Mod. 1903 Mannlicher-Schoenauer

The classic M-S caliber is 6.5 X 54. I think 6.5 X 55 is a Swedish round. Can you confirm the caliber of yours? It is a beautiful rifle. I have a near identical carbine in 6.5 X 54. Karamojo Bill killed many an elephant with one.

You are quite right. 6.5x54 M-S.

I corrected my typo and thank you for pointing it out.

Curl
 
The Dutch Army used that round in the rimmed version in their Hembrug Rifles and carbines in WWII, the Germans really soon found out, that those rounds were more accurate as their 8x57IS caliber and used those supplies and rifles when Holland did surrender.
 
Old world craftsmanship at its finest. Looks like a work of of art, and the condition is amazing. What a great find!
 
Well, I have seen examples of your gunsmiths that are just as good!
For production rifles, they just had to go that way, it was milling, turning and boring and above all, heat treatment,hardly any short-cuts possible.Remember their Kropatschek actions, never ever a smoother action has been made.
I own a Steyr Mannlicher SL in .222Rem. which is some decades younger in age, the metalwork is perfect but what to think of a plastic snail-house magazine and a plastic magazine-funnel/trigger guard on such a rifle?
 
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There is one for sale right now, with a scope with the original 3-claw mount in cal. 6,5x54for 1399 Euro. Good looking rifle! I would buy it myself but our hunting permit allows for a maximum of 6 rifles/shotguns, have 4 shotguns and 2 rifles already.
 
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It's so cute!

And beautiful, all at the same time.

Put me down as another who has long wanted to add one to the collection. One just like that one, in that caliber, would do just fine.
 
Holland and Romania used the 6.5x53 rimmed cartridge starting prior to WW1. Steyr made rifles and carbines.
Holland was then licensed to mfg the rifle at their arsenal at Hembrug.
Slick, smooth operating rifles like the M/S with the difference of a straight line feed system and not the rotary magazine.
A packet loading system used as in the German 88 and the Italian Carcano.

They have their own following. Most all the great Brit names can be found on the sporters as well as German and Austrian made ones.
I have one, a carbine w/ full length stock made on a Steyr made Romanian M92 contract bbld action. Nicely sporter stocked, dst, engraved, ect. No name or retailer on it though.
A WW2 bringback so said the guy I bought it from at a show. No one had shown any interest in the rifle so I got it in straight trade for a Western Field 12ga SxS that had seen better days. Maybe I had to give up $25 too,,I'm not sure on that part now. It did come with one 'clip' and a single lonely round of 1917 dated Dutch military ammunition that I still have.
I use 303brit brass to make 6.5x53R cases and use 6.5M/S dies to form and load. Fun to shoot.
Tiny sights,,those guys back then must have all had good eyes!

...Just love those early European rifles and shotguns.
 
I'm not 100% sure, but I believe this was the rifle used by LTC Repp (the bad guy) in Stephen Hunter's "The Master Sniper". I remember reading this novel in the early 1980s - long before Al Gore invented the internet, and trying to imagine what the rifle actually looked like. Imagine things like a schnabel, claw mounts, and rotary magazine for a guy like me who grew up around pump shotguns and lever action rifles!

Thank you for posting and sharing photos of this beautiful piece, Captain Curl.

Regards,

Dave
 
SWEEEEEEEET.....Beautiful rifle...... I've always loved the Mannlicher look!

30 years ago I missed out on a custom "Flags" built mannlicher in 6.5x5? My gunsmith had it on consignment and told me to buy it ... but being young and dumb........ I waited and it was gone before I got back...(no internet to do research in those days.)

I made do with a Ruger 77 International in .243.......which is still a head turner at most Pa. deer camps!!!!!!

For those of us who can't afford or justify a real one.....LOL..... take a look at CZ's offerings.......mini and micro and full size Mauser actions in Mannlicher style stocks ....... listed as FS models

I've purchased several of their FS(Mannlicher) stocked rifles over the past 5 years...... 452s in .22lr and .22mag and 527 in .223/5.56........ topped w/ Leupold 1-4x20 scopes... they represent my " walk in Penn's woods rifles"

They represent great value for the $$s....... and are moa shooters!!!

There are also their 550 "full size".... FSs w/ 6.5x54 being a favorite!!!!
 
SWEEEEEEEET.....Beautiful rifle...... I've always loved the Mannlicher look!

30 years ago I missed out on a custom "Flags" built mannlicher in 6.5x5? My gunsmith had it on consignment and told me to buy it ... but being young and dumb........ I waited and it was gone before I got back...(no internet to do research in those days.)

I made do with a Ruger 77 International in .243.......which is still a head turner at most Pa. deer camps!!!!!!

For those of us who can't afford or justify a real one.....LOL..... take a look at CZ's offerings.......mini and micro and full size Mauser actions in Mannlicher style stocks ....... listed as FS models

I've purchased several of their FS(Mannlicher) stocked rifles over the past 5 years...... 452s in .22lr and .22mag and 527 in .223/5.56........ topped w/ Leupold 1-4x20 scopes... they represent my " walk in Penn's woods rifles"

They represent great value for the $$s....... and are moa shooters!!!

There are also their 550 "full size".... FSs w/ 6.5x54 being a favorite!!!!

You can change those CZ's into sub-MOA shooters if you pay some attention to the bedding and free-floating of the barrel, had 3 of them, 2 in .222Rem and one in .223Rem. All of them were bad fitted into their stocks and turned into nail drivers after a good glass-fiber/resin bedding of the action and sanding the barrel part of the wood to guaranty a free floating barrel. They are cheap and that makes, not all the attention has been given to those details.
 
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