Mannlicher M1888

Repeating Rifle Muster 1888
Mannlicher M1888 rifle, from the collections of theSwedish Army Museum.
Type	Bolt-action rifle
Place of origin	Austria-Hungary
Service history
In service	1888 — Present
Used by	SeeUsers
Wars	Chilean Civil War First Sino-Japanese War Philippine Revolution International intervention on the island of Crete Boxer Rebellion Second Boer War Xinhai Revolution First Balkan War Second Balkan War World War I Russian Civil War Austro-Slovene conflict in Carinthia Revolutions and interventions in Hungary Hungarian–Czechoslovak War Polish–Ukrainian War Retaking of Czech Borderland (1918-1919) Polish–Czechoslovak War Polish–Soviet War Greco-Turkish War Pacification of Libya Second Italo-Ethiopian War Spanish Civil War Sudeten German uprising 1938 World War II(limited) Greek Civil War 1948 Palestine war
Production history
Designer	Ferdinand von Mannlicher
Designed	1887–1888
Manufacturer	Steyr-Mannlicher,Fegyver És Gépgyár
Produced	1888–1896
No.built	1,095,000
Variants	M1888-90, M1888-95, M1888/24
Specifications (M88)
Mass	4.41 kg (9.7 lb)
Length	1,280 mm (50 in)
Barrellength	765 mm (30.1 in)
Cartridge	M888×52mmR M88-90 and M88-95:8×50mmR M88/24:8×57mm IS
Action	Straight-pullbolt action
Muzzle velocity	530 metres per second (1,700 ft/s) with M1888 ball cartridge
Feed system	5-rounden-bloc clip(stripper clip in M88/24), integralbox magazine
Sights	Iron sights

Within military8 mm firearms,theRepeating Rifle Mannlicher 1888,better known as theMannlicher M1888,was abolt-action rifleused by several armies from 1888 to 1945. Derived from theM1885and laterM1886models, it wasFerdinand Mannlicher's third rifle that utilized the "en bloc clip".

It was succeeded by theMannlicher M1895as the standardservice rifleof theAustro-Hungarian Army.The M95 uses a more securerotating-bolt,in contrast to the M88's wedge-lock bolt.

History

Mannlicher M1888 mechanism.

The M1888 was a direct and immediate descendant of theM1886 Austrian Mannlicher.This rifle too was a straight-pull, bolt-action, box magazine repeater. As early as the beginning of production of the M1886 the need and desirability for a small-bore rifle was evident. This rifle is virtually identical to its predecessor but for chambering a newly designed 8 mm cartridge, loaded originally with black powder and denominated8×52mmR.

ASlovenesoldier of theAustro-Hungarian Common Armyposing with his M1888 service rifle and fixed bayonet.

M1888-90 rifle

Shortly thereafter, the M88 cartridge was converted to semi-smokeless powder. The new cartridge was designated8mm M.1890 scharfe Patroneand its dimensions were8×50mmR.Thesightsof existingblack powder8mm Mannlicher rifles were converted to accommodate semi-smokeless ammunition by the functional arrangement of screw mounting re-graduated sideplates onto the outsides of the existing rear sight walls. The converted rifles were denominated M.88–90.

M1890 rifle

Not to be confused withMannlicher M1890 carbine.

When in 1890 semi-smokeless powder became available, manufacture of rifles with a longer and thus stronger chamber and modified sights began. Although thesmokeless powderfilledM.938×50mmR cartridge can be used in this rifle, the generated pressure at 40,000 psi (275.8 MPa) is marginal, as the wedge-lock bolt system this rifle uses was originally designed to be shot with less-potent black powder filled with11×58mmRammunition.

Kuaili 1888 Kiangnan rifle 7.62x55

China also used this rifle extensively during the Qing dynasty and the Republican era. China first bought Mannlicher 88 rifles before the First Sino-Japanese War in 1894–1895 and after that started production of the unlicensed Kuaili 1888 Kiangnan copy.

Users

• Austria-Hungary
• First Austrian Republic
• Boers
• Kingdom of Bulgaria
• China
• Brazil:Both sides during theFederalist Revolution.
• Republic of China (1912–28)
• Chile
• Czechoslovakia
• Sudeten German Party
• Ecuador
• Ethiopian Empire:Some M88/90s would be cut-down to carbine length. These are functionally identical to standard M88/90s.
• Nazi Germany:Used byVolkssturm.
• Kingdom of Greece:Captured from Bulgaria during theSecond Balkan Warand at the end of World War I.
• Haganah
• Kingdom of Hungary
• India
• Kingdom of Italy
• Persia
• Philippines
• Second Polish Republic
• Kingdom of Romania:BeforeSecond Balkan WarRomania bought circa 60.000 Mannlicher M.90 andM.95.During World War I a number of M.88-90 and M.90 Mannlichers were captured from Bulgarian and Austria-Hungarian forces. Others were provided as reparations after the war. They were still in use during World War II
• Russian Empire
• Soviet Russia
• Kingdom of Serbia
• Kingdom of Siam:According to Steyr sales records, 15,000 M1888 rifles were furnished to Siam, most in the 1890s. Some may have been used items, sold from Austrian military stocks.
• Spain
• Second Spanish Republic
• United Kingdom:Captured in Ethiopia, used by African or Indian troops in Garrison/Guard duties in Abyssinia in the 1941-42 period, and then ended up (along with all the rest of the captured Equipment) in India, the more modern rifles (M95s and Carcanos) and MGs, going to front line training ( Burma Front) and the rest (like M88) to straight training units and guard duty in the boonies of India.
• Kingdom of Yugoslavia

References

• "8 x 50 R Mannlicher - www.militaryrifles.com/Austria/88Mann.htm".militaryrifles.com. Archived fromthe originalon 14 June 2012.Retrieved22 November2013.