German & Austro-Hungarian Self-Loading Rifles of WWI

One of the most overlooked facets of the First World War was the early surge of innovation in firearms, long before automatic rifles became standard in later conflicts. While bolt-action rifles dominated the trenches, both the German Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire pursued cutting-edge designs in semi-automatic technology. Many of these rifles never reached mass production, but in Trench 1915, they’re given a second chance, not as fantasy, but as a historically grounded tribute to overlooked ingenuity.

This isn’t a WW2 reskin or some alternate retelling disguised in WWI aesthetics. That’s a claim only an uneducated fool would make. This is a deep dive into real history, real weapons, and the overlooked path not taken.

German Empire – Military Trials & Experimental Rifles

Mauser C98 Selbstlader – Smooth cycling, but sensitive to mud and trench debris.

Mauser M98 Self-Loading Variant – A reinforced version of the standard-issue M98.

Mauser M1902 Selbstlader – A balance of precision and modern design.

Mauser M1913 “Ladera” Rifle – A semi-auto anti-fortification weapon.

Mauser M1906/08 Selbstlader – Pre-war semi-auto platform in limited trials.

Mauser Selbstlader M1916 Rifle & Carbine – Magazine-fed, closer to deployment than most think.

Luger M1906 Rifle – A refined semi-auto system with high accuracy, but high cost.

Borchardt Rifle – Precise, ahead of its time, but mechanically too ambitious for the trenches.




Austro-Hungarian Empire – Mannlicher’s Ambitious Lineup

Mannlicher M1885, M1891, and M1893 – Early semi-automatic rifle experiments, ahead of their time.

Mannlicher M1895 & M1900 – Showed mechanical promise but weren’t adopted.

Mannlicher M1905 Rifle – Finalized by German Hellfeld after Mannlicher's death.

Mannlicher-Styr M1911 carbine Rifle – Civilian prototypes with military applications.

Semi-Automatic Modified M1888/90 – Rarely discussed conversion rifle.

Frommer M1908 Automatic Rifle (Hungarian) – A bridge between automatic rifles and LMGs.



And this is just the beginning.

There are far more weapons still to explore — not only from the Central Powers but also from the Triple Entente and even neutral nations experimenting with cutting-edge technology. Trench 1915 is built on this foundation — not just battles and brotherhood, but the machinery and vision that drove early 20th-century warfare.

Some of these rifles see action in the series — as they deserve to. In the Trench universe, they’re not forgotten relics but frontline tools in a global conflict fought in the shadows and trenches alike.

And yes, I know full well that many of these prototypes had faults. Some jammed. Others were too complex for manufacturing, expensive, or too fragile for trench life. But this is historical fiction — and I use creative freedom with respect to the era, not to replace it. A lot of people tend to forget that.

Stay tuned — future blog posts will break down more obscure weapons, prototypes, and battlefield technologies that helped give this series its identity and gave World War I the second glance it never got in popular media.

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