CollectWW1 Posted 26 August , 2015 Share Posted 26 August , 2015 About 3 months ago I found this Gewehr 88 at a flea-market for a whopping $40 (25 British Pounds)! I hurriedly purchased it before the seller could change his mind. I figured it was a wall-hanger due to its price and I was delighted when it dry-fired (I know that this is damaging but I figured it wasn't all there). It seems to be all there save the cleaning-rod. I don't have a picture of the markings on the breach but I have just about all the other markings. On the breach it reads: SPANDAU 1890 <Imperial crown> "S" Does anyone have any idea if it would have been used or shed any light on the markings? How much do these things usually go for? http://imgur.com/a/jXxnC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thVBGH Posted 26 August , 2015 Share Posted 26 August , 2015 That's a nice one.....In original Gewehr 1888 configuration too, rather than converted at a later date for use with ammunition chargers, rather than the en bloc clips so not either a 88/05 or 88/14. Such conversions included charger guides on the rear of the action and blocking the hole at the base of the magazine well with a spring steel cover. The S indicates conversion to use Spitzer ammunition rather than the older round nosed ammunition. Does seem to be mismatched though, nice markings. Rods appear on a reasonably regular basis.....Value as always is subjective though I've seen some go for $300 to $300 in the US... Good score, well done... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 26 August , 2015 Share Posted 26 August , 2015 Based on the pictures: it is a mix of parts (the numbers would originally have matched) the two digits stamped on the components are the last two digits of the serial number, Is there any indication of a crescent moon marking on the receiver? Quite a lot of the GEW 88s that came into the US in the last few decades came from Turkey. Yours has a nice lot of imperial German markings. I am a bit surprised there are not unit marks on the other side of the barrel band. The "S" indicates it has been modified to use the pointed bullet (Spitzer) "S Patrone" (The 1905 pattern 7.92×57mm Mauser S Patrone) Bit hesitant to give a price as there are so many unknowns IMHO even as a mix and match $40 was a good price. I would have snapped it up at 3x that. The condition of the bore etc is really going to dictate a lot but I would have expected something like that to be between $100-150 at least in my neck of the woods (IL) even if not shootable, if shootable then it goes up a bit. Chris Ha! 4thVBGH and 4thGordons responding - what are the odds! Hi 4th VBGH I have some pics you may be interested in! Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thVBGH Posted 26 August , 2015 Share Posted 26 August , 2015 Hello Chris, Oh we're on the ball....thats why.... I'd be very interested in your pics....Grandfather was 4th VB Gordons 1890's to 1904....Seemed a good choice for a name... Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thVBGH Posted 26 August , 2015 Share Posted 26 August , 2015 Website is great...I'm reading now and will leave this topic to the Gew 88.....My apologies for the diversion... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CollectWW1 Posted 26 August , 2015 Author Share Posted 26 August , 2015 That's a nice one.....In original Gewehr 1888 configuration too, rather than converted at a later date for use with ammunition chargers, rather than the en bloc clips so not either a 88/05 or 88/14. Such conversions included charger guides on the rear of the action and blocking the hole at the base of the magazine well with a spring steel cover. The S indicates conversion to use Spitzer ammunition rather than the older round nosed ammunition. Does seem to be mismatched though, nice markings. Rods appear on a reasonably regular basis.....Value as always is subjective though I've seen some go for $300 to $300 in the US... Good score, well done... Thanks for the information! Greatly appreciated! Website is great...I'm reading now and will leave this topic to the Gew 88.....My apologies for the diversion... Its quite alright. No worries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CollectWW1 Posted 26 August , 2015 Author Share Posted 26 August , 2015 Based on the pictures: it is a mix of parts (the numbers would originally have matched) the two digits stamped on the components are the last two digits of the serial number, Is there any indication of a crescent moon marking on the receiver? Quite a lot of the GEW 88s that came into the US in the last few decades came from Turkey. Yours has a nice lot of imperial German markings. I am a bit surprised there are not unit marks on the other side of the barrel band. The "S" indicates it has been modified to use the pointed bullet (Spitzer) "S Patrone" (The 1905 pattern 7.92×57mm Mauser S Patrone) Bit hesitant to give a price as there are so many unknowns IMHO even as a mix and match $40 was a good price. I would have snapped it up at 3x that. The condition of the bore etc is really going to dictate a lot but I would have expected something like that to be between $100-150 at least in my neck of the woods (IL) even if not shootable, if shootable then it goes up a bit. Chris Ha! 4thVBGH and 4thGordons responding - what are the odds! Hi 4th VBGH I have some pics you may be interested in! Chris There is no Crescent and Star markings for Turkish commission. Thanks for the help! Greatly appreciated, all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gew98 Posted 28 August , 2015 Share Posted 28 August , 2015 Based on the pictures: it is a mix of parts (the numbers would originally have matched) the two digits stamped on the components are the last two digits of the serial number, Is there any indication of a crescent moon marking on the receiver? Quite a lot of the GEW 88s that came into the US in the last few decades came from Turkey. Yours has a nice lot of imperial German markings. I am a bit surprised there are not unit marks on the other side of the barrel band. The "S" indicates it has been modified to use the pointed bullet (Spitzer) "S Patrone" (The 1905 pattern 7.92×57mm Mauser S Patrone) Bit hesitant to give a price as there are so many unknowns IMHO even as a mix and match $40 was a good price. I would have snapped it up at 3x that. The condition of the bore etc is really going to dictate a lot but I would have expected something like that to be between $100-150 at least in my neck of the woods (IL) even if not shootable, if shootable then it goes up a bit. Chris Chris...the change to S patronen wa sin 1903...not 1905. 1905 was the start of the program to modernize the german rifles in use to handle the S patronen...which included rifles and carbines made previous to 1903. Ha! 4thVBGH and 4thGordons responding - what are the odds! Hi 4th VBGH I have some pics you may be interested in! Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4thGordons Posted 28 August , 2015 Share Posted 28 August , 2015 Chris...the change to S patronen wa sin 1903...not 1905. 1905 was the start of the program to modernize the german rifles in use to handle the S patronen...which included rifles and carbines made previous to 1903. Thanks for the correction. Round introduced 1903, Conversions begun in 1905.... got it. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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