The Mannlicher–Schönauer (sometimes
Anglicized
Anglicisation is the process by which a place or person becomes influenced by English culture or British culture, or a process of cultural and/or linguistic change in which something non-English becomes English. It can also refer to the influen ...
as "Mannlicher Schoenauer",
Hellenized
Hellenization (other British spelling Hellenisation) or Hellenism is the adoption of Greek culture, religion, language and identity by non-Greeks. In the ancient period, colonization often led to the Hellenization of indigenous peoples; in th ...
as Τυφέκιον/Όπλον Μάνλιχερ, ''Óplon/Tyfékion Mannlicher'') is a
rotary-magazine bolt-action
Bolt-action is a type of manual firearm action that is operated by ''directly'' manipulating the bolt via a bolt handle, which is most commonly placed on the right-hand side of the weapon (as most users are right-handed).
Most bolt-action ...
rifle produced by
Steyr Mannlicher
Steyr Arms () is a firearms manufacturer based in Sankt Peter in der Au, Austria. Originally part of Steyr-Daimler-Puch, it became independent when the conglomerate was broken up in 1989. Prior to 1 January 2019, the company was named Steyr M ...
for the
Greek Army
The Hellenic Army ( el, Ελληνικός Στρατός, Ellinikós Stratós, sometimes abbreviated as ΕΣ), formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece. The term ''Hellenic'' is the endogenous synonym for ''Greek''. The Hellenic Army is the ...
in 1903 and later used in small numbers by the
Austro-Hungarian Army
The Austro-Hungarian Army (, literally "Ground Forces of the Austro-Hungarians"; , literally "Imperial and Royal Army") was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy from 1867 to 1918. It was composed of three parts: the joint arm ...
. Post-war it was sold for civilian use.
Design characteristics
In the late 19th century, the classic Mannlicher designs for the
Austro-Hungarian
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
army like the
M1886 were based on the
en-bloc magazine, a straight-pull
bolt mechanism, designed for obsolete large caliber
cartridge
Cartridge may refer to:
Objects
* Cartridge (firearms), a type of modern ammunition
* ROM cartridge, a removable component in an electronic device
* Cartridge (respirator), a type of filter used in respirators
Other uses
* Cartridge (surname), a ...
s. Following the introduction of smokeless powder in the
Lebel rifle
The Lebel Model 1886 rifle (French: ''Fusil Modèle 1886 dit "Fusil Lebel"'') also known as the ''"Fusil Mle 1886 M93"'', after a bolt modification was added in 1893, is an 8 mm bolt-action infantry rifle that entered service in the French A ...
at the end of the century, the
Steyr
Steyr (; Central Bavarian: ''Steia'') is a statutory city, located in the Austrian federal state of Upper Austria. It is the administrative capital, though not part of Steyr-Land District. Steyr is Austria's 12th most populated town and the 3rd l ...
factory worked on new Mannlicher designs, using more effective modern cartridges. These were offered for the consideration of the Austro-Hungarian Army, for export to other armies and for to civilian market.
![Mannlicher-Schonauer magazine sketch](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Mannlicher-Schonauer_magazine_sketch.jpg)
The rifle action was designed by
Ferdinand Mannlicher
Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher (January 30, 1848 – January 20, 1904) was an Austrian engineer and small arms designer. Along with James Paris Lee, Mannlicher was particularly noted for inventing the en-bloc clip charger-loading magazine system ...
and the rotary magazine by his protégé
Otto Schönauer of the
Österreichische Waffenfabriksgesellschaft (Austrian Arms-Manufacturing Company; now Steyr Mannlicher). The latter first patented a spool magazine in 1886 and a second design, shown on the sketch, was patented in 1900 together with Mannlicher. While the more famous
Mannlicher M1895
The Mannlicher M1895 (german: link=no, Infanterie Repetier-Gewehr M.95, hu, Gyalogsági Ismétlő Puska M95; "Infantry Repeating-Rifle M95") is a straight pull Bolt action, bolt-action rifle, designed by Ferdinand Mannlicher, Ferdinand Ritter ...
used the less common
straight-pull bolt, the Mannlicher–Schönauer had a conventional turn-bolt, derived from the
Gewehr 88
The Gewehr 88 (commonly called the Model 1888 commission rifle) was a late 19th-century German bolt-action rifle, adopted in 1888.
The invention of smokeless powder in the late 19th century immediately rendered all of the large-bore black powder ...
(and reminiscent of other typical military bolt-action rifles of the time). The Mannlicher–Schönauer may be identified by the split in the rear of the
receiver which allows the bolt handle to pass through and doubles as an emergency locking lug when closed, in case of a failure to the primary locking lugs. The characteristic that sets the design apart from earlier members of the family is the Schönauer's
rotating spool magazine.
The original design, introduced at the World Fair as the Model 1900, allowed the development of either service or sport versions depending on market response. While small sporting outlets, such as William Evans of London, purchased actions for their rifles, only the
Greek Army
The Hellenic Army ( el, Ελληνικός Στρατός, Ellinikós Stratós, sometimes abbreviated as ΕΣ), formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece. The term ''Hellenic'' is the endogenous synonym for ''Greek''. The Hellenic Army is the ...
expressed interest in the design for military use and their specifications may have dictated some of the rifle's characteristics. The Greek Army requested two main versions, one long rifle of 1230 mm (total length of the rifle) and a
carbine
A carbine ( or ) is a long gun that has a barrel shortened from its original length. Most modern carbines are rifles that are compact versions of a longer rifle or are rifles chambered for less powerful cartridges.
The smaller size and lighter ...
of 950 mm length for use by
cavalry
Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...
and non-infantry troops, both termed Model 1903. The weight was around 3.75 kg, the magazine capacity was five rounds and was fed by
stripper clips
A stripper clip (also known as a charger or charger clip, especially in British and in Commonwealth military vocabulary) is a speedloader that holds several cartridges (usually between 5 and 10) together in a single unit for easier and faster lo ...
, or single rounds. The
6.5×54mm MS cartridge had traits of a hunting round, even though it had a projectile with a rounded point, it was ballistically efficient, improving accuracy at moderate ranges. The rifle was manufactured to a high standard and was made with tight tolerances, raising costs but improving reliability and durability. The 1903 Mannlicher–Schönauer had
iron sights
Iron sights are a system of physical alignment markers (usually made of metallic material) used as a sighting device to assist the accurate aiming of ranged weapons (such as a firearm, airgun, crossbow or even compound bow), or less commonly ...
similar to those of the Mannlicher M1895, graduated up to 2000 m.
Service history
The military Mannlicher–Schönauer was not a commercial success, as it did not attract many contracts for export. The unusual design calibre, cost and the fact that no major power adopted it, contributed to its lack of sales. Other foreign Mannlicher clients opted for versions of the issue rifle of Austria-Hungary, the
M1895, or simpler turn-bolt rifles like the
M1893 or the
Dutch M1895. The Mannlicher–Schönauer M1903, though it fulfilled the specifications of the Greek Army and the first major contract was signed by the Greek Government in 1903. This contract was part of a major modernisation plan as until then the Greeks were using single-shot,
black powder
Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, carbon (in the form of charcoal) and potassium nitrate (saltpeter). Th ...
Gras rifle
The Fusil Modèle 1874 or Gras was the French Army's primary service rifle from 1874 to 1886. Designed by Colonel Basile Gras, the Gras was a metallic cartridge adaptation of the single-shot, breech-loading, black powder Chassepot rifle. It was ...
s made by the Steyr factory and this may explain how Mannlicher won the order.
The Mannlicher–Schönauer rifle was the main small arm for the Greek military for some of the most active years of its modern history. Greece was almost continuously in state of war between the years 1904–1922 and 1940–1948. It appears that the Greeks issued four main contracts. The original Steyr-made Y1903 ("Y" stands for model in Greek), started being supplied in 1906–07 to a total of about 130,000 long rifles and carbines. This was the main weapon during the victorious
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars refers to a series of two conflicts that took place in the Balkan States in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan States of Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria declared war upon the Ottoman Empire and defe ...
of 1912–13. A second batch of 50,000 rifles was ordered from Steyr in 1914, with the model Y1903/14, presenting minor improvements, most obviously the addition of a full handguard. These rifles were used for the first time in
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. When the war broke out, the Austrians stopped the delivery of the rifles, as Greece chose to be
neutral for the first three years. For that time Greece had 166,000 to 190,069
Mannlicher–Schönauer rifles and carbines.
Following the
Asia Minor Campaign
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Afr ...
(1919–22), the Greeks were in urgent need of more weapons and tried to get Mannlicher–Schönauer rifles from every possible source in order to replace war losses (almost 50% were captured by the Turks, leaving slightly over 104,000
to 108,000 M1903 and M1903/14s). Starting in 1927, Greece received about 105,000 "Breda" marked Y1903/14/27 rifles. This Italian factory might have used Austrian captured parts and machinery, or more likely, have just mediated on behalf of the Steyr factory, due to treaty restrictions with the Austrian weapons manufacturer. These rifles saw extensive use against the Italians and Germans in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
and many passed to the
resistance fighters and thence to the combatants of the
Greek Civil War
The Greek Civil War ( el, ο Eμφύλιος όλεμος ''o Emfýlios'' 'Pólemos'' "the Civil War") took place from 1946 to 1949. It was mainly fought against the established Kingdom of Greece, which was supported by the United Kingdom ...
that followed. The last official contract was in 1930, when they received 25,000 more Y1903/14/30 carbines, this time directly from the Steyr factory.
The Portuguese military also favoured the Mannlicher–Schönauer, but it was deemed too expensive and the locally-designed
Mauser-Vergueiro, which paired the Mannlicher–Schönauer bolt to a double-stack box fixed magazine copied from the
Mauser 98
The Gewehr 98 (abbreviated G98, Gew 98, or M98) is a German bolt-action rifle made by Mauser, firing cartridges from a five-round internal clip-loaded magazine. It was the German service rifle from 1898 to 1935, when it was replaced by the K ...
, was adopted instead and other countries made limited use of them too. At the outbreak of World War I, a significant number of 6.5 mm Mannlicher–Schönauer rifles manufactured for Greece under the 1914 contract were sequestered and due to urgent needs, used by the Austrian Army. After the dissolution of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
, these were passed on as
war reparations
War reparations are compensation payments made after a war by one side to the other. They are intended to cover damage or injury inflicted during a war.
History
Making one party pay a war indemnity is a common practice with a long history.
R ...
to the original intended recipient and used by reserve units.
Philippidis gun and Rigopoulos gun
The weapon was chosen instead of the Greek-designed "Philippidis gun" ('Οπλον Φιλιππίδου), itself based on an earlier model of the same Austrian manufacturer, after intense lobbying against the Greek design in 1905. This caused a serious political crisis, with accusations about "national treason" heard in the Greek Parliament.
[L.S. Skartsis,''Greek Vehicle & Machine Manufacturers 1800 to present: A Pictorial History'', Marathon (2012)](_blank)
(p. 222) The Philippidis gun was officially approved for a 1925 order, but, again, the Mannlicher–Schönauer was produced (by
Breda
Breda () is a city and municipality in the southern part of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Brabant. The name derived from ''brede Aa'' ('wide Aa' or 'broad Aa') and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. Breda has ...
in
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
), due to (reportedly) late submission of the Greek designs to the Italian manufacturer and/or cost factors.
[Christos Sazanidis, ''Ta Opla ton Ellinon (Arms of the Greeks)'', Maiandros, Thessaloniki (1995)]
An improvement of the Mannlicher–Schönauer was designed by
Lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.
The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...
Rigas Rigopoulos during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
(spring 1941), incorporating modified and redesigned parts to enable automatic fire. Though approved by the
Greek military to be produced in
Volos
Volos ( el, Βόλος ) is a coastal port city in Thessaly situated midway on the Greek mainland, about north of Athens and south of Thessaloniki. It is the sixth most populous city of Greece, and the capital of the Magnesia regional unit ...
, it never went into production, due to the
German invasion of Greece
The German invasion of Greece, also known as the Battle of Greece or Operation Marita ( de , Unternehmen Marita, links = no), was the attack of Greece by Italy and Germany during World War II. The Italian invasion in October 1940, which is usu ...
.
Sporting use
A civilian version of the rifle, introduced in 1903, proved popular with hunters. In Great Britain, the 6.5×54 cartridge fell into disfavour with
deer-stalkers after the passage of the ''1963 Deer Act'' as the bullet's
muzzle energy
Muzzle energy is the kinetic energy of a bullet as it is expelled from the muzzle of a firearm. Without consideration of factors such as aerodynamics and gravity for the sake of comparison, muzzle energy is used as a rough indication of the des ...
failed to reach the legally required minimum value.
[Deer Act 1963 Chapter 36]
. The National Archives
National archives are central archives maintained by countries. This article contains a list of national archives.
Among its more important tasks are to ensure the accessibility and preservation of the information produced by governments, both ...
. Schedule 2: "Prohibited Firearms and Ammunition". 1963. Accessed March 2, 2021.
The most significant modification to be made to the rifle, introduced in 1925 was a lengthening of the action to accommodate cartridges requiring standard and actions such as the
.30-06 Springfield
The .30-06 Springfield cartridge (pronounced "thirty- aught-six" ), 7.62×63mm in metric notation, and called the .30 Gov't '06 by Winchester, was introduced to the United States Army in 1906 and later standardized; it remained in military use ...
and
.270 Winchester
The .270 Winchester is a rifle cartridge developed by Winchester Repeating Arms Company in 1923 and unveiled in 1925 as a chambering for their bolt-action Model 54The Complete Reloading Manual for the .270 Winchester, Loadbooks USA, Inc., 2004 ...
,
.257 Weatherby Magnum
The .257 Weatherby Magnum is a .257 caliber (6.53 mm) belted bottlenecked cartridge. It is one of the original standard length magnums developed by shortening the .375 H&H Magnum case to approx. . Of the cartridges developed by Roy Weatherb ...
,
.264 Winchester Magnum
The .264 Winchester Magnum is a belted, bottlenecked rifle cartridge. Except for the .244 H&H Magnum and .257 Weatherby Magnum, it is the smallest caliber factory cartridge derived from the Holland & Holland belted magnum case. It was introdu ...
,
.338 Winchester Magnum
The .338 Winchester Magnum is a caliber, belted, rimless, bottlenecked cartridge introduced in 1958 by Winchester Repeating Arms. It is based on the blown-out, shortened .375 H&H Magnum. The is the caliber at which medium-bore cartridges are co ...
and .
458 Winchester Magnum for the U.S. market, as well as
6.5×68mm,
8×68mm S
The 8×68mm S rebated rim bottlenecked centerfire rifle cartridge was developed in the 1930s by August Schüler of the ''August Schüler Waffenfabrik, Suhl, Germany'' as a magnum hunting cartridge that would just fit and function in standard-size ...
, and others for the world market. The rifle continued to be manufactured in various forms (full, half-stock and take-down models) until 1972. Production was interrupted during the Second World War but re-commenced in 1950 with the MS-1950 model, which was produced in full and half stock and chambered in popular cartridges such as the .270 Winchester and .30-06 Springfield. In 1952 the bolt handle was swept back to ease use from the shoulder and by 1963 a montecarlo style cheekpiece was styled added to the stock to ease use of scopes. Both single and double set triggers were available.
The early years of the 20th century saw fundamentally the same rifle offered in other, larger Mannlicher–Schönauer calibres including the 8×56mm Model 1908, the 9×56mm Model 1905 and the
9.5×57mm Mannlicher–Schönauer
The 9.5×57mm Mannlicher–Schönauer (MS) cartridge was adopted for the M-1910 MS rifle and carbine in 1910. (Note: The name Schoenauer is correctly spelled Schönauer with an “umlaut” over the “o” in German.) The 9.5×57mm MS is also ...
Model 1910, but none of these sold as well as the 1903 Model in 6.5mm.
American writer
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style—which he termed the iceberg theory—had a strong influence on 20th-century fic ...
frequently used the rifle, and mentions it in some of his writings, most notably ''The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber''.
WDM "Karamojo" Bell, a prominent elephant (
ivory
Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally from elephants) and teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mammals is ...
) hunter in Africa in the early 20th century, also used the rifle in its original 6.5×54 chambering with considerable success. The ability of the diminutive 6.5×54 cartridge to take the largest and most dangerous of the big game species, such as
African elephant and
Cape Buffalo, was due in the main to the high
sectional density
Sectional density (often abbreviated SD) is the ratio of an object's mass to its cross sectional area with respect to a given axis. It conveys how well an object's mass is distributed (by its shape) to overcome resistance along that axis.
Secti ...
of the 6.5mm projectiles used in the rifle, although precise placing of the shot was imperative. Because the original factory loads for the 6.5×54 projectiles were long and heavy () relative to their diameter, they proved capable (in solid form) of very deep penetration through muscle and bone. This, coupled with the relatively low
recoil
Recoil (often called knockback, kickback or simply kick) is the rearward thrust generated when a gun is being discharged. In technical terms, the recoil is a result of conservation of momentum, as according to Newton's third law the force requ ...
of the cartridge, facilitated accurate shot placement into vital organs such as the heart or brain.
Steyr-Mannlicher currently manufactures a rifle known as the "Classic Mannlicher", which it markets as "a direct descendant of the world-famous MANNLICHER Schoenauer models". This rifle is available in several calibres. A limited-edition called the 150 year anniversary Ritter Von Mannlicher were manufactured in 1998 in the original 6.5×54mm cartridge. Although the modern "Classic" Steyr-Mannlicher rifles still incorporate some original features, the distinctive actions and rotary magazine of the original is no longer used.
High production costs and the difficulty of fitting optical sights to the rifle's split receivers eventually resulted in a decision to end production in 1972. Models produced had been: 1900, 1903, 1905, 1908, 1910, 1924, High-Velocity Sporting Rifle, 1950, 1952, 1956 Monte Carlo, 1961 Monte Carlo All-Purpose, Magnum. Due to its popularity, the rifle is still manufactured by independent gunsmiths in its country of origin and spare parts are available.
Users
*
*
*
* : Used by some warlord armies.
References
External links
www.eschoder.com/englishClassic Mannlicher, from Steyr-MannlicherMannlicher Collectors AssociationMannlicher-Schoenauer a Gentlemans RifleStart of production of the original mannlicher-schonauer
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mannlicher-Schonauer
Rifles of Greece
Rifles of Austria
Bolt-action rifles
World War I Austro-Hungarian infantry weapons
Hellenic Army
Rotary magazine firearms
Mannlicher rifles
Firearms by Ferdinand Mannlicher
World War I weapons of Greece
World War II infantry weapons of Greece
Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1903