M95 Steyr Mannlicher bedding ?

[points]

Hi guys
I recently picked up an M95 in 8 x 56R. In very nice shape with good bore. The problem is the bedding. The front end is tight both on the for end and upper hand guard. There is no play at all 360. The hand guard at the muzzel is so thin that there is little to take off. It all fits nicely with the cap on but the mpi changes dramatically after a few warming shots. I googled bedding on these and didn't come up with much. Any experience with this issue?
Thanks

 

[donor]

I have similar issue.My M95 wood shrunk (spelling?) so bad I had to shim rear of action with 1.3mm think hard cardboard and cardstock .

I guess thin alu shims would work too but I just don't have them banging about.

I didn't do anything around the barrel but there are pictures on the net showing paper/card shims used in bedding LE barrels with good success.

It works very well and it doesn't cost or change a thing in a rifle-try that.

BTW-I did the same thing in MN 91/30-works like a charm

 

[diopter]

Try a bit of grease or wax on the barrel where it touches the stock and hanguard to prevent binding.
Shims are easy to get at hobby stores, alum, brass and stainless.

 

[Tinman204]

I just had a conversation with smellie about my new m95 longrifle. He mentioned that one of the problems with the m95 is the barrel has too thin of a profile which makes accuracy suffer.

After braking the the rifle down it seems that it does wear a very thin barrel.

Guess you guys can add me to the "shimming for accuracy" experiment group.

 

[donor]

That's true.M95 barrel heats up pretty fast.Even with cast bullets I'm shooting only 4 rounds at the time,go to another rifle and back again.

I wonder if that's also the case with original chambering of those rifles.8x56R seems like quite a bit hotter load than 5x50 Austrian.

 

[points]

As I had no experience with these rifles, I was surprised at how thin the barrel was when I first took it down. I'm going to try bedding at the mid point and allowing some upward motion at the muzzel end while sitting firmly on the lower, similar to an Enfield. The problem is that the hand guard is as thin as paper up front and has nothing to play with so all the work will be on the lower end. I have heard that these thigs can be accurate but it will take a bit of work.
The thing was shooting several feet high at 200 yards and after a bit of searching, I found out that there are actually 3 seperate sighting configutations on the rear sight. I had never noticed that when you raised the sight ladder to the top, there is another notch under it that shoots lower than the 300 yard notch. Gotta love the internet.

 

[donor]

Yup,19th century rear sights are full of surprises like that.

Look up original Springfield rifle,Kraig,Gras,Trapdoor Springfield etc.Very complex and useful sights once you get to know them.

I think Arisaka sights were last ones to be made like that with their AA sight but I can be wrong.