The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

ovenpaa wrote:I am now the proud owner of a Gew88/05 that is in dire need of a new barrel so thought it was time to resurrect this thread to see if you did re-barrel your rifle Targetman.

Also I need some spares for mine, does anyone know of a European source for such things before I resort to the USA

You could give this chap a try;
http://www.historica-shop.eu/Ersatzteil ... -G88-G-91/
I have got a couple of bits and pieces for my M1886 Kropatschek from them and the bits always turned up! Good prices too.

What about Kirk Emerich at by sword and musket, I know he has just fitted a walther barrel to a K98, so might be worth a go.

When I'm looking for something, I usually find the manufacturer's website to be invaluable.

"UK Custom Shop, 2 Oist House Close GB-B60 4NW Brommsgrove, tel: 0044 1527 879794
R. J. Harvey, Raddle Farm GB-B79 9JR Staffordshire
Patrick Alexander James Croft, GB-BA9 8DZ Wincanton, Somerset, tel: 0044 1963440847
Matthew Greenall, Home Farm, Elsenham GB-CM22 6DR Herts., tel: 0044 870787 4556
HPS TR Ltd. GB-GL18 1EP Newent Gloucestershire, tel: 0044 1531 822 641
Chris Everitt, Fairview House, Down Haterley Lane GB-GL2 9QB Gloucestershire, tel: 0044 1242 870358
G.E. Fulton & Son, Bisley Camp, Brookwood GB-GU24 0NZ Surrey, tel: 0044 1483473204
E.J. Churchill Group Ltd., Park Lane, Lane End GB-HP14 3NS Buckinghamshire, tel: 0044 1494539202
K.M. Hough, GB-HP79NQ Little Chalfont B., tel: 0044 7740104707
Riflecraft Ltd. GB-IP209EH Harleston, Norfolk, tel: 0044 (0)1379 985 3745
Kynamco Limited, The Old Railway Station, GB-IP28 7DT Suffolk, tel: 0044 1638711799
T.W.Chambers & Co. GB-IV16 9WF Dingwall Ross-Shire, tel: +44 (0)1349-832974
PMV Consultants Ltd., Unit 31 Byron Estate GB-NG5 7ER Nottingham, tel: 0044 1159676688
Anglo Custom Rifle Company, Christopher Alan Blackburn GB-NN5 7AD Northampton, tel: 0044 2032067193
Wren Rifles, Andy Rogerson GB-PH62LY Perthshire, tel: 0044 1764670959
RPA International Ltd.., Unit 9, Munday Industrial Est. GB-TN9 1RP Kent, tel: 0044 1732359766"

Meaty wrote: You could give this chap a try;
http://www.historica-shop.eu/Ersatzteil ... -G88-G-91/
I have got a couple of bits and pieces for my M1886 Kropatschek from them and the bits always turned up! Good prices too.

many thanks for the link Meaty, well worth bookmarking for this and future reference.

In truth the barrel for the GEW88 is a straight forward screw in as the sights are mounted on the barrel shroud/tube making alignment unneccesary.

I do now wish I had not got rid of mine it is an interesting piece of history, not really a Mauser at all but a rifle design by a committee, which is why it is properly known as the "Commission" rifle.

They can often be found with an "S" stamped on th receiver and a notch machined in the face of the receiver, this denotes that the chamber has been alted to accomodate the Spitzer bullet. People often think this means that you can use modern 8X57 ammo....DONT DO IT...!!!

The chamber may have been altered but the barrel has not....the maximum bullet diameter for the barrel is .318" the modern ammo is .323"...it may not seem much but that extra .005" in a high pressure cartridge with jacketed bullets in a rifle that is now about 120 years old could lead to disaster....even with carefully downloaded handloads I got case separation and with modern PPU ammo total case split, neck and base...

targetman wrote:In truth the barrel for the GEW88 is a straight forward screw in as the sights are mounted on the barrel shroud/tube making alignment unneccesary.

I do now wish I had not got rid of mine it is an interesting piece of history, not really a Mauser at all but a rifle design by a committee, which is why it is properly known as the "Commission" rifle.

They can often be found with an "S" stamped on th receiver and a notch machined in the face of the receiver, this denotes that the chamber has been alted to accomodate the Spitzer bullet. People often think this means that you can use modern 8X57 ammo....DONT DO IT...!!!

The chamber may have been altered but the barrel has not....the maximum bullet diameter for the barrel is .318" the modern ammo is .323"...it may not seem much but that extra .005" in a high pressure cartridge with jacketed bullets in a rifle that is now about 120 years old could lead to disaster....even with carefully downloaded handloads I got case separation and with modern PPU ammo total case split, neck and base...

Was this using the 8x57 IS or the 8mm Muaser ammunition provided by Privi? They make a differentiation with velocities as shown on their website, with the latter being the lower velocity (with equal weight bullets, 198gr). I've shot both in my Zastava M48 and the latter was definitely a very mild load requiring me to adjust the sights to 500m to get POI on POA at 100m.

8x57 IS with 198gr FMJ, v0 = 740m/s
8mm Mauser with 198gr FMJ, v0= 665m/s

So even though they are the same calibre, perhaps the Privi loading of 8mm Mauser would be safe to use?

DL. wrote:When I'm looking for something, I usually find the manufacturer's website to be invaluable.

"UK Custom Shop, 2 Oist House Close GB-B60 4NW Brommsgrove, tel: 0044 1527 879794
R. J. Harvey, Raddle Farm GB-B79 9JR Staffordshire
Patrick Alexander James Croft, GB-BA9 8DZ Wincanton, Somerset, tel: 0044 1963440847
Matthew Greenall, Home Farm, Elsenham GB-CM22 6DR Herts., tel: 0044 870787 4556
HPS TR Ltd. GB-GL18 1EP Newent Gloucestershire, tel: 0044 1531 822 641
Chris Everitt, Fairview House, Down Haterley Lane GB-GL2 9QB Gloucestershire, tel: 0044 1242 870358
G.E. Fulton & Son, Bisley Camp, Brookwood GB-GU24 0NZ Surrey, tel: 0044 1483473204
E.J. Churchill Group Ltd., Park Lane, Lane End GB-HP14 3NS Buckinghamshire, tel: 0044 1494539202
K.M. Hough, GB-HP79NQ Little Chalfont B., tel: 0044 7740104707
Riflecraft Ltd. GB-IP209EH Harleston, Norfolk, tel: 0044 (0)1379 985 3745
Kynamco Limited, The Old Railway Station, GB-IP28 7DT Suffolk, tel: 0044 1638711799
T.W.Chambers & Co. GB-IV16 9WF Dingwall Ross-Shire, tel: +44 (0)1349-832974
PMV Consultants Ltd., Unit 31 Byron Estate GB-NG5 7ER Nottingham, tel: 0044 1159676688
Anglo Custom Rifle Company, Christopher Alan Blackburn GB-NN5 7AD Northampton, tel: 0044 2032067193
Wren Rifles, Andy Rogerson GB-PH62LY Perthshire, tel: 0044 1764670959
RPA International Ltd.., Unit 9, Munday Industrial Est. GB-TN9 1RP Kent, tel: 0044 1732359766"

Unfortunately, I have moved, and changed number too.
If you are interested PM me. I still have the LW Import Price list on the wall here, unfortunately that also is out of date. I did find Sabine from LW very helpful but she did insist I attempted to speak German when placing the orders before I could fall back on the old native tongue.

Arthur Smith