Mannlicher M-95 Stutzen Question?

If that Federal load is with the standard American 170, it develops only 2103 foot-pounds ME. That's only 100 ft/lbs more than the original round developed, throwing a 244-grain slug.

The military SmE load with the 178 was right up there with the .30-'06.

I would think the rifle should be safe with the Federal loading; the load you are proposing is much gentler than what the Army was running.

Good advice on the loading, too. ALL post-1891 Mausers, Rosses, most Mannlichers and a whole bunch of others MUST be loaded through the magazine to prevent damage to the extractor. This is not NECESSARY on the Lee-Enfield..... but it sure helps.

Enjoy!
 
Great intervention, Smellie!
I traded a nice Carcano, one day, because I wanted another rifle more in line with my collection. Maybe I should have kept it.
To my 1905 and 1910 Rosses, I have added a Swiss K-31 and two Steyr M-95.
The M-95s, one in the long barrel configuration, the other one in Stützen guise, are are in 8x56R, have very good barrels and very clean actions.
I have got about 16 "en-bloc" clips, a Lee 200gr. .269" double cavity mould, enough gas checks for a long while and fireformed converted 7,62x54R brass.
The only thing I still haven't found in quantity is time to cast and reload those rounds.
I guess a load of 12 to 15 grains of Red Dot should give enough push to plink with them.
PP.
 
Smellie has brought up some important points.

A must in any serious collection.
My long Bulgarian in 8x56R, nice shooter too.

P1010358-1.jpg


Still hoping to get a proper WW1 sniper version with the Oigee or Kahles scope and mounts.
http://www.hungariae.com/Mann95.htm
 
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As to haveing to load the Ross throgh the mag to prevent damageing the extractor I have to differ. Every military Ross was fitted with a mag cutoff to allow it to be used as a single loader.
 
I see some of these in 8 x 56r on tradeex website, would love to pick one up seem to be a good price but if finding something to put through it is so hard i dont know, may be better to spend my money on something else till i start reloading and then give it some more consideration.
 
! beg to disagree, Both the 8x50 and the 8x56R Hungarian use .329 bullets. Yes, you can fire .323 through the rflles but that's NOT the bore diameter.
Now the Kropatchek 8x56R does use .323 bullets. Have all three rifles.
The 8x56R brass for the Steyr is made by Privi Partizan, but unfortunately all the suppliers are back ordered.
Have plenty of bullets for both straight pulls, just no brass for the 8x56R. Hopefuly the dealers will have some eventualy.
 
Nabs said:
I recently picked up a beat up, old Vetterli-Vitali 80/87/15 for the same price. Presently, I am fixing a few cracks in the wood but the metal cleaned up really nice. What is the date on yours ? Mine was originally made in 1874, what a history filled rifle it is!

I think the 6.5 Carcano round is lumped into the same undesirable category as the 8x50R; people just don't want to deal with it.
Click to expand...

Mine is a 1877 "Torre Annunziata", and apart from some light pitting on the barrel is in pristine condition. Must have been used by the Home Guard or something, I couldn't find any evidence of copper fouling in the bore, even after 2 applications of Wipe-Out bore cleanser. Most of the ones I have seen look like they have been run over by a tank....
 
Very nice. Mine is 1874, same arsenal as yours. She was not in a pretty state when I got her as there was plenty of surface rust and barn dust all over and some big cracks in the wood around the magazine. I cleaned the rust and dirt off and stabilized the cracks and she looks really good now. Bore is mirror after a few wipes. There is evidence of use so it makes me wonder if she could have been at Caporetto ?

She is also not AOI marked so perhaps she was a canadian vet bring back from ww2?
 
If they were re barreled to .323 bore they would have an "S" stamped on the receiver ring............... otherwise .329................Harold
 
The "S" signifies that it has been rechambered from 8X50R to 8X56R, but the bore groove diameter will be 0.329". The M95M and M95/24 have a 0.323" bore.
 
ORIGINAL 95 Mannlicher 95 had a bore diameter of .315 inches and grooves .008 inches deep. It used a 244-grain RNFMJ bullet of .323 inches diameter.

Rifles which were CONVERTED to handle the 1930/31 ammunition were stamped with a letter "S" which was 12mm high, on the chamber of the barrel. These are the rifles which used the 208-grain MFJBT spitzer-type bullet which had a diameter of 329 to .330 inches.

Rifles converted to handle the standard German 7.92mm round were stamped generally on the RECEIVER and will be found to read "M95M".

Both the original 8x50R and the 8x56R cartridges are big, massive critters, just slightly fatter in diameter than a 7.62x54R. You can use 7.62x54R to form either of these cartridges, very easily. If a 7.62x54R will drop into the chamber, then it is obvious that you don`t have a 7.92x57 rifle, as this cartridge has the same body diameter as a .30-06 or a .308W. Consider them as plug gauges or something, but a handful of resized brass in your pocket can be a very good thing to have when you are inspecting things for sale. My own plug gauge happens to be a .303 Mark VII Ball round; it tells me lots and lots about .303 barrels.... and can even be persuaded to say a few things about a .30 barrel, should you have a micrometer handy.

Hope this helps.
.
 
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I have always understood that the 8X50R had a 0.329" bore, but used a 0.323" bullet with a base designed to obturate to fill the 0.329" bore. When the rifles were converted to 8X56R, they went to a 0.329" bullet. Using undersized bullets with the expectation that they would expand to fill the bore was fairly common 100 years ago.

Are you saying that the conversion from 8X50R to 8X56R (receiver stamped with a large "S") included either re-barrelling, or boring out of the bore from 0.323" to 0.329"?

My M95 in 8X50R (now sold) had a 0.329" groove diameter.
 
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