My Steyr-Mannlicher M95
- Thread starter Morc
- Start date
See http://www.sunblest.net/gun/Correct.htm and scroll down.
These M95/30s with the S on the barrel were made by the Austrians starting in...you guessed it 1930. Between 1938 to 1940 the Germans shipped them to the Bulgarians to help build up their army. In the early 1990s there was a ton of surplus ammo, cheap, (I think $2.50/10rnds at Lebarons) with the German eagle stamps on the bottom of the casing. Obviously they were making ammo for the Bulgarians.
The Bulgarians did not take part in the invasions of Yugoslavia and Russia like some of the other German allies (Hungary, Romania). These rifles got limited use, and likely only against the Germans once Bulgaria joined the Allies in late 1944. How is that for irony!
It was a fun shooter for a $100 rifle with a big 8mm round.
Once the plentiful cheap German ammo dried up so did a lot of interest.
The Bulgarians did not take part in the invasions of Yugoslavia and Russia like some of the other German allies (Hungary, Romania). These rifles got limited use, and likely only against the Germans once Bulgaria joined the Allies in late 1944. How is that for irony!
It was a fun shooter for a $100 rifle with a big 8mm round.
Once the plentiful cheap German ammo dried up so did a lot of interest.
Correct, made after the Anschluss in 1938. Seems much of the stuff is dated August (VIII) 1938. Very well made in my opinion.
I tried 5 rounds in my rifle and she kicked hard, I can only imagine what the lighter carbine would feel like.
I tried 5 rounds in my rifle and she kicked hard, I can only imagine what the lighter carbine would feel like.
There was also pre-Anschluss ammo around for a while, seemed to have come in at the same time as the stuff with the chickens.
Previous to that, there was a whack of actual Bulgarian-made ammo in this calibre, made at Sofia Arsenal and headstamped BPhi with the date. I have a bag of it here, mostly 1940 - 1944 stuff.
CLIPS are something else and I have managed to scavenge several of the Nazi ones, a couple of pre-Anschluss Austrian, a couple I believe from the Honved and a single example with the old Imperial double-eagle. The Kaiser would approve, I am sure!
NICE part is that the same Clip also works in my 1917 Police Carbine, which is still in 8x50R.
Ammo is easy to make: for the 8x56 you can just open-out 7.62x54R and it's close enough, for the original round, just open out and trim. Works.
Previous to that, there was a whack of actual Bulgarian-made ammo in this calibre, made at Sofia Arsenal and headstamped BPhi with the date. I have a bag of it here, mostly 1940 - 1944 stuff.
CLIPS are something else and I have managed to scavenge several of the Nazi ones, a couple of pre-Anschluss Austrian, a couple I believe from the Honved and a single example with the old Imperial double-eagle. The Kaiser would approve, I am sure!
NICE part is that the same Clip also works in my 1917 Police Carbine, which is still in 8x50R.
Ammo is easy to make: for the 8x56 you can just open-out 7.62x54R and it's close enough, for the original round, just open out and trim. Works.
- Location
- Saskatchewan
Yeah so far as I can tell with the front sight laid down its 500...lifted up with the slider raised you're looking down the 300m zero...
MauserMike
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- SW Ontario
Are all of the sights in metres? Earlier rifles would have had them in Imperial Austrian "Schritten", an antiquated measure of distance.
Text Book of Small Arms - 1909 gives Austrian Paces as equal to 29.53 inches, which is exactly .75 of a metre.
This is about midway between OUR standard marching pace (30 inches or 2-1/2 feet) and the Imperial Russian Arshin.
Hope this helps.
This is about midway between OUR standard marching pace (30 inches or 2-1/2 feet) and the Imperial Russian Arshin.
Hope this helps.
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