kuduae
(.400 member)
14/08/19 09:18 PM
Re: ID help Wanted - is this a Haenel or a sporter 88 Commission

From 1890 to 1896 the Suhl companies C.G. Haenel and V.C. Schilling made about 250 000 M88 carbines for the German armies. After the governmet contracts were done, they continued to make M88 actioned rifles and carbines in varius chamberings for export, mostly to China and South America, and for civilian sales too. Up to WW1 they made sporting rifles on their actions too. These sporters came in as many grades and calibers as Heinz mixed pickles to suit tastes and budgets of customers. Economy models came with round barrels , while high grades had half octagonal, ribbed barrels, fancy wood and engraving. Though Mauser 98 actions and the improved Haenel model 1900 and 1909 became available, many hunters preferred the cheaper and familiar (from their military service) M88 actioned sporters. So the Suhl guntrade, including Haenel, continued to offer such sporters. As customary with the German guntrade then, such sporters are often not openly marked by the real Suhl maker. This allowed a retailer or wholesaler to offer them as "their own special product".
From the 1911 ALFA catalog:

This is such a rifle, built in Suhl on a new made M88 carbine action. It is a basic grade sporter with just the double set trigger and a bit of engraving added. As the serial number is marked on the buttplate, it was made by Haenel 1912 - 14.



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