Early Mauser/Schoenauer questions

[sharps4590]

Prima facie evidence I AM NOT very familiar with either the 88's or later improvements....lol!! Thanks Mike. I do have a rather strong case of lust for one of Haenel's sporters on the 88. At first I thought they were ugly as sin but they kinda grow on a fella. SMA has a pretty cool old rifle!!!

[SMA]

and another

[Axel E]

The bore/land diameter marking "7.8 mm" and the service load, given as 2.75 gramm smokeless rifle powder, show the rifle is in 8x57I (.318" bullets). So you can use the downloaded, weak SAAMI specification "8 mm Mauser" loads, if they chamber without marked resistance, as those are designed as a compromise between 8x57I and 8x57IS.
As the CROWN – crown/N proofmarks show, the rifle was proofed using the special "4000 atm proof powder". The 7.8 mm bore diameter marking was used in Suhl from 1912 on, instead of the old gauge number 172.28. On the other hand the service load info is still in the pre-1912 style. So the rifle was most likely proofed in the time of the changeover, in 1912.
In your place, I would keep this rare Haenel M1909 rifle. You will probably never see another one. But I would get rid of that clearly 1950s style buttpad. I would replace it with a solid one, without a white line spacer, preferably a red one.

[SMA]

Thank you very much for the information. I believe I will spend some time working on a load for it. It really is one of the smoothest actions I've come across. I will definitely do as you suggested, and try to find a good replacement for the butt-pad. Thanks again, and ill keep you posted.

[SMA]

We help out with some shoots hear in the northwest and have quite a relationship with the long and extra long range shooting world. Those guys are very impressive in their knowledge and abilities, and even more so, in their "gear". It is a pleasure to handle some of the custom and commercial actions that they use, and I know that is a different cat altogether, but to run the Haenel action that is 107 years old, and have similarities in quality to some of the modern action is truly remarkable. It will be fun to stretch it out once a proper load is found.