lancaster, you simply underrate the manufacturing capacities of the Oesterreichisch Waffenfabriks- Gesellschaft, Steyr. During the 1890s Steyr was the biggest gunmaker in the world. Besides making thousands of Mannlicher M95 straight-pull rifles not only for Austro-Hungary, Bulgaria and even Siam, they made many other models for export just as orders came in and the customers could raise the funds. They made lots of (German)M88 rifles for export to Latin America. They even made M92/M96 actions and M92/95 actions side by side, with production years overlapping. For instance, my Portuguese M96 (same action as Rom. M93 with reinforced magazine box and ejector in bottom of receiver)has a receiver dated "Steyr 1898", while my Gibbs on a Dutch M95 action (same as M92 with ejector on bolt head) is dated "Steyr 1899". So it was no problem for OEWG to divert a few dozen rifles from the military production to fill a civilian order, f.i. from England. This happened post-1900 too. My M1900 Mannlicher-Schoenauer action with a B-prefix Gibbs serial number is dated "Steyr 1901". My Gibbs Mannlicher-Schoenauer on an M1903 action from the military production, but without a Greek crest, is dated "Steyr 1905". As you know, on Steyr made rifles you find the model designation on the receiver ring, the production year on the left receiver wall.