1892 CG Haenel Kar88

[Cj556]

I stopped at one of my favorite gun shops on a Friday night. Nothing there struck my fancy. Drove another forty or so miles to Cabelas. Saw an Argentine 1891 Carbine on the racks but passed. Went inside the gun library didn’t see much at first but almost missed this little Kar88 hidden in one of the cabinets. Managed to talk them down a hundred bucks and I was quite happy. The gun is all matching and was updated for the spitzer bullet. The front band has a train battalion unit marking and this is my first and only Gew88 variant.

[Longcolt44]

Nice but how about some history on these?

[awalker1829]

Is it ALL matching? SN should be on the bolt head, bolt body, cocking piece, receiver, barrel jacket, barrel, barrel band, nose cap, stock (under the barrel jacket), magazine and the two bottom screws.

I have a Haenel Kar88 myself and every part other than nose cap is matching. Barrel is totally in the white-NO rust anywhere. To check the SN on the barrel, you will have to totally strip the gun down and remove the barrel jacket-it’s threaded onto the receiver and should come off without too much effort. Now you need the sling for it.

PS-slug the bore. Don’t count on markings to determine what bullet diameter is safe. Mine has the S and dot but reads .318 when slugged. They were originally chambered for 7.92x57I, so you can’t go wrong with that loading. .321 or .323 will result in higher pressures and more wear.

[Phosphorus32]

Very nice! The carbines are definitely scarce.

It should slug to .318”. The barrels were generally not changed out. The S mark meant the neck of the chamber was reamed out to fit the new Patrone S cartridge and the forcing cone lengthened to give the .323” diameter bullet more distance to be staged down.

[awalker1829]

Another thing about the Kar88 is that very few of them saw combat use. It took three years to get all of the manufacturers production lines up and running. Also, the Germans began withdrawing them to store once the Kar98s were being issued and by 1906, the Kar88s were being sold as surplus to arms dealers and civilians. Many were crafted into fine hunting rifles.

[Fledge]

Very cool!

[Junk Yard Dog]

Very cool find, some of these did see combat use during the great war. Pretty much anything in Europe that would shoot saw some sort of use during the war. The Germans issued these and even 1871, and 71/84 Mausers to troops in the less active areas, or the rear, many went to the Navy. I have one GEW88 that was captured by American troops during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, it was brought home, marked with a VFW post number and hung on a wall for 80 years at the post. Another common use for them was colonial troops, but Germany lost the colony's it had after the Great War.

[awalker1829]

I suspect that the Patrone S modification was intended for “emergency” use. Woodleigh produces a 7.92x57I weldcore bullet for the old German rifles that is VERY good and not terribly expensive. Since I have several guns with bores of .318 to .321 diameter, I use the 7.92x57I as my default Mauser cartridge.

[Cj556]

It’s all matching but the screws are unnumbered.

[Cj556]

The Gew88 was the first smokeless rifle adopted by the German military. It was a clip fed 8mm rifle adopted in 1888 after the French came out with the Lebel. The Kar88 and Gew91 were the Carbine versions of the Gew88. Despite being replaced by the Gew98 Mauser they continued to be used, as Junkyard Dog said in the Great War. Later many were sent to Turkey.

[awalker1829]

Screws must be replacements then. Not a big deal if it’s just a shooter but that would ding the value as a collectible-original screws have the last two digits of the SN and a proof mark. Yes, the Germans proof marked the screws.

I’m pretty familiar with the 88 and Lebel. Got an original GEW88, GEW88/05, M1886/M93, Berthier M1892 carbine and M1892/M16 carbine. Clips for the M1892/M16 are worth a bit of money-market price now is about $30 each.