(The article below originally appeared in the May, 1997, Issue 77, Military Rifle Journal, pages 116 - 125. It is being reprinted here because of interest in these rifles. If you own one of these rifles, or know of one, it would be helpful if you would fill out a data sheet on your rifle.)

by Stan Zielinski

A typical example of the Chinese version of the German Model 88 rifle

In the December 1995 issue of the Military Rifle Journal in a BAR (Bibliographic Additions Request) I asked for references on the Chinese version of the German Model 88 rifle. I received not a single response, which would seem to indicate that there is very little printed information on these rifles. So I decided to assemble what information I could find, from both printed material and the rifles themselves. This is what is contained in this article. Any additional information will probably have to come from the rifles themselves. For that reason a data sheet is included on the web site. If you have, or know of, one of these rifles I would appreciate your filling out the data sheet and sending it to me. I will collect the information and use it to revise this article.

The only English language publications on these rifles are the articles [2] and [3] by Kevin Carney. Kevin identified three versions of this rifle: the long rifle with an overall length of 47 - 48 inches and a barrel length of 28.25 inches, the short rifle with a barrel length of 24.5 - 25 inches, and the carbine with a barrel length of 22 - 23 inches. (Barrel lengths apparently not uniform.) The main differences between the Chinese made version and the German Model 88 are:

1. The Chinese version has no barrel jacket.

2. The Chinese version has a wooden handguard.

3. The Chinese version has a heavier barrel and a tangent rear sight.

Early production of this rifle at the Hanyang Arsenal was detailed in [10] and will not be repeated here. Production began in October 1895 and during the first full year of production (1896) only 1300 rifles were produced. ([10], page 258) Total production through 1909 totaled 130,726 rifles ([10], page 261), so monthly production must have been between 1,000 and 2,000 rifles by 1909.

The only published information I know of that shows this rifle in any detail is from [5] which shows each metal part of the Chinese version of the German Model 88, presumably as it was being made at the Kiangnan Arsenal in Shanghai around 1905. These drawings are shown below. In examining these drawings there is one part in particular that is different on the rifle shown in the drawings from any other of these rifles I have observed. The original German design had the front guard screw screwing into a cylinder projecting from the rear bottom of the barrel jacket. The Chinese version did away with the barrel jacket, so, because the front guard screw is located in front of the receiver, something had to be provided for the front guard screw to screw into. On every rifle I have seen this has been a simple rectangular metal block let into the barrel channel. The drawings shown here show a much more elaborate part.

I have made a blow-up of the drawing of this part (below) and would be interested in hearing from any reader who has or has seen a rifle with this part. If anyone can spot other differences from rifles they have, I would appreciate knowing about them as well.

Also included in [5] is the following production table for these rifles and carbines at the Kiangnan Arsenal.

Unfortunately (as you can see from the accompanying drawings) there is no information as to what markings were applied to the rifles nor is there any information on serial numbers used. When I visited the Military Museum in Beijing in 1995 they had on display a copy of the Remington rolling block rifle which had been made in the Kiangnan Arsenal and I was told that there were no markings of any kind on the rifle. Perhaps the rifles made at the Kiangnan Arsenal were unmarked when made and the markings applied later when the rifles were issued.

According to [8], page 83, "large numbers of unaltered guns were sold to China in 1907." Some of these original German Model 88's were reworked in China and several of these are described in the articles [1] and [9]. Many of the original German markings are still visible on these reworked rifles.

In 1910 the Hanyang Arsenal began production of carbines and "improved the rear sight and added a protective wooden cover to its regular Mauser rifle. " ([10], page 261)

How long the Chinese version of the Model 88 continued in production at the Kiangnan Arsenal is not known; but the Chinese version of the Model 88 was being made at the Kaifeng Arsenal in 1922. [7], roll 16, document 2009-136, frame 0594, shows a photograph of a Chinese (worker at the arsenal) holding what is clearly a Chinese version of the Model 88. The caption on the photograph reads "A rifle made in the Kaifeng Arsenal Honan pronince." (Unfortunately I have not been able to reproduce the photograph clear enough to publish here.) How these rifles were marked is not presently known.

The Hanyang Arsenal continued production of the Chinese version right up until the dismantling of the arsenal before the city of Hanyang was captured by the Japanese in 1938. Known rifles from this era are shown in the second table below. All have the arsenal mark of the Hanyang Arsenal, a five pointed star, on the top of the receiver ring. When the Nationalist government relocated to Chungking (Chongqing) the rifle factory of the Hanyang Arsenal was combined with other units to form the 21st Arsenal. Production of the Chinese version of the German Model 88 resumed in 1939 and was phased out in 1944 when the 21st Arsenal began production of the so called Chiang-kai Shek Model Mauser. These Chinese versions of the German Model 88 rifles all have the factory mark of the 21st Arsenal, the reversed swastika, on the top of the receiver ring. Official government production figures for these rifles are:

The photograph at left is from [4], and, as the caption states, shows a "rifle made in this arsenal." (On the same page are 3 other photographs (not shown here) which show 2 interior views of the arsenal, which was located in "central Hobei," and a third photograph of "locally made hand grenades and mortar shells.") The pictures were taken by the book's author in the sununer of 1938. The rifle shown here has the German Model 88 action, but it seems to be some type of short rifle.

Some of these rifles were modified to function without the en bloc clip. Slots were cut on both sides of the magazine well and two metal strips were inserted in the slots so that the strips projected into the magazine well to keep the cartridges from flying out of the magazine when the bolt was opened. The strip on the right side was welded in place, but the strip on the left side was hinged and kept under spring tension to allow the cartridges to be inserted and to be fed properly when the bolt was closed.

Some of these rifles were converted to trainers (by the Japanese?) as described in [1] and [6]. The rifles made into training rifles usually have the trigger guard/magazine assembly replaced by a cast trigger guard without the projecting magazine, the bolt head removed and the firing pin cut off.

As I mentioned above, I have collected over the past few years serial numbers, etc., from a number of these rifles in the hope of developing additional information from the rifles themselves. This information is summarized in the tables below.

Hanyang Arsenal Production

In the receiver marking shown above, the top two characters above the star mean 24, meaning the 24^th year of the Republic of China, or western year 1935. The character below the star means 9 and indicates the 9^th month or September. Hence the rifle with this marking was made in September, 1935.

21^st Arsenal Production

Rifles made at the 21^st Arsenal usually have the crest shown with the Chinese date (left column above) below the crest.

It seems clear that the numbering system was originally a letter followed by a four digit serial number. When Z999 was reached, a number was put in front of the serial number and started at A0001. That is, 1A0001 would be the next serial number after Z999. Since there are 26 letters and 10,000 four digit numbers (actually 9,999 if the number 0000 was not used), A0000 to Z9999 would allow for 260,000 different serial numbers.

Considering that production at the Hanyang Arsenal from 1895 to 1909 was 130,726 rifles, and production at the 21st Arsenal was 206,514 for 1939 - 1943 inclusive, this total does not seem impossible. But where are the rifles with serial numbers below 2C1O21? Were the early rifles reworked and renumbered in some fashion? Note the rifle with serial number 802 made in 1940. Are there other rifles with such a serial number or was this serial number just incorrectly stamped? Any reader comments would be welcome, and, of course, serial numbers and descriptions from actual rifles.

Thanks to Brad Ashmore, Kevin Carney, Vince DiNardi Dick Hobbs, Dave Holley, and Doss White for the information they provided.

1. Carney, Kevin, "Japanese Hangyang Trainers," BANZAI, issue 86, May 1989, pages 131 - 132.

2. Carney, Kevin, "Chinese Model 88 Mauser Rifles, Part I," BANZAI, issue 100, July 1990, pages 187 - 188.

3. Carney, Kevin, "Chinese Model 88 Mauser Rifles, Part 2," BANZAI, issue 101-, August 1990, pages 216 - 217.

4. Lindsay, Michael, The Unknown War: North China 1937 - 1945, Bergstrom & Boyle Limited, London, 1975.

5. Kiangnan Arsenal History, Shanghai, 1905. (In Chinese)

6. Kwilinski, Jerome, "Gew 88 Training Rifle," BANZAI, issue 95, February 1990, page 44.

7. National Archives Microfilm Publication M1444, Correspondence of the Military Intelligence Division Relating to General Political Economic, and Military Conditions in China, 1918 - 1941, G-2 Regional File on China (1922-44), Record Group 165, National Archives Administration Washington, D.C.

8. Walter, John, The German Rifle, Fortress Publications Inc., Ontario, Canada, 1979.

9. Winat, George, "Chinese Rifle with German Gew 88 Action," BANZAI, issue $0, November, 1988, page 304.

10. Zielinski, Stanley, "Chinese Military Rifle Markings, 1864 - 1956: Part 4 - The Hanyang Arsenal" The Military Rifle Journal, issue 59, November 1995, pages 255 - 265.