V C Schilling 88 Suhl 1890

A

Allan Dake

Inactive
I inherited this Rifle with a cal. of 8mm and it is in excellant condition. I may be interested in selling it, but do not know the value or where it was manufactured etc. I would apprecaite any information. The serial number is 6413C, it is a very smooth operating bolt action rifle with sling.
 
I assume that Gew. 88 is on the left side of the receiver, and V C Schilling, Suhl, is on the top of the receiver ring.

If that is correct, it is a Model 1888 German rifle, usually called the "Commission Rifle" because it was designed by an army commission using what they considered the best features of several designs being considered. It is sometimes called a Mauser, but that is not correct and it has little in common with any Mauser design.

The original caliber is what we call 8mm Mauser, BUT it was the old cartridge with the small (.318" diameter) bullet. Unless the top of the receiver ring has an "S", the correct ammunition is what is called the 8x57j, a cartridge that is not readily available any more. It should not be fired with modern (.323" bullet, 8x57js) ammunition or any 8mm surplus ammo. If the "S" is present, modern or surplus ammunition may be used.

If the rifle is unconverted, it must be loaded with a 5-round "en bloc" clip, which falls out the bottom of the action when the last round is fed into the chamber. The clip is easily recognized by the large round hole on each side. The conversion included not only the "S" mark, but the installation of a stripper clip guide and a device to allow the gun to be loaded from standard Mauser 98 clips.

Jim
 
Ja, Schilling and a number of other European gunsmiths did a lot of work on the 1888, no matter how obsolete and weak we think it is nowadays. I once saw a 9x57 that retained nothing '88 but the bolt and receiver. New 9x57 barrel, new sporter stock, DST, and most interesting, a new flush magazine. Looked like a '98 floorplate and guard but inside it was all different with complex lifter and spring under the follower.

These things sell in the upper hundreds of bucks to the low teens, but are slow to move in spite of fine workmanship because they aren't Magnums.
 
The old Commission Rifle has a small ring, but I don't think it is weak. It was not a bad rifle at all, and it is worth noting that it is a smooth operating, fast loading (en-bloc clip) and powerful rifle, adopted when the U.S. was using the trapdoor Springfield. I have no doubt which one I would have wanted to have in a battle.

Jim
 
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