Mannlicher Model 1894
Steyr Mannlicher · Pistol · Out Of Production · 1894
Also known as: Steyr-Mannlicher M1894, Mannlicher 1894 Blow-Forward
Overview
The Mannlicher Model 1894 is an early Austro-Hungarian semi-automatic pistol designed by Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher and notable for its extremely rare blow-forward action, in which the barrel is driven forward off a fixed breech rather than the breech moving rearward. Chambered in the rimmed 6.5mm Mannlicher cartridge and fed from a fixed five-round magazine loaded by charger, it offered double-action, revolver-like handling. Tested by the Austrian, Swiss and U.S. militaries, it was rejected everywhere as unreliable and no more useful than a revolver.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 845 g (29.8 oz) |
| Overall Length | 220 mm (8.66") |
| Barrel Length | 170 mm (6.69") |
| Action Type | Blow Forward |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Double Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 326 m/s (1070 fps) |
| Effective Range | 25 m (27 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 6.5mm Mannlicher M1894 · primary — also known as 6.5x23mmR Mannlicher, 6.5mm Mannlicher
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Internal Magazine, Stripper Clip
- Features: Blow Forward Action, Fixed Internal Magazine, Charger Loaded, Fixed Iron Sights
Production
Estimated total produced: 300 · Production years: 1894-1897
Experimental/trials only; roughly 230-300 made across all variants
Origin
Country of origin: Austria
Designer: Ferdinand Mannlicher
Discontinued: 1897
Notes
Experimental trials pistol. Early examples were built at Steyr in Austria; the bulk for the Swiss army tests were produced by SIG / Fabrique d'Armes de Neuhausen. Early guns also used a larger ~7.6mm cartridge variant before the 6.5mm version. Muzzle energy not authoritatively published.
Background
The M1894 is one of the earliest self-loading pistols ever built and the first to use the exceptionally rare blow-forward action, a principle shared by only two other notable designs, the 1908 Hino-Komuro and the 1908 Schwarzlose. It was an engineering curiosity but a practical failure: in at least one U.S. trial the barrel reportedly burst after the 281st round.