Patrone 88

The Patrone 88 (cartridge 88) or M/88 is a rimless bottlenecked rifle cartridge. It was a first-generation smokeless propellant cartridge designed by the German Gewehr-Prüfungskommission (G.P.K.) (Rifle Testing Commission) as the then new smokeless propellant introduced as Poudre B in the 1886 pattern 8×50mmR Lebel started a military rifle ammunition revolution. The Patrone 88 cartridge was loaded with of single-base (based on nitrocellulose) smokeless powder. The cartridge was based on a Swiss design and was loaded with a diameter round-nose full metal jacket bullet that was cupronickel plated and reached a muzzle velocity of . The bullet core consisted of 95% lead and 5% antimony. It served as parent cartridge of several 8×57mm rimless and rimmed rifle cartridges. The Patrone 88 was adopted by the German Empire in 1888 as service cartridge along with the Gewehr 1888 service rifle. Reportedly the initial version of the design was of two-piece construction like the 11×60mm Mauser and rimmed (so-called M88A, later developed into M88/8R or 8X57 IR hunting cartridge), but then a modern, "cannelured" type of cartridge case was introduced, which, despite being patented at least as early as 1867 (by Joseph Whitworth), wasn't used by any military before. In the original bore the diameter of the lands was and the diameter of the grooves was . In 1894/1895 the bore dimensions were changed in an attempt to improve accuracy and barrel life. The diameter of the lands remained and the diameter of the grooves was changed to . The diameter of the bullets the Patrone 88 was loaded with remained however unchanged and accuracy did not improve. As of 1915 the Patrone 88 bullets became tombac plated. In German military service the Patrone 88 was replaced in 1904 and 1905 by the S Patrone a.k.a. 7.92×57mm Mauser. Besides the S Patrone chambering, the S Patrone bore (designated as "S-bore") was also dimensionally redesigned: the new bullet with a shorter cylindrical part had reduced bearing surface, which necessitated increasing its diameter to , the exact diameter of the grooves.