Hanyang 88

Hanyang Type 88
A Hanyang Type 88 rifle
Type	Bolt-action rifle
Place of origin	Qing Dynasty
Service history
In service	1895–1980s
Used by	Qing dynasty, Republic of China, People's Republic of China
Wars	First Sino-Japanese War, Boxer Rebellion, Xinhai revolution, Long march, Central Plains War, Chinese civil war, Second Sino-Japanese War, Korean War
Production history
Manufacturer	Hanyang Arsenal
Produced	1895–1947
Number built	1,083,480
Variants	Rifle Carbine
Specifications
Weight	4.06 kg (9.0 lb)
Length	1,250 mm (49 in)
Barrel length	740 mm (29 in)
Cartridge	7.92×57mm Mauser
Action	Bolt-action
Rate of fire	~15 rounds per minute
Muzzle velocity	600 m/s (2,000 ft/s)
Effective firing range	500 m (550 yd)
Maximum firing range	1,800 m (2,000 yd)
Feed system	5 round en-bloc clip, external box magazine, clip fed
Sights	rear sight with a range of 2000m, front blade sight

The Type 88, sometimes known as "Hanyang 88", is a Chinese-made bolt-action rifle, based on the German Gewehr 88. It was adopted by the Qing Dynasty towards the end of the 19th century and was a standard Chinese rifle, being used by multiple factions and formations, until the end of the Chinese Civil War. The name of the rifle is derived from Hanyang Arsenal, the main factory that produced this rifle. The rifle was due to be replaced as the standard Chinese rifle by the Chiang Kai-Shek rifle. However, manufacture of the new rifle never managed to match demand, and the Type 88 continued to be manufactured and to equip the National Revolutionary Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War.

This firearm was a rifle directly patterned on the German Gewehr 88 and was initially fielded by the New Armies of the Qing Dynasty. From the start of production in 1895, the Type 88 was modified twice to improve performance, in 1904 and in 1930. Throughout the War of Resistance against Japan, the Type 88 more than held its own against the newer, higher-quality Japanese Arisaka Type 38 and Type 99 rifles. It served as one of the standard battle rifles used by the National Revolutionary Army from its founding in 1925 until the late 1940s, after the end of World War II. It was also used by the Chinese Communists, who not only used it during the same time period, but also during the early phases of the Korean War. Production of the rifle ceased in 1944.

The Hanyang 88 was essentially a copy of the Gewehr 88, with a few minor differences, including the absence of the barrel shroud, and an extension of the bayonet. It was a bolt-action rifle that cocked on opening, and its Mannlicher-style magazine could hold 5 7.92×57mm Mauser rounds. The magazine was loaded by using a 5 round en-bloc clip. When the last round was chambered, the clip would fall out of the magazine via a hole in the bottom. The main advantage of this kind of loading mechanism was that it allowed the user to reload very quickly. The disadvantages, however, were that the hole in the magazine could allow dirt to get in, thus possibly causing reliability issues.