SKTshtr12: Sounds to me like you have a very nice rifle and I greatly appreciate the information you kindly provided. Reflecting on the comments just made by erniezeke (see below), is the left receiver rail marked "G.Mod.88." or "Gew.88"? Is there by chance a lower case Fraktur letter stamped below the serial number of the lower left side of the receiver ring? Is the "R" in the "9.R.4.110." regimental mark a block or "Italics" lettter?
erniezeke: To the best of my knowledge you are correct that a "G.Mod.88." stamp on the left receiver rail indicates production in either 1889 or early 1890. Based upon the serial number data I have recorded to date, Amberg produced 18,150 Gew 88s in 1889 and 112,384 in 1890 (please keep in mind that this information is likely incomplete and more may have been manufactured in both of these years). The only "k" series serial number (specifically 2384k) I have recored for 1889 and 1890 Amberg rifles is for 1890. I do not know when (or if) Amberg changed the receiver stamping to "G.Mod.88" in that year. The "nm" marking means "nues metal" or "new metal" and indicates that the barrel of the rifle had been replaced with what was believed to be an improved (strengthened) barrel. The "326" on the barrel jacket (tube) indicates that it matches the receiver. I do not know the meaning of the "GF" marking you mentioned. The "S" and "Z" stampings on the crest of the receiver indicate that the throating of the chamber and depth of the grooves in the rifling, respectively, had been arsenal modified. It is possible that the barrel to which these markings refer may have been replaced at a later date so it is wise to proceed with slugging your barrel. I believe that Czech made replacement bolts were marked with a "Z" in a circle. That being said, it is certainly possible that the bolt had been replaced somewhere along the line and the fact that the bolt handle has Turkish markings does not necessarily mean that the rifle ever saw service in that country. As you did not specifically state that your rifle had been modified for the five-shot Mauser stripper clips, I'll presume that it is a Gew 88 and not a Gew 88/05. I suspect the plum colored finish on the trigger guard is due to aging.

I greatly appreciate hearing from both of you and welcome aboard! I would be remiss not to comment that the serial number information I have indicates that at least 266,375 rifles were produced at Amberg (this figure is low as I have no numbers for 1895 production). Of an estimated 3,090,657+ Gew 88s manufactured by six known arsenals or factories, the output at Amberg equated to only 8.62% of the total production. In real terms, this indicates that Amberg 88s are the "rarest" of the 88s around. I hope you'll both post more in the future.

Terminal99: Thank you much for contributing your list of serial numbers! Greatly appreciated! I keep plugging away at collecting these to expand and improve the earlier study of Gew 88 production and serial number ranges. It's a slow process and only with the assistance of folks such as yourself can this work be done.

Erniezeke: Glad to be of assistance. As I frequently joke with my friends, "If ignorance is bliss, I am one of the happiest people you'll ever meet." Nonetheless, I will try to answer any questions you may have to the best of my ability or, alternately, give you a no-frills but honest "I don't know." It just struck me that one small item I should have clarified in responding to you about dating your rifle is that despite being called a Model 1888 none were actually manufactured in that year. Although the rifle is designed as 1888 (the year in which it was designed), production did not begin until the following year (i.e., 1889).

Nora, welcome aboard and thank you so much for the serial number information. Every log on the proverbial fire is greatly appreciated. Please drop in and visit with us again!

ROKHED: Glad to have you with us! Any information is certainly appreciated.

gamblegrogan: Thank you much, sir! Greatly appreciated!

Palimino: It's so good to hear from you! Thank you much for adding to the slowly growing Gew 88 serial number data base. I must admit that the star "*" symbol after the number is a new one on me. I wonder if other forum members have seen any of these -- or other symbols -- on the Model 1888s in their collection? Is there any way that you could post a clear picture of this?

Palimino: You're both a gentleman and a scholar -- not to mention a nice guy. Thank you so much for posting this most interesting picture. Inasmuch as seeing is believing, I remain a tad baffled on the significance of the "*" symbol following the four digit serial number. I suspect someone out there has an explanation for this but I'm just not that person. With your permission, may I repost this picture in another Gew 88 forum and use it in a short article for The Military Rifle Journal? It can't hurt to "spread the word" and see if other examples of this have been observed. One of the delights in researching Gew 88 rifles is that strange and unusual markings turn up when you least expect them and your serial number certainly exemplifies this contention.

By chance did this rifle have a similar number with a "*" on the barrel tube or trigger guard?