Hanyang Type 23 Rifle
Hanyang Type 23 Rifle The first proposal for altering Hanyang rifle to fire 7.9S cartridge was submitted by the Superintendent Zheng Jiajun in 1934, Nationalist Year 23. Into 1930s China imported a substantial quantity of FN24&30, Vz24 and SM which fire S cartridge. Hanyang Arsenal planed to move onto the new cartridge as well through enabling Hanyang rifle to accommodate both M88 patron and newer 7.9 S cartridge. The arsenal prepared three types of improved rifle. The prototype one is a Model 98 rifle which I speculate likely being a modified Type 1 rifle, a Chinese copy of Model 1907, the most common domestic made M1898 system rifle. The arsenal also improved two types of Hanyang rifle, one is called Type 88 I (八八式甲) and another one is Type 88 II (八八式乙). The two rifles are almost exact same except Type 88 I accommodates 7.9 S cartridge only while Type 88 II is compatible with both round and spitzer cartridge. In the Nationalist Government Annual Rereport of Ordnance Department