Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Mausers and Military Rifles 1939 Ankara Gewehr 1888

Hi,
I have just acquired one of these and done some reading to try to learn more about it. Not much out there but Wikipedia was very thorough... and so I gather that it started life in Germany as a Gewehr 88 Comission rifle. Then it was given to the Turkish Army during WW1 and later had arsenal work done during the interwar years. Mine is stamped 1939 under the typical Ankara ASFA ring stamp and has all the features of those conversions including a new barrel, new bluing on receiver, mismatched bolt serial number and wood hand guard on top. I think the stripper clip lugs were riveted on in Germany prior to WW1.

It's my understanding that with proper headspacing, it is safe to fire the low energy US manufactured 8mm loadings and similar PPU 8mm ammo. It would not be safe to use the hotter S&B, Norma or Hornady stuff even though the Ankara conversion barrel was intended for .323 JS military cartridges. Any advice or additional information about these rifles is welcome.

Mark

All I can add is I remember them being sold out of the gun magazines in the 70s.

Apparently this rifle is more familiarly know as the Gewehr 1888/05/35. The first two numbers are German model and conversion designations and the last is the Turkish conversion designation. I have seen them dated as late as 1941 but I guess the project started in 1935.

I had one for while, neat old rifles.

https://www.turkmauser.com/gew88/

Thanks for the info sheet. Anyone know about 1888 markings? Mine has what may be residual stamps on the front ring close to the breach, a D on the left and a G on the right with space in between. Definitely not stamped the same way as the Ankara additions.

I've seen a photo of another one with the same and I think the guy believed it had previously been stamped DANZIG before being Turked. Was curious where to look for original manufacture markings. I see the imperial inspection stamps all over and know that some were made by Loewe (later made 1898 mausers as DWM in Berlin), Steyr Mannlicher and several others (except Mauser).

Check out https://forums.gunboards.com/

Thanks again craigster, there's some good info there. A fellow on YT did about 6 vids on the G1888 and mods, variants etc. He only touched on the Turkish line but he did show a surviving Danzig made gun that was not sent to Turkey and it had DANZIG in large capital letters with the D and G in the same places as mine. Question answered.