Mannlicher-Schönauer
The Mannlicher-Schönauer bolt action rifle was developed in Austria at the beginning of the 20th century and introduced into the Greek army as an orderly weapon in 1903 . A small number of not yet delivered specimens were used by Austria-Hungary in World War I. However, the rifle was widely used as a hunting weapon and was manufactured in this form until 1972.
Since the 100th birthday of the system in 2003, hunting rifles of the system have again been manufactured by a medium-sized arms manufacturer in St. Peter in der Au as "RB2003".
history
Development and introduction
Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher designed the system and Otto Karl Schönauer the drum magazine, which led to the name Mannlicher-Schönauer. The system was based on the Mannlicher Model 1893, which was used by the Romanian army and should not be confused with the straight-pull repeater Mannlicher Model 1890 or 1895, which was introduced in Austria-Hungary as an orderly weapon. Manufactured in the weapons factory in Steyr (Upper Austria), the 1900 model appeared first, with a 6.5 × 54 Mannlicher-Schönauer (M.-Sch.) Caliber, which, in contrast to the hunting knife-shaped butter knife, still featured a military, spherical bolt handle. Then followed the hunting model 1903 in the same caliber as a half-loaded rifle with a barrel length of 60 cm and as a fully loaded socket with a barrel length of 45 cm. In the success story, the system, easy-to-use nozzle design and cartridge are causally linked.
The weapon was particularly popular with hunters in the high mountains and is still an excellent choice when roe deer , chamois and weak red deer are to be hunted with a light and easy-to-handle bolt-action rifle. “Der Schönauer” also gained an excellent reputation in Africa - the standard bullets with a weight of 10.3 grams and a length of 32 mm have a large cross-sectional load, which leads to a high depth effect (“penetration power”).
It was even used with full jacket bullets by the elephant hunter Karamoja Bell, but he used a ladder for frontal brain shots and was an outspoken “small-caliber friend”. But since he shot over 300 elephants with the 6.5 × 54, the following statement is quite remarkable: "... the 6.5 × 54 disappointed me only once, and there was a target error on my part ..."
Ernest Hemingway used the rifle regularly. He mentions it in some of his writings, most famously The Short, Happy Life of Francis Macomber .
variants
Other models appeared, which differ only in the new calibres: Model 1905 in 9 × 56 M.-Sch., Model 1908 in 8 × 56 M.-Sch. and model 1910 in 9.5 × 57 M.-Sch. The length of the nozzle was now 50 cm. The first two calibres mentioned are excellent big game calibers, the 9.5 × 57 alias .375 Rimless Nitro Express has proven itself in Africa. However, all three never achieved the popularity of the 6.5 × 54 mm.
After the First World War, bolt action rifles were regulated in Austria on the basis of the Treaty of Versailles. That is why single loaders were also manufactured without a magazine.
The 1924 model had a larger system to accommodate longer cartridges. It appeared in the calibers 7 × 57 , 7 × 64 , .30-06 , 8 × 57I , 8 × 60 S, 9.3 × 62 mm and 10.75 × 68. Faster calibers like the 7 × 64 have the for this caliber provided a 65 cm long barrel. At least of the 7 × 57 versions with the 1903 system are known, but they were probably modified later, in any case the 7 × 57 can be accommodated in the shorter systems.
After the Second World War
After the Second World War, production resumed with the 1950 model, it was used for a variety of popular calibers from .243 Win. set up to 9.3 × 64. Of the original Mannlicher-Schönauer calibers, only the 6.5 × 54 survived. The control cam for opening the bolt was moved from the system case into the barrel. In addition to the wing safety device acting on the firing pin , there was now a sliding safety device acting on the trigger for quick and easy unlocking at the hide (the wing safety device is also silent), initially on the right at the rear next to the system sleeve, later on the butt neck. There was also the GK model for "curved chamber stem " (name for export models: model 1952), the chamber stem no longer ran straight down, but sloped backwards. Another version was the Magnum model in 6.5 × 68, 8 × 68S and Winchester Magnum calibers up to .458.
End of production and successor
At the end of the 1960s, the successor model, the Steyr-Mannlicher, appeared with a completely new locking system. The production of the classic Mannlicher-Schönauer ended in 1972, the complex production had simply become too expensive. For a short time the Mannlicher-Schönauer model 1972 (also called M-72) was offered, in which the new system of the Steyr-Mannlicher was combined with the drum magazine of the classic Mannlicher-Schönauer and a newly designed safety device with a kind of tilting element as a handle . This fuse still worked on the firing pin, but had the unacceptable property for a hunting rifle of freezing in winter or blocking very easily when dirty. The anecdote of the "rifle that all Austrian hunters mourn" comes from the fact that the old production machines were unfortunately destroyed.
New production as RB2003
Since the 100th birthday of the system, brand-new hunting rifles have again been manufactured by Erich Schoder in St. Peter in der Au in Lower Austria . The Schoder company states in its company history that the company founder Erich Schoder " learned the gunsmith's trade as the last apprentice in the production of the Mannlicher Schönauer at the end of the 1960s ". According to the company, spare parts of the RB2003 also fit Mannlicher-Schönauer rifles of old manufacture.
technology
The fame of the Schönauer is based on the one hand on its maneuverability as a socket also in connection with the unique drum magazine, which enables a slim shaft shape, on the other hand on the unmatched smooth and light lock action, which enables very fast repeating (especially in the short systems of the pre-war models). The lock runs so precisely that the unloaded and opened rifle only needs to be pivoted downwards with the muzzle when the trigger is pulled through in order to close and relax it. It is also possible to insert a cartridge practically silently if you carefully and slowly guide the chamber and place your finger on the cartridge emerging from the magazine.
system
Repeating rifle with cylinder lock (English: bolt action). System with an open rear sleeve bridge, the bolt handle runs through the rear sleeve bridge, ie it locks in front of it. Locking via two locking lugs in the front of the system sleeve immediately behind the barrel and a surface on the bolt handle that functions as a third locking lug. As with the Mauser 98er system, this third locking surface is not in direct contact, as otherwise asymmetrical locking forces would result during the shot, it only serves as a back-up so that the chamber cannot fly in the shooter's face if the front locking lugs should fail. Non-rotating extractor, manual ejector. Opening angle 90 °.
Mannlicher designed the magazine for the Italian Carcano rifle, which was a further development of the German Gewehr 88, both with the characteristic open case bridge. Apparently he developed the Mannlicher M-1893 and finally the Mannlicher-Schönauer from the knowledge he gathered. Both the 6.5 × 53R of the M-1893 and the 6.5 × 54 M.-Sch. from the 6.5 × 52 Carcano.
magazine
Permanently installed drum magazine for five cartridges, the feeder with a star-shaped cross section is made of milled stainless steel and is precisely tailored to the dimensions of the respective cartridge. I.e. every single cartridge is guided in a controlled manner and damage to the bullet tip is largely excluded. The magazine can be unloaded upwards using an unload button. For cleaning, it can be removed from the bottom by pressing a button in the magazine base (for example with the tip of a cartridge) and then turning the magazine base cover by 90 °.
Fuse
180 ° sash safety, acting on the firing pin. This means that no shot can be released even if the firing pin breaks. Position secured: firing pin and chamber are blocked. A special feature is the ability to secure even when the lock is relaxed. To do this, the locking wing must be pushed forward a little and then turned over. This means that the chamber can be blocked when the rifle is underloaded (and relaxed). The post-war models had an additional safety device that acted on the trigger (see above).
Deduction
German set trigger, adjustable set trigger. The single-stage trigger also has a relatively low trigger weight. A rifle trigger was available as an option.
shaft
The stock of the Mannlicher-Schönauer rifle has a pistol grip and is usually designed as a full stock ( socket ), standard design with a straight comb and German cheek . There were versions of the 1950 and GK models with a Monte Carlo stock. Despite the half-loaded versions being offered at a later date, the spread of the fully loaded nozzle design resulted in the expression "Mannlicher style" generally designating fully loaded nozzle in English usage.
The butt plate of the pre-war models is made of steel, under a hinged cover there is a stock magazine that has two holes in the longitudinal direction for cartridges and a slightly larger hole for cleaning supplies. The post-war models have a ventilated rubber butt plate.
Individual evidence
- ↑ History of the development of the Mannlicher-Schönau hunting socks on Eschoder.com
