Royal Tiger Imports 1888 Mannlicher Rifle

[Aragorn243]

Disassembled the major parts. Stock is soaking in citristrip. Bore is not pretty. It has strong rifling but someone didn't take very good care of it. Dark with pitting. Bullet does not go all the way in the muzzle so it isn't worn out, just ugly. Not the worst I have but pretty low on the scale.

Very little pitting anywhere on this but an interesting fact is that the exterior is just plain worn. You can rub your hands along the barrel and where the bands are it isn't worn and you can feel it. So as for original finish, there isn't any. It is a nice blue grey color however so it looks like finish. Patina well call it. No sand in any of this stuff so they apparently didn't store them as badly as a lot of people seem to believe. It's just fossilized grease all over it and under the wood line it was packed pretty heavy with it. Interior is somewhat of a mess.

I ended up replacing the safety and safety screw with the ones I pre-bought. Both are worn, I don't think the screw was originally for this purpose. Took some slow working and cleaning to get the new screw to seat all the way but it did with no issues. I think I'll just keep the extractor just in case.

It won't be going back together today. The barrel and receiver are pretty clean but the bolt and magazine assemblies are a mess. Looking like a two or three day project since it will be evenings only after today.

[Aragorn243]

Couldn't stand it. All the metal parts are clean. Stock still drying from the citristrip. I'm thinking this is actually an 1890 as the rear sight doesn't appear to be altered and it is for the new cartridge. New safety and screw fit and function correctly. Looking at the photos I realize the safety screw was not all the way in when I received the rifle. A lot of the screws were loose.

First the packaging. Impressive:









The reveil:



Before cleaning:











Bent over front volley sight











Only missing part:



The safety and screw:



Under the wood. This is not rust, it's hard grease:

[Singer B]

Actually looks really good, just needs some love and attention.

[browningautorifle]

this is actually an 1890

So...which cartridge does this take? The round nose bullet? Not the later pointed...

[Eaglelord17]

For the 8x50r cartridge they never adopted a pointed bullet. Originally in 1888 it was black powder, then in 1890 they updated to a semi-smokeless powder, hence the change in the rear sights. Most 1888 Mannlichers were updated with a plate screwed onto the rear sight to change the sight settings to reflect the new loadings ballistics, which were then called the 88/90 rifles. When they were manufactured 1890 and later they didn't need to place a plate on the rifles rear sights as they were already set for the new cartridge, hence the M90 rifle designation (not to be confused with the Mannlicher M90 carbines which were the basis for the M95 series of rifles and carbines). They also did update the cartridge one more time in 1893 to completely smokeless and it provided a slightly better performance then the semi-smokeless loading but they didn't feel it really needed a change to the rear sights.

Historically I am not sure changing that volley sight would be 100% correct. Most nations after Austria-Hungary seized to use them and either took them off the rifles or didn't care for them (Ethiopia clearly chose the latter). Either way I am excited to see how this turns out.

[Aragorn243]

Still not sure on the designation. I do not think there ever officially was an 1890 rifle. The 1890 is a carbine which is completely different. So this is probably an 1888/90 which was produced after 1890. I have not found a date on it. The rear sight is original to the rifle and was manufactured that way without putting correcting side plates on it.

sliding rear volley sight now works. It was just tight and gunked in place.

I put it together this morning and put a coat of BLO on the stock. Stock originally would have been a very nice one, it has extensive tiger striping. It's just so beat up it will never be "pretty" again. The stock has the same wear as the metal. It is thinner everywhere there is not a barrel band.

It needs a few more coats of BLO and it should be good to go. Have to find some more. My old can finally is running out.

As for cartridge, it would be the round nosed bullet. If I'm reading things correctly, it could use the later ammunition but it isn't recommended. The falling block "lug" is not designed for the higher pressure. I'm not sure if the clips will work in it either. Clips from it will work in later rifles so you would think so but it doesn't mention is later ones will work in this.

[Aragorn243]

Here are the current pics. Needs a lot more BLO. Can't see the tiger striping in the photos. Has an odd dark streak that runs the full length of the stock. It is the grain and present on both sides. Probably was a nice looking one when new. Serial number showed up on the stock when cleaned but I can't read any of it.

[Singer B]

Here are the current pics. Needs a lot more BLO. Can't see the tiger striping in the photos. Has an odd dark streak that runs the full length of the stock. It is the grain and present on both sides. Probably was a nice looking one when new. Serial number showed up on the stock when cleaned but I can't read any of it.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../XHUa6nG-1.jpg

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../JBrqTlQ-1.jpg

Looks exactly as she should - been around the world working hard its whole life just looking for someone to take care of her. She has found a good home!

[browningautorifle]

As for cartridge, it would be the round nosed bullet.

Just wondering, you guys both say round nose...I have a clip of the pointed ones here and was wondering if that was the rifle it went to...

[Eaglelord17]

The pointed round is 8x56r which was purposely designed so you couldn't chamber it in the 8x50r rifles to prevent them from blowing up. The Mannlicher 88 action is why they never updated the cartridge until the 30s as it couldn't handle more pressure than what the M93 cartridge put out.