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imho, the chambering was defined by the model name before the model 1924.
everything elso is not original anymore!

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The M1900 Mannlicher Schönauer, as introduced at the Paris World's Fair of 1900, was an elegant, light sporting rifle utilizing the new Schönauer rotary magazine system and a new rimless version of the 6.5X54 cartridge. These were essentially prototype sales samples to be used in effort to obtain lucrative military contracts for the MS.

The MS was expensive to produce and the only significant military contract awarded was with Greece in 1903, which resulted in production of vast quantities of 'Greek Mannlichers' and variants chambered for the 6.5X54MS at Steyr over the next few decades. Many of these Greek MS survived to be sold as surplus, many of which have been 'sporterized' over the years, often to include barrel changes.

Another result of the 1903 contract was that Steyr continued to produce the 6.5X54 Mannlicher Schönauer in commercial form (M1903) as sporting rifles and as light, svelte, stutzen (full stocked carbine). Over the next seven years, three variants were introduced on the M1900 sized receiver, each with a corresponding MS proprietary chambering. Added to the 6.5X54 M1900/1903 were the M1905 in 9X56, the M1908 in 8X56, and M1910 in 9.5X57. These models were cartridge specific. Any other 'calibers' would not be original to them. Be aware, however, that different references have different 'names' for some of these and / or use different measuring points. A 6.5X54 becomes 6.7X53... 9.5X57 becomes 9.5X56 or .375 Nitro Express Rimless... .

Mannlicher Schönauer proprietary cartridges:


The Model of 1924 was built on a longer receiver, with a longer magazine, originally for export to the U.S. as the 'Sequoia' and chambered in 'the U.S. Cartridge of .30-'06'.

Unsold Sequoias were returned to Steyr (or never shipped initially), many were rechambered to cartridges more popular in Europe at the time. Production continued on the new sized receiver of rifles and carbines of various chamberings. These were marked on the front ring with the 'caliber' and are often referred to as 'M1925' (though they are not so marked). Stoeger (sole U.S. importer of MS) called them 'High Velocity'.

Production of the M1903, M1905, M1908, M1910, was not resumed after WW2, though M1950 and later models could be ordered in 6.5X54. Models 1950 and later were not cartridge specific and were chambered in various 'calibers'.

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Citizen of the Cherokee Nation

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The model 1908 was definitely brought out by Steyr in low numbers in 8x57 as a factory chambering and I believe that the 7x57 was as well although I am not positive on that one. The 308 is a post war conversion as the 308 Win only came out in the 1950's. That is a pretty common conversion.

Matt.

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All M1908 Mannlicher Schönauer rifles and stutzen were originally chambered at the Steyr factory for 8X56 MS, just as all M1903, M1905, M1908 and M1910 were cartridge specific.

Here are Stoeger's MS offerings for 1927; only the 'proprietary' chamberings of 6.5X54 (M1903), 8X56 (M1908), 9X56 (M1905), and 9.5X57 (M1910):



By 1931, the 'U.S. Model of 1906' (.30-'06) was added with its longer action and magazine. These had originally appeared stateside as the 'M1924 Sequoia', made for the Sequoia Import Company before Stoeger became sole importer of Steyr arms to the U.S.:


By 1939 the MS was available in 7X57 and in 7X64 as shown in the Stoeger catalog, but Stoeger did not list them by their M---- designations at that time, only as 'carbine' and 'High Velocity'. The 'High Velocity' would correspond to the M1924 and 'M1925' MS with their longer actions than the previous models.


Here, from a British retail catalog of 1928, a '7mm' is listed with 'High Power' offerings, as set apart from the proprietary models. It does not specify, however, if that is 7X57 or 7X64.



I suspect the pre M1950 7X57 were built on the action of the 'M1925' as that was essentially an M1924 with a different magazine, chamber cut, and barrel. The M1924 and later models had a guide ring added to the magazine at the cartridge shoulder which allowed for use of different cartridges in the same model without as much expensive retooling and machining for each, whereas the M1903, 05, 08, 10 had the cartridge, magazine follower and magazine well areas designed and machined as a system, each model specific to one proprietary cartridge. The original M1924 'Sequoia' models were all .30-'06, the 'M1925' and later models were available in several different chamberings.


The .308 was available from Steyr by 1962 in the 'Model 1961 MCA' or 'Model 1960 MC' configurations:

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