Forums.NitroExpress.com

I found this ( lengthy article), which sums up the famous Mannlicher very well.
Stuff most of us already know, but as we are bombarded with all thats new and shiny by the marketing gurus, then its a timely reminder of this rifles quiet elegance and quality. Forgive some of rather literal translation.
Hope you enjoy.

Best
Eric

Mannlicher

Mannlicher - Schönauer

The Mannlicher - Schoenauer hunting rifles. This is the repeating rifle, referred to as probably the true mother of hunting bolt action rifles. The Mannlicher Schoenauer rifles are traditional, technically impressive, easy, graceful, slender, and biddable. In the pipe version they are more like a walking stick - no more and no less than the weapon actually requires for hunters out stalking. Of course, there is also the Mauser 98 and the Mauser 66 - both designs are mature, a good production quality in classic designs. But it is the Mannlicher Schoenauer, the less heavy rifle as a hunting rifle which over hill and dale, trumping up the mountain and the valley makes an impressive appearance. It is just civilian understatement - for over 100 years. Anyone who had a hunting weapon once in his hand is thrilled.

Why does a shotgun shooter and coach deal with a bolt action rifle?
Well, because he is also a hunter, and also uses bolt action rifles and has dealt with that matter. And because he knows that many of his students are hunters and users of repeating rifles. They may be able to start with a reference to the Mannlicher Schönauer, because they also have a weakness for well-made weapons.

Today the market is full of many vendors that produce rifles. Perhaps there has never been such a wide range of repeaters on the market. The product cycles rotate faster and faster. Almost every year there are new models in new variations. Everything is available with all imaginable, always new cartridges in special versions for each of the imaginary advertising purpose. However, when it comes to the production, it is about saving costs. The pure function of the rifle should be done at the lowest possible price. In addition to technical details, sales and advertising plans decide about the success of a product on the market. Unfortunately, these are no conditions under which beautiful and technically sophisticated products are developed. Products which a customer can enjoy for a lifetime.

Hunting rifles are mutated to product lines, new accessories are produced every year to keep the customer in a buying mood.

Our tidy landscapes are hunted with so-called off-road and Outback variants of modern hunting rifles. Thus nature is at least in the mirror of our equipment in the wild.

About 100 years ago it was different. Not everything was better - but it was quieter and the work was cheaper. The equipment was trying to get to the current stage of perfection. The Nature was t almost limitless, and the man was her conqueror - and not her guardian. The Mannlicher - Schönauer rifle dates from this era and tells us around the period 1900. When people from Europe went to Africa with their rifle and a 6.5er shot to shoot an elephant or hunt other animals to earn their living. But even in the Danube area and the Carpathian Mountains, the M. - S. Rifle got famous. Because strong Carpathian deer and big boars were were shot in large numbers with this rifle. That is how a Mannlicher Schoenauer connects a piece of hunting romance. In particular, when Mannlicher-Schoenauer rifles are led by the third generation.

Mannlicher 1

If you deal today with a Schönauer rifle, like me, it gives us - especially in today's "Jungel" - a very skilful way that we knew already over 100 years ago, how a modern hunting rifle is to build and how such a weapon felt then and how amazing this ergonomic design for its users was. In this respect, the Schönauer Mannlicher rifle refelects a high level of resistance.

It is one of the most elaborate made rifles in the traditional manner. The rifle is a masterpiece of metal, which still gives a sensual experience of surfaces and design. The craftsmanship and skill of their producers is reflected in the function of the rifle and its 1900s industrial design. The M. - S. is one of the items that seem timeless and resistance - and thus represents a particular style. It is a true hunting rifle, because it is slim and easy to handle and works against a bolt action 98s almost graceful and unmilitary.

Even though the system of the bolt action Mannlicher - Schönauer goes back to a military construction of Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher and was, amongst others, used for decades in Greece (1900-1940) introduced as a military system. However, it should not be confused with the Steyr Mannlicher M1895 or the Mannlicher-Carcano rifle. It was certainly the hunting offshoot of M. Schonauer rifle, which became more famous.

The five cartridges magazine was designed by Otto Schönauer (Austrian Arms Factory Company). It is a drum magazine of metal, where the cartridges are stored in a circle around the center of rotation of the drum. But this magazine and the fact that the magazine is made with the breech of one part would mae the manufacturer blush and push the price of such a weapon in fairly high regions. To empty the magazine, there is a right top of the chamber sleeve-mounted device with which the drum retaining spring is triggered. Pressing this device, the cartridge in the magazine will be ejected upward.

Mannlicher designed to 6.5 mm military cartridge also a civilian cartridge, the 6.5 x 54 Mannlicher – Schönauer, which became world famous in a short time. Because together with the cartridge, also hunting weapon in that caliber was released. It has the distinguishing feature of a full stock. It had a only a 46 cm long barrel and was offered in combination with a telescopic sight and a mounting. Back then this was an innovation. Many hunters of the time got to know their first scope with a 6.5 x54 M.-S. nozzle. The small projectile with a good cross section loaded and killed quickly at precise shots, and got a an amazing reputation for the best cartridges / weapon combination in the world.

In addition to that, the Mannlicher - Schönauer gun has the cleanest and smoothest trajectory that was ever produced. Even high-quality Mauser systems of noble English gunsmiths, such as Rigby and Holland & Holland don’t have this wonderful trajectory. Unusual for its time was also the german set trigger which allowed in combination with the small low-recoil cartridge a very accurate shooting.

The Mannlicher Model from 1903 is one of the huntable weapons ever produced. With this rifle the nozzle became famous in the hunting world. Even today, in America shafts that reach to the muzzle are commonly called "Mannlicher Stock” . The nozzle with the "Butter Knife Bolt" became a symbol.

The Mannlicher Schönauer piece is now, because of its tractability (weight 3 kg), practical length (97cm), and because of its ballistic qualities related to the 6.5 x54 cartridge (comparatively low recoil at acceptable target ballistic performance), the ancestor of the modern scout rifle. Many famous hunters used and praised it enthusiastically in their reports: for example, Bell, Stigand, Percival and also Hemingway. The long 10.4 grams (160grain) heavy bullet of the 6.5 x54 version had in a full coat sufficient impact, both in shots at buffalo’s as well as Bell's Brain shots, which he practiced on elephants.

Bell of Africa, described his experiences with hunting elephants before World War :"... I found a nice little herd of bulls (elephants), several more of shot I killed with the brain. I was using at that time a very light and sweet working .256 Mannlicher Schoenauer carbine weighing only 5 ¼ pounds. With this tiny and beautiful little weapon I had extraordinary luck, and I should have continued to use it in preference to my other rifles had not developed its Austrian ammunition the serious fault of splitting at the neck ... The best of it was the uge herds were making so much noise themselves that only a few of them could hear the report of the Smallbore ...."

Note: The initial problem with the shells breakage, followed by blocking of the closure was only fixed around 1920.

With soft point bullets the weapon was well used on smaller games for kudu or wildebeest. Up to 2nd World War the 6.5 x54 Mannlicher - Schönauer gun was the most used rifle on the African continent. Their legendary reputation has also led to exaggerations in the hunting literature, as a hunter tried to use this cartridge / gun combinations in frontal situations during dangerous big games.

After a the success with the 6.5 x54 gun from 1903 the next models followed with a 50cm long barrel for the 8x56 cartridge M.-S. (1908), 9x56 M.-S. (1905) and 9.5 x57 M.-S. (1910).

After the 2nd World War, the company Steyr - Daimler - Puch, took on the production of the Mannlicher - Schönauer 1950 and 1952 which was then manufactured again under the model names GK, NO, MC, and MCA. With a slightly modified system (the opening curve was taken from the body to the barrel) and up to the end of the production in 1972 another two versions of an additional lift device were done. In the GK model, the ramp to the charging cradle disappeared which was initially available with the 1950 model.

The caliber selection has been upgraded and expanded. (.243 Win, 6,5 x54, 6,5 x57, 6,5 x68, 7x57, 7x64, 8x57IS, 9,3 x62, 8x60, 8x68S, .257 Roberts, .308 .30-06, .270 Win and .458 Win) .

Rifles were manufactured with 60cm long barrels. The connection with the legendary 6.5 x54er cartridge had 45cm long barrels. For the calibers 8x60 and 9, 3 x62 the barrel length of the nozzle was 60 cm and 50.8 cm in the other calibers. The MC rifle with the Monte Carlo stock had a barrel length of 56cm.

As extras you could order a longer barrel of 65cm, a special material ANTINIT Böhler steel for your barrel , a shaft according to your measurements, made out of walnut wood and of course especially selected barrels were offered for a selected shooting performance. The caliber 6, 5 x68 and 8x68 were also offered as extras extra costs.

I have a Frankonia catalog of 1963 in front of me which has the following weapons:
Mannlicher - Schönauer rifle model 1952
Caliber:... 6.5 x57, 6,5 x68, 7x57, 7x64, 8x57IS, 8x60 Mag, 8x68S, and .243 Win, .270 Win, .30-06 Sprinf, .308 and .458 Winch.Barrel: made out of special steel, 60cm long. With a caliber of 6,5x68 and 8x68S (extra costs) only 65cm long.
System: Mannlicher Schönauer system, with drum magazine for 5 ball cartridges. Bolt handle back bent (6,5 x68 and 8x68 only with a straight bolt handle)
Right (!) next to the rear sleeve bridge is an additional lift device. Without or with double set trigger
Shaft made out of a good walnut wood with pistol grip cap, checkered and jaw.
Set: high-gloss black finish and dark black.
Weight: 3.3 kg to 3.7 kg, depending on the caliber
Price DM (German Marks) 710.00

Mannlicher Model 1952 Schönauer Repeater Nozzle

Caliber and Barrel: from special steel gun barrel, the caliber is 6,5 x54 M.-S., 45cm long, in the caliber 6,5 x57, 7x57, 7x64, 8x57IS, .243 Winchester, .270 Winchester, and .30 - 2006 Springfield 50.8 cm long, in the 8x60 caliber Magnum and 9.3 x62 60 cm it is 60 cm long
System and set is deep black finish and polished.
Stock: walnut wood scarfed to the muzzle, with pistol grip cap, checkered and jaw.
Weight about 3.2 kg to 3.6 kg, depending on the caliber
Price DM (German Marks) 710.00

Additional Costs
65cm long barrel DM 43.00
Barrel from Böhler ANTINIT NG DM 90.50
Caliber 8x68, 6,5 x68 127.00 DM
.458 caliber Winchester only with the 1956 model 400.00 DM
Shaft made of fine burl wood 140.00 DM
Shaft made from body measurements and preferences DM 63.00
Extraordinary shooting performance of 40.50 DM

In the catalog of Frankonia of 1971/72 the offer was considerably reduced:

Still on offer was the1952 model in the calibers 7x57 and GK 7x64 with a 60cm run and the nozzle in these two calibers with a 50.8 inch barrel. The price of these weapons was 1025 German Marks. It was about the same money you had to spend for a Mauser 66 in a better version. In the Frankonia catalog of following year: 1972/73 the Mannlicher Schönauer GK was not even listed anymore. The successor, the Mannlicher-Schönauer M72 bolt action rifle was introduced.

At a Mannlicher - Schönauer guns the barrel is exactly next to the shaft. This is happening in mid-shaft version but also with the nozzle. Nevertheless, these weapons have an outstanding performance and accuracy, which in a modern view actually seems to be a contradiction. This is partly due to the quality of the barrels and the excellent work on the shaft. The shafts of the MS rifles were always kept very light and slim. Tractability was the premise. That seems to have changed only slightly from 1952 (!) onwards. At this time, they were inspired by the Americans, and a more slid shaft was made. The front end became a rounded rosewood shaft and has a bit more material. This change was necessary due to the extension of the caliber range.

The normal shafts have for today's standards, a rather strong drop. As a result the shooter’s face has very little support on the shaft targeting through the riflescope. As a result, it is possible that the weapon while shooting is restless and is panned. In this case one can put a leather trim as raised stock or get the shaft newly done. With the last point, however, an experienced Shafter has to be in charge.

Whoever want to equip Mannlicher - Schönauer with new barrels in other calibers, one must remember that the older rifles have their own thread standard.

If you change the caliber it may also be required to change the drum magazine, since it is precisely set for each caliber. Another expense will also incur if a new scope has to be installed. Most likely the old mounting has to be replaced. The Ziegler GmbH manufactures now a claw mount for the Mannlicher Schönauer which is almost identical to the old mounting. Technically, it is superior to the old design. It is requires no manual work. It only costs a little more than a good swing mount. Because of that, you don’t have to destroy the beautiful appearance of the original weapon. I only use this mounting on my two guns.

You can buy a used Mannlicher Schönauer (500 € - 1600 € - depending on model and condition). Most of them will be one of the GK models. But be careful if project. Most of us want to buy a modern scope for the rifle or modify the old mounting.

You have to be very clear before you buy the weapon whether you want to use the weapon in the original condition or modernize it (new scope, new barrel, new stock, single trigger). Such modernization costs quite a bit of money. But you will have a very beautiful hunting rifle later on, which has something authentic, special and not every hunter has such a rifle.

My experiences with original M.-S. Rifles are generally very good. To be honest, for the beginning old riflescopes from the 50's are ok - if properly cleaned and functional. I raise the shaft with a leather top.

It also looks quite good to buy spare parts now. Eric Schoder in Austria can provide the spare parts and manufactures the Mannlicher Schönauer.

In Germany, Kessler weapons deal in a very successful way with the Mannlicher Schönauer: He produces successfully the M.-S. in an even flatter design this is due to the modification of the magazine. Similar to what he has successfully implemented already in his 98s models. I had a very positive impression when I first saw the pictures. For those of you who think about buying a M. –S. and use is as a serious hunting rifle, a new gun is definitely better than the above mentioned suggestions. You will, in comparison to older models, avoid any technical problems and you will have the advantages of a modern shaft. The prices are higher, but you also get a first-class tool of handmade quality which leaves behind today's designs and make them look like "instant soup".

I have done this little report quite spontaneous, and I am sure there are some mistakes. However, I would like to make some additions to the facts of the individual models. So if you have something to contribute, you are very welcome to send me an email to info@flintenschuetze.de. I will gladly pass the information here. If you have pictures or instruction manuals, you are more than welcome to mail them over:

--------------------
Walk softly and carry a big stick