Chinese Type 88, Patrone M/88

The Chinese Type 88 was a slightly modified copy of the German Gewehr 88, and chambered in Patrone 88, an early, .318” bore version of 7.92×57mm Mauser. It was initially produced by the Hanyang Arsenal, so it’s often referred to as the “Hanyang”. It used the same Mannlicher style loading system as in Gewehr 88, with a sheet metal clip that was loaded from the top, and fell out through the bottom of the receiver when it was empty.

The Type 88 was made between 1895 and 1947, and mainly used by Chinese forces. Large amounts were also captured and used by the Japanese army during WWII. After becoming obsolete, they were used as drill rifles so most Type 88’s lived a long and hard life, to the point of being totally unserviceable. However, it’s said that some Chinese troops were still armed with Type 88’s when entering Korea in 1950.

When you find these rifles in the US, they are normally in a sad state. They will usually be mismatched, with parts missing and cracked, incomplete stocks, so finding one in this condition is uncommon. It’s mismatched, but appears to be entirely complete except for the cleaning rod. The stock is in very good condition, there are no cracks, chips or warping and the large, branded cartouches are in excellent condition. The bore is in surprisingly good condition for a Type 88, with bright, sharp lands and dark grooves.

NOTE: The previous owner was an experienced handloader and knew how to load the old style Patrone 88, so he shot this rifle on occasion. We can still not guarantee that it’s safe to fire, so we are selling it as a collectible only. It is definitely not safe to fire with the later 7.92×57 IS (commonly called 8mm Mauser) ammunition used in the Karabiner 98k and others, since the bore diameter is smaller.

C&R eligible. – SOLD