| Hanyang Type 88 | |
|---|---|
A Hanyang Type 88 rifle |
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| Type | Bolt-action rifle |
| Place of origin | Qing Dynasty |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1888-1980s |
| 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 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 4.06kg[1] |
| Length | 1250mm[1] |
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| Cartridge | 7.92x57mm Mauser |
| Action | Bolt-action |
| Rate of fire | ~15 rounds per minute |
| Muzzle velocity | 600m/s |
| Effective range | 500m |
| Maximum range | 1800m |
| 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", was a Chinese rifle that was issued to the National Revolutionary Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War. The name derived from the Hanyang Arsenal factory that made this rifle. The rifle had a bayonet attachment to use in close combat after a charge. Another standard rifle the NRA used was the Chiang Kai-Shek rifle, yet another copy of German-made rifles from the Hanyang Arsenal.
This firearm was a rifle directly patterned on the German Gewehr 88. Because of China's initial weak industry, many of these rifles were poorly made. During 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. The Japanese rifles were technologically more advanced by more than 30 years. Low quality of the Hanyang 88 led to a slow rate of fire. It was chambered for the round-nosed 8mm Mauser round. While this round was outdated, it had greater stopping power than the Japanese 6.5x50mm Arisaka round. As a result, the NRA fought successfully against the Japanese in many close-quarters urban battles, such as the Battle of Taierzhuang in 1938, where the IJA's main advantages, artillery, tanks and aircraft, were ineffectual.
The Hanyang rifle was cheap and easy to produce, sturdy and reliable. Also, because the rifle was the main arm of the Chinese army, the Hanyang arsenal was considered legendary.[2] On a rough perspective, the rifle was mainly used by the NRA's provincial military. The central military soldiers (the core of the NRA), on the other hand, mainly used the Chiang Kai-Shek rifle. The Hanyang 88 was used throughout the Second Sino-Japanese War and the early phase of the Chinese civil war, when the Hanyang Arsenal was shut down in 1947.
Since production started in 1895, the Type 88 was modified twice to improve performance,[2] in 1904 and in 1930. Because this rifle was a bolt-action gun, it had a bayonet attachment for use against a Japanese Banzai charge. The Chinese also used the heavy and deadly dadao against the Japanese bayonets, Guntō and katana.