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Mannlicher Turn-Bolt Rifles Forerunner to modern bolt actions.

6.5 Redding Short-action wildcat.

A Session with the AQ Slug 12-gauge solution for deer-sized game.

Summer Biathlon Shooting game for runners.

Remington Military Rolling Block Over 1,600,000 contract rifles.

Ludwig Olson

Wayne van Zwoll

Wallace Labisky

G. Sitton

George J. Layman

DEPARTMENTS

5 . . . . . . . Spotting Scope -

8 The Armsmakers

Page 3 6 . . .

12 . . . . . . . Capitol Watch

16 . . . . . .

18 . . . . . .

20 . . . . . .

63 . . . . . .

75 . . . . .

Dear Editor

Rimfires

Reader Research

ProducTests

Book/Video Reviews

14 . . . . . . . Air Rifles 78 . . . . . . Tales from French Creek

On the cover ... The Freedom Arms .454 Casu11 premier grade single action features a 7.5-inch barrel with fixed sights, custom walnut grips and engraving by Lynton McKenzie. Photo by Gerald Hudson.

3

PUBLISHING

This is a book which will have special appeal to collectors and sportsmen, but R teils an exciting story that will be enjoyed by a much larger audience. In fact, it will appeal to any reader who enjoys two-fisted Americana.

01 COR carbines, rifles and shotguns. Included i an outline of automatic weapons made by Colt.

rlot only are the hand arms illustrated and described, but here also is the important story

By Dolores Cline Brown Edited by Jim Rearden

1 Conipiled by Maior D.B. Wesson

RIMFIRES A1 Miller

Trigger Talk LTHOUGH THE better imported A rimfire sporters come equipped

with adjustable triggers, none of the domestic models I am familiar with do. If you think the triggers on out-of-the- box centerfire rifles are sad, try one of the .22s being offered currently.

Out of curiosity, I checked a handful. They are probably typical of those found on most any dealer’s shelves these days, but rather than be accused of picking on anyone, brand names will be ignored. Here’s the way they stacked UP.

Rifle A, self-loader: Pull varied from 4% to 5% pounds; takeup travel amounted to x2 inch; let-off was OK, but there was an abundance of backlash.

Rifle B, bolt action: Pull varied from

5% to 6% pounds; takeup movement was negligible; let-off was fairly clean, but backlash was excessive.

Rifle C, bolt action: Pull fluctuated from 4% to 4% pounds; takeup move- ment was almost non-existent; let-off was crisp and there was little backlash. This was the best of the lot.

Rifle D, lever action: Pull only varied from 2% to 3 pounds, but this was the closest thing to a two-stage military trigger I have found on a 2 2 sporter. Takeup movement measured inch, then the trigger crawled another inch as pull weight increased. Let-off wasn’t too bad, but there was almost as much trigger movement afterward as there had been before.

Rifle E, pump: Pull wavered from 4% to 5 pounds, but there was a spongy, Luger-like feel to the trigger as it

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jerked and shuddered for ?4 inch before let-off. That was followed by more backlash than anyone would ever need.

All of us know why arms manufac- turers sell their rifles with such sloppy triggers. They have become so lawsuit- shy, their quality control inspectors have been replaced by lawyers, I’m told. Today, so the rumor goes, before any rifle is shipped, its trigger is examined by a law school graduate. If the trig- ger’s halfway decent, it is rejected out of hand. Just how true that is, I can’t say, but until somebody comes up with some sort of a solution to the litigation threat, maladjusted triggers will be the norm on production rifles.

That being so, you would think gunsmiths would be getting rich ad- justing triggers, especially rimfire trig- gers. From what I can find out, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Gun- smithing acquaintances assure me they work on a rimfire sporter trigger now and then, but not often. Ironical, isn’t it? A rimfire hunter stands to benefit more from a decent trigger than anyone packing a centerfire rifle.

When a cartridge explodes in a rifle’s chamber, several thousand pounds of pressure are suddenly applied in all directions. Not only does the rifle begin to recoil at that instant, but the bar- rel starts to vibrate slightly. The pressures and resultant forces gen- erated by a rimfire cartridge don’t com- pare to those churned out by something like a .30-06, the same kinds of energies are turned loose - on a dif- ferent scale, naturally. As negligible as a .22’s recoil may be, it does kick and the muzzle does jump slightly. Some of a .22’s recoil movement begins while the bullet is traveling from breech to muzzle too.

Because a rimfire bullet travels so sedately, it takes one of them ,0025 to ,003 second before it can clear the muz- zle. That isn’t a whole lot of time, ad- mittedly, but if the rifle shifts around, even the slightest bit, during that briefest of intervals, the bullet can be tossed much farther off course than many think.

That is why a rimfire’s trigger action is so influential, because barrel time

Rif le 142 18

is so mych slower than a centerfire’s.

If the weight of pull is excessive, let- off draggy and overtravel lets the trig- ger finger’s pressure nudge the rifle a hair while the bullet is still traveling through the bore before it is launched, chances of that little missile flying true are reduced considerably. To prove that to your own satisfac-

tion, bench-test a .22. Resting on good, solid supports, a r i d i r e will reveal its ammunition preferences in short order. Some brands, some lots will deliver much tighter groups than others - if trigger control is not a problem. If it is, if the shooter has to fight the trig- ger every bit of the way, the rifle’s groups won’t tell him anything. They will range from mediocre to poor no matter what ammo is fired.

W e Rifle E, for instance, that pump- actioned sporter mentioned before. Equipped with a variable scope set on 7x and braced on a Sniper rest, the best group fired so far - with any brand of ammunition - has spanned 2% inches, center to center, a t 50 yards.

Most groups run from 3% to 4% inches at the same range, with a pro- nounced horizontal spread, even when the magazine was filled with Eley Tenex.

Target analysis wasn’t necessary to pinpoint that rifle’s problem. The in- stant that rifle fires, the scope’s crosshairs report exactly what’s hap- pening: they jerk, they jump, they flinch the instant the sear releases. Try as I may, whenever the sear releases, the sudden cessation of resistance catches my trigger finger by surprise. It continues pulling the trigger rear- ward and lets the rifle’s unexpected recoil jar it slightly &center, shifting its pressure to one side or the other, just enough to cant the rifle slightly as its muzzle bounces.

Does all that happen before the bullet leaves the muzzle? If all those horizontal patterns on the targets mean anything I suspect so.

There is no point in trying to fight that trigger. It is completely out of adjustment. No amount of use will smooth it enough to become control- lable in my lifetime, The only practical solution is to have it worked on by somebody who knows what he’s doing. It will cost $35 to have that trigger ad- justed properly - at least that’s the go- ing rate locally. Those few bucks will turn a poor performer into a good one. After that trigger’s worked down to, say, a 2%-pound pull, my bet is the rifle will be capable of putting at least one

July-AuguSt 1992

brand of ammo into an inch a t 50 yards, benchrest.

Not long ago I tested a Clark 10122. Based on a Ruger 10122 action, much of its accuracy has to be credited to its Douglas barrel. Nevertheless, its trig- ger made controlling the rifle a cinch. Weight of pull was only 1% pounds, let- off was as snappy as a horsewhip and an adjustable stop removed any possi- bility of backlash. Anyone who believes a self-loader’s trigger has to feel like bread dough should see what Clark’s miracle-workers can do to a run-of-the- mill Ruger trigger.

Of course, Clark’s custom .22s are assembled with competitors and sil- houette shooters in mind, hence the light pull. My old T-Bolt Browning is set up with a narrow pull range, from 2% to 2% pounds, but let-off is as crisp as a new sawbuck and there isn’t a hint of overtravel. Fed ammunition it likes, i t is a two-MOA rifle. Although I have had more accurate ridires at my disposal, it has taken more than its share of small game over the y e w .

Back in New Mexico, it was my favorite squirrel rifle, even though ranges .were long there, often 75 to 100

yards, and the targets small (pine squirrels). If I could get into a good, solid position, that trigger helped com- pensate for the Browning’s less-than- tack-driving capability.

A 2%-pound pull represents my per- sonal taste If asked, I generally advise a 3%-pound pull for a hunting .22; even more for a youngster’s rifle. A 5-pound pull isn’t too much for an adolescent to cope with as long as let-off is clean and overtravel minimal.

More important than pull weight is uniformity. A slight variation, % pound or so, is seldom noticeable in a hunting environment, but anything greater than that can add to a shooter’s problems.

As far as overtravel is concerned, the simplest way to cure that is to have a trigger stop installed.

Labor costa vary from one end of the country to the other, but that $35 charge I quoted is probably within $5 of an average trigger job. Considering that most .22 rifles are used by more than one generation of shooters, it can make the difference between satisfac- tion and frustration, a hit and a miss; well worth the expense, I think. 0

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little orange plastic box of its own, together with the insert pack. Were that rifle mine, sight and inserts would be stored in their box whenever they weren't actually in use.

Although theModel2000 isdescribed in the Marlin catalog as an "entry- level" target rifle, it is a far cry from a kid's gun. Everything about it is full- sized. There's nothing of the feather- weight about it either. Dedicated com- petitors will probably find it worth- while to have some knowledgeable

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65

Mannlicher Turn-Bolt Rifles

by humans, not all is a bed of roses with the older Mannlicher turn-bolt rifles. They have faults, some of them serious. These will be discussed as this story unfolds.

Ludwig Olson

ANNLICHER rifles and carbines in the turn-bolt category have

fascinated shooters and collectors for many decades, and they continue to do so. This is especially true of older turn- bolt Mannlichers dating from 1888 to the 1960s. They are the ones for discus- sion here.

Heading the list of rifles in the

M

There are, of course, several reasons

why the older turn-bolt Mannlichers prove so fascinating. One is a natural human tendency to look back with longing on favorable items or events of the past. Another reason, and one that is especially important to this story, is that turn-bolt Mannlichers are among the world’s smoothest-working bolt- action rifles. They rival Krag rifles in that respect.

Smooth, easy operation in combina- tion with a well-guided bolt that has minimum sideward wobble are ear- marks of Mannlicher turn-bolt design. These favorable features are common to all Mannlichers covered here, and they are largely responsible for mak- ing the name Mannlicher well known throughout the gun world. They have also been factors in creating the Mannlicher Collectors Association (PO Box 7144, Salem OR 97303).

As with virtually everything devised

22

Mannlicher turn-bolt family is the German Rifle 88. Introduced in November 1888, it was one of the most technically-advanced military rifles of its day. It can rightfully be called the “granddaddy” because it sired the old and new model Mannlicher-Haenel rifles, various models of Dutch and Romanian Mannlichers, the world- famous Mannlicher-Schoenauer rifles and carbines plus some others. A brief review of its colorful and confusing history is thus in order. (See Rifle No. 77 for a complete Rifle 88 story.)

The German Rifle 88 was developed by a rifle testing commission that us- ed features of various other rifles in its design. Many basic features of the Ger- man Model 71/84 black powder Mauser were used. They included the firing mechanism, half-turn leaf safety, trig- ger mechanism, slotted receiver bridge, central position of the bolt handle and a separate non-rotary bolt head. The Rifle 88 is thus often called Mauser Model 88, or German Commission rifle.

Spandau Arsenal foreman Louis Schlegelmilch was a principal member of the testing commission on the Rifle 88 project. He was largely responsible for using dual-opposed front locking lugs in the rifle’s design. That locking system was introduced earlier in the

French Model 1886 Lebel, a pioneer among bolt-action rifles. The dual- opposed front lugs gave strong sym- metrical locking, and that system is still widely used in today’s bolt-action rifles.

The single-column box magazine and en-bloc steel cartridge clip used in the Rifle 88 were based on a system developed by Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher, a famous Austrian arms designer. When the last round was fed from the magazine, the empty clip fell through an opening in the magazine bottom. A clip was required to make the magazine functional, obviously an unfavorable feature. Several spare loaded clips could be carried by the rifleman to provide great firepower. The Rifle 88 clip was improved over the original Mannlicher design in that it was reversible so that it could be inserted into the magazine without fumbling. That improvement was de- vised by the rifle testing commission.

Because of its Mannlicher magazine and clip, the Rifle 88 is often called a Mannlicher. It is also called a Mauser- Mannlicher. The Mannlicher name was used more often than others, and still remains popular for the Rifle 88 and other members of the Mannlicher turn- bolt family.

Still another arms designer had a hand in developing the Rifle 88. Maj. Armand Mieg of the Bavarian army in- vented a tubular steel handguard that encircled the barrel from the receiver ring almost to the muzzle. It helped protect the user from barrel heat and

Rif le 142

Opposite page, the oldest member of the Mannlicher turn-bolt family is the German 7.9mm Rifle 88. A modified version shown here was dubbed Rifle 88/14 that fired the S-cartridge with a spitzer bullet and used a Mauser strip clip for loading. Below, a sectional view of the unmodified German Rifle 88 is shown with a five-round en-bloc clip.

also protected the barrel. Similar hand- guards were used on the Belgian Model 1889 Mauser and Danish Model 1889 Krag-JBrgensen rifles. They proved less satisfactory, however, than wooden handguards and were not used on later rifles.

Development and introduction of the Rifle 88 were cloaked in great secrecy. In addition to its advanced design, the rifle was chambered for a new cartridge that featured the relatively small caliber of 7.9mm, smokeless powder, metal-jacketed bullet and a rimless case. It was the cartridge now com- monly called 8x57mm Mauser and the ancestor of various Mauser rimless car- tridges, the .30-06 and many others.

The Rifle 88 was developed in a crash program because of Germany’s mil- itary rivalry with France. It was most likely the Kaiser’s pride and joy when introduced. That enthusiasm must have been dampened considerably, though, when the rifle’s faults became apparent shortly after issue to troops.

Double loading (feeding a cartridge from the magazine when a round was already in the chamber) was one of the rifle’s principal faults. German sources stated that it caused several accidents. Soldiers were trained to operate the bolt carefully to avoid that mal- function.

Escape of gas to the rear when a car- tridge case cracked during firing was a second serious fault. It was partly cor- rected by using an improved firing pin

Ju ly-Augus t 1992

nut with a gas shield, and by increas- ing the size of the bolt stop lug to help block any rearward escaping gas. Subse- quent improvements in cartridge case manufacture helped prevent case failure.

A third serious fault was bulging and bursting of barrels near the breech end. It was avoided in new barrels of modified design by increasing the wall thickness in the rear area.

Still another fault was that it was possible to fire the rifle without the bolt head attached, and doing so would obviously result in a serious accident. Special training was given to assemble the bolt mechanism properly, but the bolt design was not changed.

The above faults plus some others created a scandal. Hermann Ahlwardt, a school principal in Berlin, alleged the Rifle 88 was dangerous to fire. In 1891 he prepared a pamphlet on the subject and distributed it throughout Ger- many. He called the Rifle 88 “the Jewish rifle” because 425,000 were pro- duced by the Jewish firm Ludwig Loewe & Co. in Berlin. According to Ahlwardt, problems with the rifles resulted from inferior workmanship by Loewe. It was charged that government inspectors in the Loewe factory were bribed to accept substandard rifles. An investigation showed problems with the rifles were largely the result of design faults.

In April 1898, thekifle 88 was of- ficially replaced by the Mauser Rifle 98

as the standard German shoulder arm. The Rifle 88, however, remained in use as substitute standard, and large numbers were converted for use with the Mauser strip-type loading clip and S-type cartridge featuring a 154-grain spitzer bullet of .323-inch diameter. A large number of German troops were armed with the Rifle 88 during World War I. Austria-Hungary also used it during that war as a substitute- standard arm designated Repetier- gewehr M13.

Germany gave a large quantity of Model 88 rifles to Turkey toward the end of World War I. China, Yugoslavia, Ethiopia, Brazil and Peru also acquired Model 88 rifles. South American specimens were chambered for the 7x57mm Mauser cartridge. Carbine versions in that caliber and Turkish specimens in 8x57mm are encountered occasionally at gun shows.

Although Model 88 7.9mrn rifles and carbines were modified for use with S-type cartridges (denoted by an S marking on the receiver ring), such ammunition should not be fired in them for safety reasons.

In 1978 the Deutsches Waffen- Journal (German Arms Journal) showed a photo of three Model 88 rifles blown up by firing S-caliber rounds in them during a proof test. The barrels ruptured in the chamber area, but it appeared from the photo that the actions remained intact. According to Frankonia Jagd, a leading German

23

sporting arms firm, no Model 88 rifles were blown up during proof test over a six-year period when only 8x57J car- tridges (with .318-inch diameter bullets) were fired in them.

A version of the Model 88 called the Wehrmannsgeweht (serviceman’s rifle) fired the 8.15x46R target cartridge, and was used in Germany for military- style target shooting prior to World

Those two firms used their tooling to produce sporting rifles with actions of Model 88 design. A typical example was the Mannlicher-Haenel No. 1 rifle in 8x575. It featured a turned-down flat bolt handle, double-set tr igger mechanism, partly octagon and partly round barrel with full-length matted rib, and a Schnabel tip on the forend. Other features were raised side panels on the stock to reinforce the area next

cocking piece helped protect the user from any rearward escaping gas. There were also two gas escape holes in the bolt.

The firing pin tip was separate from the firing pin body to permit cheap repair in the event of a broken or cor- roded tip. A rounded cut in the left wall of the receiver gave clearance for the thumb when loading the magazine.

Another departure from Model 88 design was a cutaway portion on the

to the action, and a rectangular bolt bolt head flange to allow the cartridge that extended transversely through the rim to slide under the extractor hook forend and slotted barrel lug. during chambering. That helped pre-

vent double loading. An improved version of the Mann- licher-Haenel called the New Model, or Mannlicher-Haenel sporters were im- War I. Converted from the 7.9mm Model 1909, was offered in three ported by A.H. Funke and various military rifle, it was sold commercially. popular calibers: 7x57mm, 8x575 and other New York City sporting arms

The 8.15x46R cartridge (known 9x57mm. Its bolt mechanism and dealers. An A.H. Funke ad in the earlier as 8.15x46?hR) was the most receiver were basically like those of the December 13, 1900, Shooting and popular centerfire target cartridge in No. 1, but its five-round box magazine Fishing (predecessor of Arms and the Germany. Its rimmed case was slightly was of Mauser staggered-column type Man and The American Rifleman) bottlenecked and was loaded with and flush with the bottom of the stock. listed a Mannlicher-Haenel No. 1 rifle black or smokeless powder. The round- The magazine could be loaded singly for $40, a high price at that time. A No.

2 plain-finish rifle sold for $30 and the No. 3 carbine version with military

or by using a Mauser strip clip. Its finish was listed at $20. Relatively few hinged floorplate had a thumb-oper- Mannlicher-Haenel sporters were im- ated release. Cartridges were fed up- ported and are now rarely encountered.

nose swaged lead bullet normally ward by a spring-loaded follower. A Those I have seen show high quality weighed 170 grains, but bullets and special patented feature was that the workmanship and finish with very prepared powder charges of various follower pivoted toward the floorplate careful fitting of wood to steel. weights were offered by German am- as the latter was swung open. That munition factories for those who gave clearance for the cartridges as wanted to reload. they dropped out of the magazine, and

thus eased unloading.

A military version of the Mannlicher- Haenel rifle in 7x57mm was made for Brazil. Dubbed Model 1909, it is now very rare. Except for its horizontal bolt Among several contractors for the

military~ Model 88 were C.G. Haenel and V.C. Schilling of Suhl, Germany.

A Mauser-type pivoting ejector was used, and a shield on the front of the

handle, its action was essentially like that of the New Model (Model 1909)

24 Rifle 142

Opposite page, top, the Mannlicher-Haenel New Model 9x57mrn Mduser has a Mannlicher turn-bolt mechanism and a Mauser staggered- column box magazine. Middle, the Dutch Model 1895 Mannlicher rifle is chambered for the 6.5x53R. Bottom, the Greek Model 1903/14 6.5mm Mannlicher-Schoenauer rifle was made in Italy by Breda. Above, a cross-sectional view of a Mannlicher-Schoenauer rotary magazine is shown with five-rounds.

sporter. That rifle was offered as military surplus in 1959 by the defunct Golden State Arms Corporation, Pasadena, California.

In 1892, Romania and Holland adopted 6.5x53R Mannlicher rifles generally similar to the German rifle 88 in action design. They were pro- duced by t h e Oesterreichische Waffenfabriks-Gesellschaft (Austrian Arms Company), Steyr, Austria, where a large number of Model 88 rifles had been made earlier for Germany under contract.

Actions of the Romanian and Dutch Mannlichers were improved over the German Model 88 in various details. A principal improvement was that part of the bolt head flange was cut away so that cartridges could engage under the extractor hook during chambering and thus prevent double loading.

A more subtle improvement, used in the Dutch Model 1892 and carried over into later models, was a simple and in- genious arrangement to lessen the possibility of firing the rifle without the bolt head attached. It consisted of an undercut (V-shaped notch) on the front end of the left locking lug and a

July-AuguSt 1992

corresponding undercut on the rear of the bolt stop. If an attempt were made to insert the bolt, minus bolt head, into the receiver without actuating the bolt stop manually, the undercuts would engage to block the bolt from entry. That would warn the user about failure to attach the bolt head.

Another improvement was a sliding ejector fastened to the left side of the bolt head with a screw. It was much larger and more rugged than the small sliding ejector of the German Rifle 88 and served as a shield to deflect powder gas from a ruptured cartridge case or primer. The improved ejector was first used in the Romanian and Dutch Model 1892 rifles. Most later turn-bolt Mannlichers also featured it.

A long guide rib that extended for- ward from the bolt handle was used in the Dutch Model 1892. In addition to guiding the bolt, the rib served as a gas shield. That feature was not used in the Romanian Model 1892, but was present in most subsequent turn-bolt Mannlichers.

The Romanian Model 1893 Mann- licher lacked a bolt guide rib, and it was almost unique among turn-bolt Mannlichers in that it had a pivoting ejector in the left side of its receiver. That rifle was normally in 6.5x53R. There was also a version adapted to the 8x50R Mannlicher cartridge. It was used by Austria-Hungary during World War I as substitute standard, and was designated 8mm Repetiergewehr M1893. Many specimens were acquired by Yugoslavia after World War I.

Possibly the ultimate in rare turn- bolt Mannlichers was an experimental 5mm rifle that proved unsuccessful in Austro-Hungarian rifle trials during the 1890s. A 5mm Mannlicher rifle with a Dutch Model 1892 action is in the Aberdeen Proving Ground Ord- nance Museum collection. It is believed to be one used in the Austro-Hungarian trials, but proof is lacking.

During the mid 1890s, Germany ex- perimented with various bolt-action rifles. Among them was a Model 1894 turn-bolt Mannlicher that fired a special 6mm rimless cartridge. It had virtually the same bolt and receiver as the Dutch Model 1892, but its de- tachable box magazine held five rounds in staggered order. The magazine was loaded from the top by using a metal and cardboard clip of Swiss design.

Although that rifle never got beyond the experimental stage, it was an in- teresting member of the Mannlicher turn-bolt family. It was described and illustrated in Mannlicher Rifles and Pistols by W.H.B. Smith. According to Smith, drawings of the Model 1894 and other Mannlichers were made by Konrad von Kromar who worked with von Mannlicher.

Another experimental 6mm Mann- licher turn-bolt rifle was covered in Smith's book. It differs so radically from other members of the Mannlicher turn-bolt family that it can be regarded as an outcast not appropriate for this story.

The Dutch Model 1895 Mannlicher was almost the same as the Dutch Model 1892 in action design, and was normally in 6.5x53R. A rare variant of the Model 1895 was chambered for the 7.9x57R World War I1 Dutch machine gun cartridge that closely resembled the .303 British except for bullet diameter.

Dutch Mannlichers were produced by the Austrian Arms Company and by Hembrug Arsenal in Holland; they saw action during World War I1 in the Dutch East Indies and Europe. Many were captured by the Japanese and used by guards and police.

The Portuguese Model 1896 Mann- licher carbine is extremely rare. Like its Dutch and Romanian cousins, it fired the 6.5x53R cartridge and was produced by the Austrian Arms Com- pany. The authoritative German book, Waffenlehre (Arms Instruction) by Maj. Genl. Richard Wille stated that 4,000 of those carbines were produced for the Portuguese army, 200 for colonial troops and 1,000 of a rifle type for the Portuguese navy. According to the Spanish Artillery Museum catalog, Portuguese Model 1896 Mannlichers were marked CI, for King Carlos I.

British gunmakers used Dutch and Romanian Mannlicher actions and bar- reled actions in producing sporters. The Dutch Model 1895 was most commonly used. Among the firms that did such work were Jeffery, Henry Atkin, Stephen Grant, Cogswell & Harrison, George Gibbs and Daniel Fraser. Mann- lichers they produced were chiefly in 6.5x53R, called .256 Mannlicher by the British. There were also some in .375 Flanged (rimmed) Nitro Express. Ballistic data for the .256 Mannlicher

25

round (British Kynoch brand) included a 160-grain roundnose bullet driven at 2,350 fps muzzle velocity from a 31-inch barrel. Muzzle energy was 1,960 foot-pounds.

It would seem from the above rather modest performance that the .256 Mannlicher would be suitably power- ful for nothing larger than deer, but

bolt Mannlicher action is a favourite with match rifle shots, partly because of its separate bolt head, and also because the pull-off can be nicely ad- justed to give a clean, even disengage- ment of scear and bent. The action is capable of standing up to pressures con- siderably higher than the danger-point of the British Service (Lee) action, which may be fixed at 20 tons on the square inch.”

A separate non-rotary bolt head, as in turn-bolt Mannlichers, was generally

By far the best-known member of the Mannlicher turn-bolt family is the Mannlicher-Schoenauer, introduced as a 6.5mm military rifle in 1900. Ferdi- nand Ritter von Mannlicher is credited with the design of its bolt and receiver. The rifle’s rotary magazine (actually a box magazine with rotary follower) was designed by Otto Schoenauer who was a director of the Austrian Arms Company.

Although von Mannlicher was a co-designer on the Mannlicher- Schoenauer project, there is strong evidence that his contribution was

relatively minor. If there is any doubt

vided a non-rotary seat for the extrac- that the and receiver Of the tor, and it produced no turning friction Mannlicher-Schoenauer are basically against the cartridge base. It was also very to those Of the German

British hunters used it successfully on relatively cheap to replace in the event Rifle The everything from small antelope to lion. of becoming unserviceable through is Since Mann-

licher’s contribution to the design of It was even used to some extent on the Rifle 88 was confined to the elephant. Success with such a relatively magazine and loading clip, it is evident small cartridge was due to its excellent that his credit for the Mannlicher- penetration and careful placement of Schoenauer design was to a large shots. degree honorary. In similar fashion,

The ,256 Mannlicher was also used Paul Mauser was given credit for extensively by British target shooters. design of the Model 96 “broomhandle” Dutch Model 1895 Mannlichers were pistol that was actually a brain child often put to such use in as-issued of the Feederle brothers.

preferred by the British because it pro- On that point, it ‘an be Seen

damage and wear.

Rifling in the 6.5mm (.256 inch) Mannlicher consisted of four concentric grooves .006 inch deep. The twist was to the right, one turn in 20cm (7.87 inches). Bullet diameter was .263 or 264 inch, depending on the manufac- turer. Groove diameter of the barrel was a few thousandths of an inch larger

military form except for the sights. Long-range target shooting was often done from the “back position” with the shooter on his back and legs toward the target. For such use the Mannlicher rifle was fitted with special target sights. An aperture rear sight was fastened to the top of the buttstock back toward the heel.

than the long, roundnose bullet, so that the desired bullet fit was obtained by a combination of forcing and expan- Schoenauer’s rotary magazine was sion. Although that system does not not an original development. It was an conform with American practice on improvement on one developed by bullet fit, it worked quite well with Austrian designer, A. Spitalsky, and metal-jacketed bullets. From all indica- was of perfected and very neat design.

British authors Ommundsen and tions, British shooters were well The magazine could be loaded singly Robinson stated in their 1915 book, satisfied with the accuracy of their .256 or by using a Mauser-type strip clip. Its Rifles and Ammunition: “The turning- Mannlicher rifles. capacity was five rounds.

26 Rifle 142

Opposite page, top, the Mannlicher-Schoenauer Model 1905 9x56mm carbine has a 19.7-inch barrel. Center, this Mannlicher-Schoenauer takedown rifle has a 23.6-inch barrel and a folding peep sight in the neck of the stock behind the receiver. Bottom, the German 98/40 7.9rnm short rifle was manufactured in Hungary during World War I I .

The spool-like magazine follower was powered by a t,orsion spring and had rounded grooves shaped to fit the car- tridges. Shoulders on the grooves prevented the cartridges from sliding forward during recoil. Each cartridge was fed into a nearly central position slightly below the bore line for chambering.

It was easy to unload the magazine by opening the bolt and depressing the cartridge carrier button projecting through a hole in the right rail of the receiver. The cartridges would then spring upward out of the magazine and could be easily caught in the hand.

In addition to its rotary feature, the Schoenauer magazine was unlike those of earlier turn-bolt Mannlichers in that it was flush with the bottom of the stock. That aided ease of carrying and helped the appearance. The magazine assembly was easily detachable for cleaning by depressing the floorplate spring and turning the floorplate 90 degrees.

Although the Schoenauer magazine had the above advantages and func- tioned well, it was expensive to manufacture and relatively complex. It also required a wider magazine open- ing in the stock than was necessary for a conventional box magazine. A British source pointed out that it was liable to become clogged with dirt that could not easily be cleared from the mechanism.

A distinctive detailed feature of the Model 1900 Mannlicher-Schoenauer was a small bar dovetailed lengthwise into the left side of the cocking piece. The bar entered a shallow notch on the front end of the firing pin nut to lock the latter from rotation. A drawing in W.H.B. Smith’s Mannlicher book showed that bar on a Model 1900 military rifle, and a sectional drawing showed that the firing pin nut was threaded on the firing pin as in earlier turn-bolt Mannlichers. Also shown was a lightening cut on the bolt guide rib and an extra-large bolt handle knob with lightening hole. Military models

July-August 1992

that succeeded the Model 1900 also had those last two features. The lightening cut on the bolt guide rib was carried over into Mannlicher- Schoenauer sporters.

Bob Waynick, a North Carolina shooter and collector, owns a sporting version of the Model 1900 Mannlicher- Schoenauer tha t has the above- mentioned bar on the cocking piece. That rifle is in near-perfect condition and is the only Model 1900 Mannlicher- Schoenauer sporter I have encoun- tered. Its receiver ring is marked PAT-

M.1900. The stock and metal parts show graceful design and fine workmanship that typify Mannlicher- Schoenauer rifles and carbines pro- duced by the Austrain Arms Company.

Another unusual feature of Way- nick’s Model 1900 sporter is a large black bolt handle knob that appears to be hard rubber or composition. Possibly the rifle’s action was originally in- tended for a military rifle and was later diverted by the factory for sporting rifle use; that, however, is only speculation.

Evidently the Model 1900 Mann- licher-Schoenauer rifle was produced in only small quantity, most likely for a troop test by Greece. A slightly- improved version was adopted by Greece as the Model 1903. It is easily identified by a 1903 marking along with a Greek cross coat of arms. I have seen a specimen that bears the Greek cross coat of arms, but not the 1903 marking. It is also marked STEYR 1907 to indicate manufacture four years after the Model 1903 was introduced.

I have encountered a Model 1903 Mannlicher-Schoenauer military rifle marked Modell 1903, but without the Greek cross coat of arms. It is believed to have been offered commercially.

A small but important improvement in the Model 1903 was an interrupted- lug system of fastening the firing pin nut to the firing pin. That provided a foolproof method of attachment and was also featured in succeeding models of Mannlicher-Schoenauers.

Another Mannlicher-Schoenauer rifle used by Greece was the Model 1903114. It differed from the Model 1903 rifle in that it had a full-length handguard and a stacking rod extend- ing forward from the left side of its up- per band. Most specimens bear the

ENT MANNLICHER-SCHOENAUER

Greek cross coat of arms on the receiver ring. There are also some without that marking. Many Model 1903114 rifles are marked with the Greek cross coat of arms, but lack a crown marking above the cross in a shield. The left side of the receiver is marked BREDA 1927 to denote manufacture by the Breda firm in Italy. Greece was a republic at that time, and therefore the coat of arms didn’t include a crown.

At the outbreak of World War I, the Austro-Hungarian army was short of rifles and ammunition. Various models of rifles were therefore used as substitute standard. Among them were many Model 1903114 Mannlicher- Schoenauer rifles originally intended for Greece. They were issued to the “Polish Legion,” a volunteer force that fought for Austria-Hungary.

All Mannlicher-Schoenauers dis- cussed thus far fired the 6.5mm Mannlicher-Schoenauer cartridge, known commercially as 6.5x54mm or 6.5x53mm. (The case length of a specimen in my collection is 53.4mm.l Another name for that round is 6.7x53mm, often used by Austrians who prefer to include the bullet diameter in the designation.

The 6.5mm Mannlicher-Schoenauer cartridge has a rimless case. It is other- wise similar to the 6.5x53R Mann- licher. According to the British 1909 Textbook of Small Arms, the 6.5mm Mannlicher-Schoenauer military car- tridge has a 159.3-grain roundnose bullet driven 2,223 fps muzzle velocity from a barrel 28.56 inches long.

It is generally thought that military Mannlicher-Schoenauers were made only in 6.5mm; however, there was also a Model 1906 Mannlicher-Schoenauer military rifle in 6.8mm (.268 inch). I ex- amined one at the Aberdeen Proving Ground Ordnance Museum many years ago. It was marked Modell 1906 on its receiver ring and STEYR 1910 on the receiver wall.

The 6.8mm rimless cartridge for that rifle had a 139-grain spitzer bullet of .277-inch diameter and was appar- ently developed by necking down the 7.9x57mm Mauser round. A specimen of that rare 6.8mm cartridge is in the collection of Bill Woodin, Tucson, Arizona.

China adopted a Model 1907 Mauser

(Continued on page 54)

27

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