours was converted to .323, do NOT shoot any milsurp ammo in these old rifles. If it was converted to spitzer ammo / .323, then any factory 8mm ammo is fine, as it is dumbed down. These actions are not overly strong, so you have to be very careful. Weak handloads with cast bullets are best of all to be safe.

 

[cchris]

I'm still a little confused about the 88 - weren't these originally 7.92x57? I forgot about this thread after it disappeared off the list of threads, so..."bump".