| Marrakai |
| (.416 member) |
| 01/04/20 09:04 PM |
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Another Bog-Standard Jeffery Mannlicher
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Rolland's recent post here reminded me that I had not tossed up any pics of the marvellous Jeffery .256 that has resided in my gunsafe these past 7 or 8 years. It has had a couple of outings: one was chasing Red Stags in the Cressbrook Valley, but alas the onset of heavy storms that Easter drove the deer off the niece's property into the hills where I had no access at the time. That has since been rectified, BTW!
Mostly it has held a good account of itself in Classic Light Nitro events at our Big Game Rifle meetings, and is an absolute joy to shoot despite the need to carefully manage the number of cartridges in the en-bloc clip!
Anyway, the rifle is nothing special by the standards of a century past, but today is a delightful example of the skills and class of British gunmakers over a hundred years ago. While several members here have custody of similar Steyr-Mannlicher sporters and have preceded me with photo-essays, every one is subtly different and well worth the posting IMHO. Hope you enjoy the pics!
Close-up of the action:
Here's the Steyr marking with date of manufacture:
...and the maker's London address on the barrel:
And here's a pic of the bit that modern gunmakers just don't get: Jeffery's ability to capture classic elegance through austerity and minimalist design: the buttstock is barely an inch thick!
| Marrakai |
| (.416 member) |
| 01/04/20 09:13 PM |
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Can't figure out why that pic of the action won't load: tried everything!
Anyway, it seems to load here OK!
| MikeRowe |
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| 01/04/20 09:22 PM |
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Re: Another Bog-Standard Jeffery Mannlicher
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That's a dandy! Everything you need, and nothing you don't.
I put a peep sight on my .375 Dickson just like that - makes a difference for us old guys.
| Viking338 |
| (.333 member) |
| 02/04/20 12:18 AM |
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Re: Another Bog-Standard Jeffery Mannlicher
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That is lovely mate, thanks for sharing. A joy to behold
| Louis |
| (.375 member) |
| 02/04/20 01:39 AM |
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The epitome of classical elegance; thank you for sharing it with us!
Louis
| Huvius |
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| 02/04/20 01:20 PM |
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Interesting that Jeffery would equip this rifle but not put on their own diopter cocking piece peep sight.
I had one, that was a bit of a project, which had a Jeffery patent diopter but was unfortunately missing some parts.
I think the Lyman No.1 (No.2 on a Mannlicher?) is just as good, maybe a better sight.
| Marrakai |
| (.416 member) |
| 02/04/20 05:35 PM |
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Re: Another Bog-Standard Jeffery Mannlicher
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I have always harboured the impression from catalogues of the period that Jeffery favoured the Lyman aperture sight for both Steyr-Mannlicher and Mannlicher Schoenauer bolts, and the Jeffery aperture sight for Mauser bolts.
Either way, its a nice touch.
...and as you say Mike, a big help for those of us with older eyes.
| Rothhammer1 |
| (.400 member) |
| 02/04/20 07:07 PM |
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Re: Another Bog-Standard Jeffery Mannlicher
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Quote:
Either way, its a nice touch.
...and as you say Mike, a big help for those of us with older eyes.
| 264 |
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| 02/04/20 08:40 PM |
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Very very nice! Cheers Mick
| Waidmannsheil |
| (.400 member) |
| 02/04/20 08:48 PM |
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Fantastic looking rifle you have their Tony, very classy. The proportions are pretty well perfect. Something about the Mannlicher rifles that's very special but that one is a real beauty. Very nice sights as well.
Why do say you need to manage the number of cartridges in the clip, what happens if you don't.
I agree with your statement about the aperture sights, the Lyman sights seem to be use with the Mannlichers while Jeffery's own sight is mainly used on the Mauser rifles.
Matt.
| 93x64mm |
| (.416 member) |
| 02/04/20 11:00 PM |
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Re: Another Bog-Standard Jeffery Mannlicher
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I've never been a real fancier of the Mannlicher, but it certainly has been well kept & it would be a slim & trim hunter without a shadow of a doubt Marrakai.
Most definitely a heirloom piece for sure!
| Marrakai |
| (.416 member) |
| 03/04/20 01:10 AM |
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Thanks all for your kind comments. Glad you like it. I know I do!
Quote:
Why do say you need to manage the number of cartridges in the clip, what happens if you don't.
Matt: the Classic Light Nitro event, as we shoot it in the NT, finishes with 3 lots of 2 shots in 10 seconds, but the clip only holds 5 rounds. Theoretically the shooter should only have 6 rounds on the firing line, so the clip needs to be ejected at some point and the last round added, then reinserted partially full. ...if that makes sense!
Or one could take 2 clips to the firing line, one with 4 rounds and the other with 2.
NitroX
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| (.700 member) |
| 03/04/20 01:16 AM |
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Very nice Marrakai.
I wonder what else hides in your gun "safe".
Is yours rimmed or rimless?
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NitroX
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| 03/04/20 01:18 AM |
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Re: Another Bog-Standard Jeffery Mannlicher
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PS IMPORTANT.
I still need some clips for my Dutch mil steyr in 6.5x53R.
Anyone can help or point me in the right direction?
| Huvius |
| (.416 member) |
| 03/04/20 03:33 AM |
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Re: Another Bog-Standard Jeffery Mannlicher
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| Rolland |
| (.333 member) |
| 03/04/20 04:21 AM |
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Re: Another Bog-Standard Jeffery Mannlicher
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Quote:
PS IMPORTANT.
I still need some clips for my Dutch mil steyr in 6.5x53R.
Anyone can help or point me in the right direction?
Look here https://www.gunpartscorp.com/ they are listed under Dutch Mannlicher $5.00 each USD. I bought a few and they look to be original and new.
I don't know if they will ship overseas but that could be overcome, I think
| Marrakai |
| (.416 member) |
| 03/04/20 09:25 AM |
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Huvius:
You have reminded us once again that with vintage British gunmakers, the rules are: "There are no rules"!
...assuming your rifle bore Jeffery's address on the barrel?
John:
The "rule" is: rimmed in the Steyr-Mannlicher, rimless in the Mannlicher Schoenauer.
Notwithstanding the "rule" outlined above!
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NitroX
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| (.700 member) |
| 03/04/20 10:27 PM |
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Re: Another Bog-Standard Jeffery Mannlicher
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Quote:Quote:
PS IMPORTANT.
I still need some clips for my Dutch mil steyr in 6.5x53R.
Anyone can help or point me in the right direction?
Look here https://www.gunpartscorp.com/ they are listed under Dutch Mannlicher $5.00 each USD. I bought a few and they look to be original and new.
I don't know if they will ship overseas but that could be overcome, I think
Thank you. Will have a look.
Yes if they don't post OS, I am sure a solution is possible.
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NitroX
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| (.700 member) |
| 03/04/20 10:33 PM |
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Quote:
John:
The "rule" is: rimmed in the Steyr-Mannlicher, rimless in the Mannlicher Schoenauer.
Notwithstanding the "rule" outlined above!
I would assume so. But there is a rule never to assume.
What's wrong with these Austrians, using the same nomenclature for two different cartridges, rimless 6.5x54 MS or rimmed 6.5x53R, as .256 Mannlicher. Not very German.:)
But then the .256 Mannlicher is British.
Mate, was hoping to catch up in August this year. Unlikely now. Maybe 2021.
Gives me lots of time to work on getting more rifles working for it.
As long as my PhD in Procrastination doesn't need a new thesis.
| Huvius |
| (.416 member) |
| 04/04/20 01:34 AM |
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Quote:
Huvius:
You have reminded us once again that with vintage British gunmakers, the rules are: "There are no rules"!
...assuming your rifle bore Jeffery's address on the barrel?
Yes, it was done by Jeffery, at least the barrel work and sighting was. Sighted to 500! HA!! Stocking too I'd think.
Too bad about the broken stock but would have made a great pattern.
| 3DogMike |
| (.400 member) |
| 04/04/20 12:18 PM |
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Tony, what a sweet little Jeffery that is........I rather like the barrel band foresight and rear sight treatment as compared to my Evans.
....managing (and not losing) the en-block Mannlicher clips is part of the "experience" eh?
Ben, you need to get Steve to make you a new stock to match the original!
- Mike
| Huvius |
| (.416 member) |
| 04/04/20 12:55 PM |
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Re: Another Bog-Standard Jeffery Mannlicher
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This Jeffery Steyr went away with the Fraser and a take down Gibbs Steyrs.
They are really nice rifles but I like cash on occasion too...
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NitroX
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| (.700 member) |
| 04/04/20 11:01 PM |
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Re: Another Bog-Standard Jeffery Mannlicher
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Quote:Quote:
PS IMPORTANT.
I still need some clips for my Dutch mil steyr in 6.5x53R.
Anyone can help or point me in the right direction?
Look here https://www.gunpartscorp.com/ they are listed under Dutch Mannlicher $5.00 each USD. I bought a few and they look to be original and new.
I don't know if they will ship overseas but that could be overcome, I think
So would these be the right ones?
DUTCH HEMBRUG 1895 ORIGINAL 5 ROUND 6.5MM STRIPPER CLIP
Of course the business is CLOSED due to the farcevirus "but will look at orders when it reopens".
Don't any of these business want to make any sales?
***
My rifle:
http://forums.nitroexpress.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=196351&an=&page=0&vc=1
And still intact and unaltered.
(Sorry Tony for putting this on your thread)
| Marrakai |
| (.416 member) |
| 05/04/20 08:51 AM |
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John:
No worries. Looks like the same clip would work.
If you don't mind me posting a live link, there is a good pic of the 5-round en-bloc Steyr-Mannlicher clip on this site:
http://www.rathcoombe.net/sci-tech/classics/mannlicher-1895/classic_mannlicher.html
A Jeffery catalogue page is reproduced there too, that makes reference to the
"Lyman Back-sight, which travels with the bolt and does not interfere with the grip of the stock,
a far greater degree of accuracy of shooting is obtainable than with the ordinary open sights."
Plenty of other interesting stuff there too.
| Marrakai |
| (.416 member) |
| 05/04/20 09:22 AM |
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I should add that it is commonplace to make 6.5x53R cases from .303 British, which is certainly doable but not trivial since neck-reaming should be done to prevent premature neck-cracking.
The step often missed though, is reducing the rim diameter by a few thou (from 0.540 to 0.530 inch) because the .303-based cases will still feed, chamber, fire and eject just like originals.
So why bother?
The problem comes loading the clips, which is achievable with unmodified rims but after a time will distort the clip and make it difficult to get a tight en-bloc loading.
These days we have to make our clips last for many, many loadings, so rim reduction is highly recommended despite the difficulty involved.
...and as Mike has pretty-much implied, very important not to step on the empty clips when they drop on the ground in front of you!
| Waidmannsheil |
| (.400 member) |
| 05/04/20 10:07 AM |
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Re: Another Bog-Standard Jeffery Mannlicher
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Thanks Tony, I see what you mean, I thought you had problems with the cartridges jamming. Makes sens what you say.
Here at the Vic BGRC we shoot CLN regularly, it is one of the favorite events.
Obviously you are talking about when shooting the trophy sequence.
What we do in the case of rifles which must use a clip to load such as the Mannlichers is that the shooter informs the RO that he has such a gun and then he can load the clip with four rounds to suit. What we do in that case at 25 yards is load a clip with four, and then another clip with four, and then eject the last clip which still has two rounds in it into your hand before the rifle gets cleared.
Its a great event with many nice rifles in it.
Matt.
| Waidmannsheil |
| (.400 member) |
| 05/04/20 10:25 AM |
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Re: Another Bog-Standard Jeffery Mannlicher
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Tony, I have measured factory Kynoch brass as well as factory S&B and military and they all measure O.516". Of course what is also important is that the outside edge of the rim has a small chamfer or radius otherwise it will foul in the clip where the inside bend radius is.
I have bought heaps of clips from a chap here in Australia and one in Holland as well as single ones here and there from the US and the UK. All off eBay. There are no problems so long as you don't choose a seller that uses eBay's own global shipping program or else they confiscate the clips. They refund the money to the buyer and pay the seller as well but confiscate the clips none the less, fucking bastards.
The best thing that I did was to get a clip in good condition and then polish the inside edges of the clip and radius the outer corners and make it all smooth so that the brass doesn't drag or get scratched as much.Then I have it bead blasted with very fine grit. Then I take it to a company called Guhring and have it PVD coated with Titanium Aluminum Nitride (TiN-TiAlN)( Their name for it is FIRE) which is a corrosion resistant coating which is harder than carbide and has a low co-efficient of friction and is the same colour as blueing. After that they work fantastic.
I am going to try Hydro-blasting instead of bead blasting on a couple as I believe that they will come up a little shinier than bead blasting which is more of a satin finish.
Matt.
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NitroX
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| (.700 member) |
| 05/04/20 11:41 AM |
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Lovely rifle mate. I would love mine to end up looking something like that. If I am not convinced to leave mine as a vintage mil and flogging it off.
Bruce Bertram makes 6.5x53R brass. I am sure I bought a reasonable quantity of them when visiting Bruce, for the never never rifle.
I've got a great big bucket of packets of brass bought from Bruce from that trip put somewhere in my shed(s).
Plus a quantity, 4 or 10 (?) of virtually every brass he makes or had on hand at the time. For photos. Should start using them for photos.
| Marrakai |
| (.416 member) |
| 05/04/20 01:40 PM |
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Re: Another Bog-Standard Jeffery Mannlicher
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Thanks John. Most of my usable cases are reformed .303s.
However the rifle presented here came from a deceased estate with a couple hundred mil-surp rounds with nickel FMJ projectiles and small-diameter domed Berdan primers. Headstamp is "AI" which I understand indicates Dutch manufacture by Artillerie Inrichtingen.
The cartridges were all in clips with 10 clips per box IIRC.
Most of the clips surplus to my requirements have already been given away!
Headstamped date is 23C, not sure if that means 1923 but they either dud-fire or hang-fire badly so could be!
The rim diameter of the AI brass is 0.526 inch.
...and I take your point about bevelling the rims after turning them down Matt. Always do this anyway.
But I am amazed at your sterling efforts to improve operation of the clips! A quick spray of aerosol silicone is the most I have entertained!