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Shooting & Reloading - Mausers, Big Bores and others >> Mannlicher Discussion forum & Archive

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JackW
.224 member

Reged: 29/12/15
Posts: 8
Loc: Colorado, USA

New here with questions on model 1903
#275809 - 30/12/15 04:47 PM

First post...

I'm more of a pistol person but some long guns have a certain appeal. So I'm sorta in the noob category when it comes to rifles that are anything other than modern.

So... a long story short my grandfather was a colonel in the US army and after a slog through France, Germany, and skirting the Czech border he ended WWII in Austria where he became the occupation commandant of an Austrian town. The story I got is that part of the occupation effort was the disarming of the citizenry of the town. He also had the brewery restarted too but that's a different story. Anywho... He had the town folk bring rifles and other arms that could be used for offensive purposes to the town square. Before they were destroyed, he, the other officers and enlisted picked out some of the better ones as 'keepsakes.' It has been 25 years since he passed and I have been waiting patiently... a boxing day gift as it was from my uncle this past week.

My grandfather came home with this... a model 1903 M-S:

Here is a view of the markings... post anschluss "Made in Germany" as I understand it places the make on this between 1938 and 1940.

Came with the Austrian-style scope with snap-on mount

but also has the nice leaf-style sights...

So my questions are...

I need to learn to disassemble this one and have no clue beyond the nice youtube video I found on the specifics of the bolt assembly. Anyone have documents or a video to share for the whole thing? Have not found one yet.

It needs to be cleaned better and I'd like to get a picture of the proof marks under the stock.

I was also given a box of Norma shells, that likely date to the 1960s or more likely the 1950s. Any suggestions to whom might have suitable rounds for targeting and possibly hunting. Or am I picking up a new hobby of re-loading?

Anyway... great forum and have spent the better part of last night and tonight reading things.

Cheers!

Edited by JackW (30/12/15 04:50 PM)

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JackW
.224 member

Reged: 29/12/15
Posts: 8
Loc: Colorado, USA

Re: New here with questions on model 1903 [Re: JackW]
#275810 - 30/12/15 04:53 PM

I also have the original shoulder strap but there isn't the cleaning rod. I'd like to acquire one but haven't had luck in tracking one down. Any suggestions on that?

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DonZ
.300 member

Reged: 24/12/12
Posts: 121
Loc: BW

Re: New here with questions on model 1903 [Re: JackW]
#275828 - 30/12/15 11:30 PM

Quote:

I also have the original shoulder strap but there isn't the cleaning rod. I'd like to acquire one but haven't had luck in tracking one down. Any suggestions on that?

Join the Mannlicher Collectors Association. There's always ads in the back of their newsletter for replacement cleaning rods.

Others may weigh in. I have a similar rifle (including date of manufacture).

I hadn't fired it for years, but then the internet came along and made it far easier to find ammo.

I've had success on Gunbroker finding new old stock RWS ammo. I have also found RWS brass.

I did find one custom ammo maker who made some nice stuff, but used Hornady bullets. That in itself wasn't bad, but by crimping into the cannelure, the rounds were slightly short in overall length. Understand that these rifles can be very sensitive to length, and they had difficulty feeding (unlike the RWS rounds). There are other places that may make custom ammo, brass is available.

But the whole experience did lead to me learning how to hand load. Not only does this make me more comfortable with the future of using this rifle, it's cut down on the cost (and increased availability) for my pistol ammo.

--------------------
Honor never grows old, and honor rejoices the heart of age...

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JackW
.224 member

Reged: 29/12/15
Posts: 8
Loc: Colorado, USA

Re: New here with questions on model 1903 [Re: DonZ]
#275845 - 31/12/15 04:57 AM

Quote:

Join the Mannlicher Collectors Association.

Will do!

Any suggestions on how to disassemble and cleaning tips?

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DonZ
.300 member

Reged: 24/12/12
Posts: 121
Loc: BW

Re: New here with questions on model 1903 [Re: JackW]
#275872 - 31/12/15 11:47 AM

Others may know better.

For cleaning, I tend to remove the bolt, disassemble and use my ultrasound jewelry cleaner. Ditto the magazine.

As far as I know (and I'd love to be corrected on this), use the proper sized screwdrivers to remove the upper sling mount, the recoil lug and the trigger assembly. From there, the action/barrel can be removed from the stock.

Oh, and if you do decide to find older ammo, beware of Berdan primers. In addition to being useless for reloading, they are likely to be quite corrosive.

Hope that helps.

--------------------
Honor never grows old, and honor rejoices the heart of age...

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Waidmannsheil
.400 member

Reged: 19/04/13
Posts: 2446
Loc: Melbourne Australia

Re: New here with questions on model 1903 [Re: DonZ]
#276010 - 03/01/16 08:32 AM

Norma, RWS and PPU make brass, PPU and Kynoch make factory ammo, Woodleigh makes the correct 160 grain bullets.

Waidmannsheil.

--------------------
There is nothing wrong with vegetarian food, so long as there is meat with it.

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deeangeo
.300 member

Reged: 09/05/15
Posts: 207
Loc: United Kingdom

Re: New here with questions on model 1903 [Re: Waidmannsheil]
#276370 - 10/01/16 08:57 PM

Lovely stutzen rifle. Beautiful. Cheers.

--------------------
Blaser K95 Luxus Kipplaufbüchse, .25-06 Rem. Schmidt & Bender 8x56 & Nosler 110gn Accubond = Game Over!

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JackW
.224 member

Reged: 29/12/15
Posts: 8
Loc: Colorado, USA

Re: New here with questions on model 1903 [Re: deeangeo]
#277392 - 01/02/16 02:59 AM

Thanks all for the comments and compliments.

I've written to the Mannlicher Assoc. but have heard nothing back...

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JackW
.224 member

Reged: 29/12/15
Posts: 8
Loc: Colorado, USA

Re: New here with questions on model 1903 [Re: JackW]
#278831 - 05/03/16 04:38 PM

Here is an update...

Am now a member of the Mannlicher Collector Assoc.

Have learned the field stripping of the rifle (and it needs better cleaning)

and have a date on my rifle: 1940

Edited by JackW (06/03/16 02:38 AM)

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dons
.333 member

Reged: 18/08/07
Posts: 431
Loc: Essex

Re: New here with questions on model 1903 [Re: JackW]
#278851 - 05/03/16 11:38 PM

Congrats on owning a "full Austrian rig" with Kahles scope and Vienna snap mounts. Very nice.

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JackW
.224 member

Reged: 29/12/15
Posts: 8
Loc: Colorado, USA

Re: New here with questions on model 1903 [Re: dons]
#278854 - 06/03/16 02:39 AM

added image of proofing marks...

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sharps4590
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Reged: 09/03/16
Posts: 270
Loc: Missouri Ozarks

Re: New here with questions on model 1903 [Re: JackW]
#279510 - 18/03/16 10:27 PM

Excellent rifles. Congratulations, sir! I love my 1903.

--------------------
Jesus said, "I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me." John14:6

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rpeck

Reged: 06/12/13
Posts: 435
Loc: Canada

Re: New here with questions on model 1903 [Re: sharps4590]
#300314 - 11/05/17 01:08 AM

Very nice and rare wartime production. Usually a little rougher than pre-war production but very desirable nonetheless.

Edited by rpeck (11/05/17 01:10 AM)

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Vladymere
.300 member

Reged: 11/08/15
Posts: 187
Loc: North Carolina, USA

Re: New here with questions on model 1903 [Re: rpeck]
#300323 - 11/05/17 07:50 AM

Lovely rifles. The action is so slick, like a Gew.88, that if you open the bolt, pull and hold the trigger and then tilt the muzzle down to a 45 degree angle the bolt will slide down and close into the locked position.

Vlad

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CptCurl
.450 member

Reged: 01/05/04
Posts: 5284
Loc: Fincastle, Botetourt County, V...

Re: New here with questions on model 1903 [Re: Vladymere]
#300839 - 26/05/17 08:42 PM

You have a treasure!

I looked long and hard to find the one I have. Mine was proofed in 1908 and remains like-new. Here's a thread I posted way back in 2010: Curl's 1903 M-S

I still haven't had the guts to shoot mine!

Curl

--------------------
RoscoeStephenson.com

YOUR DOUBLE RIFLE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND.

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JackW
.224 member

Reged: 29/12/15
Posts: 8
Loc: Colorado, USA

Re: New here with questions on model 1903 [Re: CptCurl]
#308653 - 04/12/17 03:35 PM

Quote:

CptCurl wrote:
I still haven't had the guts to shoot mine!

I've shot mine twice now. Need to still solve the ammo issue but found a nice indoor 100-yard range to zero the sights when I do. Hoping by this time next winter I'll have taken advantage of a deer tag for rifle season.

Quote:

rpeck wrote:
Usually a little rougher than pre-war production but very desirable nonetheless.

Why do you say this? What makes it rougher?

bummer about the images; I hate PhotoBucket.

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Rothhammer1
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Reged: 06/01/17
Posts: 1826
Loc: The Redwoods of California

Re: New here with questions on model 1903 [Re: CptCurl]
#308658 - 04/12/17 10:10 PM

Quote:

Here's a thread I posted way back in 2010: Curl's 1903 M-S
Curl

That's an absolutely lovely M1903 you've got there, Curl.

What did you do about your bedding concerns? I had read about the issue before, but mine is a takedown (M1910, 9.5X57) as built by Steyr which, though cursed with the small lug, does have that nice bit of steel at the wrist that the tang slots into.

Even so, this one (not mine) has had a cracked wrist repaired (two brass pegs are visible).

Your 'extra long barrel' would have been a $15.00 US cost option in 1939 (from Stoeger).

Grand dad (John F. Easton), at center, with his cat.

Edited by Rothhammer1 (04/12/17 10:27 PM)

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