Mannlicher M1890
Oesterreichische Waffenfabriks-Gesellschaft (Steyr) · Carbine · Out Of Production · 1890
Also known as: Repetier-Karabiner M1890, Repetier-Carabiner M.90, Steyr M90 Carbine, Mannlicher M90
Overview
The Mannlicher M1890 is an Austro-Hungarian straight-pull carbine designed by Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher and manufactured by the Oesterreichische Waffenfabriks-Gesellschaft (Steyr). Developed from the M1888/90 rifle, it was intended for cavalry, gendarmerie, artillery, pioneers and other mounted or specialist troops who needed a shorter, handier weapon than the full-length infantry rifle. The M1890 retains Mannlicher's wedge-block straight-pull action: instead of the lift-pull-push-turn cycle of a Mauser, the bolt handle is drawn straight back and pushed straight forward, with a downward-pivoting locking bar at the rear of the bolt dropping into a recess in the receiver to lock the breech. Compared with earlier Mannlichers the carbine used a much shorter action, so the trigger guard flows straight into the magazine housing and the cocking piece sits almost directly over the trigger. It feeds from a five-round en-bloc clip loaded from above; the empty clip drops free through the bottom of the integral magazine once the last round is chambered. Chambered for the smokeless 8x50mmR Mannlicher cartridge, the cavalry carbine dispensed with a stacking rod, handguard and bayonet lug to save weight, while a gendarmerie pattern was fitted to accept a knife bayonet. Roughly 105,000 carbines were produced by Steyr between 1890 and 1896, and they served Austro-Hungarian mounted and second-line troops through World War I until superseded by the carbine versions of the definitive Mannlicher M1895.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3300 g (116.4 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1006 mm (39.61") |
| Barrel Length | 498 mm (19.61") |
| Action Type | Straight Pull |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Two Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | En Bloc Clip |
| Muzzle Velocity | 545 m/s (1788 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2346 J (1730 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 400 m (437 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 25 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 250 mm (9.84") |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 8x50mmR Mannlicher · primary — also known as 8mm Mannlicher M1893, 8x50R Austrian Mannlicher, 8mm scharfe Patrone M.90
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: En Bloc Clip
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Straight Pull Bolt, Wedge Block Locking, Short Action, En Bloc Clip Loading, Bottom Ejection Clip, Open Iron Sights, No Stacking Rod
Variants
- Mannlicher M1890 Cavalry Carbine (Repetier-Karabiner M.90) - Cavalry Carbine
- Mannlicher M1890 Gendarmerie Carbine (Extra-Corps-Gewehr M.90) - Gendarmerie Carbine
- Mannlicher M1890 Navy Short Rifle - Navy Short Rifle
Service history
Operators
- Austro-Hungarian Army · adopted 1890 · as Repetier-Karabiner M.90
- Austro-Hungarian Gendarmerie · adopted 1890 · as Extra-Corps-Gewehr M.90
- Austro-Hungarian Navy · adopted 1890
Conflicts
- World War I (1914-1918)
Production
Estimated total produced: 105,000 · Production years: 1890-1896
Approximately 105,000 cavalry carbines manufactured by Oesterreichische Waffenfabriks-Gesellschaft (Steyr) between 1890 and 1896; additional gendarmerie carbines and navy short rifles were produced in smaller numbers.
Origin
Country of origin: Austria
Designer: Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher
Discontinued: 1896
Notes
The M1890 sits between the M1888/90 rifle and the rotating-bolt-head M1895 in the Mannlicher straight-pull lineage. Unlike the M1895, which locks with a rotating bolt head, the M1890 keeps the older wedge/block locking system. Three principal patterns were made: a stripped-down cavalry carbine (no bayonet lug or stacking hook), a gendarmerie carbine able to mount a knife bayonet, and a navy short rifle. Because the smokeless 8x50mmR loading was later standardized, some sources describe the black-powder-era M1888 cartridge (8x52mmR) versus the smokeless M.90 loading; the M1890 as issued fired the smokeless round.
Background
To make the M1890 as light and snag-free as possible for mounted troops, its designers stripped away the stacking rod, handguard and bayonet lug entirely and compressed the action so far that the cocking piece sits almost directly over the trigger, giving the little carbine an unusually stubby, purposeful silhouette next to the long M1895 rifles it fought alongside in the trenches of the First World War.