Steyr M. 1886

southsaskscotty

southsaskscotty

Member
EE Expired
Rating - 100%
41   0   0
I was wondering if anyone might be able to help me out with a little informaiton about a rifle that my Grandfather gave me. Is is marked:
CE.W.F.G. STEYR and with an M. 1886. There is also a crown marking (all of these markings are on the left side of the receiver).

The story that my grandfather passed along with it was that it was picked up in Belgium after WWI as, "they were lying everywhere". What I would like to know is what nation(s) manufactured these rifles? Caliber? used by what nation(s) in WWI?

All and any help is much appreciated!

Thanks!
 
Ohh Grandpa! Next thing I am going to hear that the revolver that he gave me wasn't Patton's!

Thanks JP! The pics on that link portray the rifle that I have. Sooo...new question, I have never heard of that caliber: 8x60R, I am assuming obsolete. I like to have at least one round for each old rifle that I own, can these rounds be found? At shows or what not?

Thanks again.
 
Long obsolete, can be reloaded with some effort. The odd shell will pop-up at gunshows once in a while.
 
Owned one about ten years ago. It was probably worth $200 & I would considered that on the high side then. Ammo was friggin impossible for me to find then, but who knows maybe someone has found some milsurp ammo in the last ten years. LOL Happy Hunting!
 
Still Obsolete by then, plus I think the Portugese that did fight in WW1 on the Western Front were issued Lee-Enfields.
 
Last edited:
Sorry I did not mean to be ambiguous, Gramps didn't pick it up himself but was told that tale by the guy that sold him the rifle.

I still wouldn't mind having one round for this rifle in the collection (I'm weird that way) but a little too much if it is true that a round would be ~$200 (or perhaps that was approximate value of the rifle itself??)

Anyways, thanks for all of the info, I really like this rifle. And Man does it look meanacing when you throw a 2ft sword bayonet on the end of it!! :)
 
Probably, will a little digging around at a large gunshow you should find a round for $5.00 or less.
 
International, Montreal sold these in large numbers for $29.95 in the 70s.
Ammo can be made from 348 Winch.
 
JP said:
Nice War story, but just a story. Its a Portugese Model 1886 Kropatschek Rifle. Portugal was neutral in WW2.

http://www.angelfire.com/vt/milsurp/kropat86.html
Click to expand...

JP, he said WW1, not WW2.

According to firstworldwar.com
Feature Articles: The Minor Powers During World War One - Portugal
Updated - Tuesday, 4 December, 2001

Portugal entered the war in March 1916. Originally giving naval assistance, Portugal sent an Expeditionary Force of 50,000 men to the Western Front in the February of 1917. They saw action for the first time on June 17th in Flanders.

On April 19th, 1918, a major German offensive began at what was called the Battle of the Lys. One Portuguese division there was hit by four German divisions and the preliminary shelling was so intense that one battalion refused to go forward into the trenches. The division was pushed back, 6,000 prisoners were taken and a three-and-a-half mile wide gap was punched in the British line.

7,000 Portuguese soldiers died in combat during the First World War.
Click to expand...

So a ww1 vet bringback Kropatschek IS possible, though not terribly likely.
 
Portugese first line arm in 1916 was the 6.5mm M1904 Mauser Vergueiro. A swap was made 20000 M-Vs for SMLEs to arm the Portugese Army in Flanders. The Portugese also obtained Lewis and Vickers MGs. The Portugese national arsenal was still making .303" ammo in the 1950s. Most of the swapped M-Vs were issued to South Africa.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom