Schmidt Rubin Schmidt Rubin M1889 Infantry Rifle Straight Pull 7.5 mm Rifle

Antique No License Required.

A matching numbers Schmidt-Rubin M1889 Infantry Rifle — the world's first straight-pull bolt-action service rifle — offered here in very good condition with a notably bright bore and excellent crown.

Designed by Colonel Rudolf Schmidt, whose straight-pull action gave Swiss infantry a significantly faster rate of fire than contemporary turnbolt designs, and chambered for the 7.5x53.5mm GP90 cartridge developed by Major Eduard Rubin, the M1889 represented Switzerland's decisive step into the smokeless powder era. It was ahead of the British Lee Enfield Mk I, the Russian Mosin-Nagant, and the Italian Carcano in terms of adoption date.

The M1889 is the only Schmidt-Rubin variant to feature rear-mounted locking lugs on the bolt body, a distinguishing characteristic that sets it apart from all later models. The rifle measures 1,302mm overall with a 780mm barrel and feeds from a 12-round detachable box magazine — a generous capacity for the period. Production ran from 1891 to 1897, with 211,890 examples delivered from the state factory at Bern. The M1889 was not updated to later GP11 specifications and was not converted, making surviving examples in original configuration particularly interesting to the collector.

The bright bore and excellent crown on this example suggest careful storage and sympathetic use. Matching numbers and any Swiss privatisation marks — such as a P-over-date stamp indicating a retiring soldier's personal issue — should be noted if present, as they add provenance and collector appeal.

Ref: 034

Purchase with confidence from a family run business with over 40 years experience