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Well, these are M88 military rifles the Suhl gunmakers sold to many countries in South America besides China, new made in Suhl. After production of M88 military rifles for the German Army ended the Suhl makers of these rifles and actions, V.C.Schilling, G.C.Haenel and many subcontractors, were out of domestic military orders but sat on all machinery and fixtures to make these actions. So they tried successfully to get foreign military contracts for M88 military rifles. Haenel sold such new-made M88 rifles and carbines to China, South America, the Boer Republics and Abyssinia at least. As they had all the equipment to make these rifles they could easily undersell the more modern M98 rifles made by Mauser and DWM. Though some sporters, especially the low grades, may have been made on surplused ex-military actions, the better M88 sporters were built on new-made Suhl actions IMHO, especially the Haenel marked M88 sporters. BTW V.C.Schilling did not survive for long; After 1900 they made pistols for Bergmann and bicycles. In 1914 they sold their factory to Sempert & Krieghoff. Note that those "Mexican" M88 carbines in 7x57 show no signs of German military acceptance stamps. instead, they bear German commercial proofmarks. So they were not surplused ex-German military carbines rebarreled to 7x57, but new-made for an export contract. See Paul S.Scarlata's book "German Gew.88 "Commission" Rifle", page 134. The carbine shown there also has a commercial checkered cocking piece and a stiker nut with a small gas deflector flange on the left side.

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