Infanteriegewehr M.88, Gew. 88, Commission Rifle
The German Rifle Testing Commission initially tried to develop a way to convert the many Gew 71/84 rifles into having a viable smokeless powder action; however the decision was to design a completely new weapon. The Commission chose not to involve or consult the Mausers. The result was the look of the Lebel, a Mauser-style action, Mannlicher magazine, a jacketed barrel, and a cartridge copied from the Swiss.
The Gew 88 was designed to use for the 7.9 × 57J, which is considerably smaller than the 11 mm round of the Gew 71.
A total of 1,675,000 Gew 88s were produced from 1889 to 1897.
Read more about this topic: German Military Rifles
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