Mannlicher M1895
Steyr Mannlicher · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1895
Also known as: Repetier-Gewehr M.95, Steyr M1895, Steyr-Mannlicher M1895, Mannlicher 95, Ruck-Zuck (soldier's nickname)
Overview
The Mannlicher M1895 is an Austro-Hungarian straight-pull bolt-action service rifle designed by Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher and manufactured by Oesterreichische Waffenfabrik Steyr and the Hungarian Fegyver- es Gepgyar Reszvenytarsasag (FEG) in Budapest. Its defining mechanical feature is the straight-pull bolt action: rather than the four-motion lift-pull-push-turn cycle of a Mauser, the M1895's bolt handle is drawn straight back and pushed straight forward, with a rotating bolt head that locks into the receiver via helical cam surfaces machined into the bolt sleeve. This greatly increased the practical rate of fire, allowing a trained soldier to deliver 30-35 aimed rounds per minute compared to 15-20 for contemporary rotating-bolt rifles. The rifle feeds from a five-round en-bloc clip inserted from above; the clip remains inside the integral magazine while rounds are stripped off by the bolt, and once the last round is chambered the empty clip falls free through an opening in the bottom of the magazine. Chambered originally in 8x50mmR Mannlicher, the M1895 served as the primary infantry rifle of Austria-Hungary throughout World War I, with approximately 3.5 million produced before and during the war. Postwar, huge surplus stocks were converted by Austria and Hungary to the more powerful 8x56mmR cartridge (as the M95/30 and 31M), while Yugoslavia rebarreled captured rifles to 7.92x57mm Mauser as the M95M. Variants included a full-length Infantry Rifle, a shorter Stutzen for specialist troops, and a handy Kavalleriekarabiner for cavalry and artillery. The M1895 remained in frontline and reserve service with multiple European armies into World War II and saw final combat service as late as the Korean War.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3780 g (133.3 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1272 mm (50.08") |
| Barrel Length | 765 mm (30.12") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Two Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | En Bloc Clip |
| Muzzle Velocity | 620 m/s (2034 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3035 J (2239 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 500 m (547 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 2600 m (2843 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 35 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, Patrone M93
- 8x56mmR Mannlicher — also known as 8x56R Hungarian, 8x56R M30 S, 31.M cartridge
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: En Bloc Clip
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Bolt Mounted Wing Safety
- Features: Straight Pull Bolt, Rotating Bolt Head, En Bloc Clip Loading, Bottom Ejection Clip, Open Iron Sights, Bayonet Lug
Variants
- Mannlicher M1895 Infantry Rifle (Repetier-Gewehr M.95) — Infantry Rifle
- Mannlicher M1895 Stutzen (Repetier-Stutzen M.95) — Short Rifle
- Mannlicher M1895 Kavalleriekarabiner (Repetier-Karabiner M.95) — Cavalry Carbine
- Mannlicher M95/30 — Austrian Conversion 8x56r
- Mannlicher M95M — Yugoslav Conversion 7-92x57
- Mannlicher 31M — Hungarian Conversion 8x56r
Service history
Operators
- Austro-Hungarian Army · adopted 1895 · as Repetier-Gewehr M.95
- Bulgarian Land Forces · adopted 1903 · as M1895
- Royal Hellenic Army · adopted 1914 · as M1895
- Royal Italian Army · adopted 1919 · as Fucile Mannlicher M95
- Royal Yugoslav Army · adopted 1921 · as M95M
- Austrian Bundesheer · adopted 1930 · as M95/30
- Royal Hungarian Army · adopted 1931 · as 31M
- Finnish Defence Forces · adopted 1940 · as 8.30-31
- Republic of Korea Army · adopted 1950
Conflicts
- Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901)
- Balkan Wars (1912-1913)
- World War I (1914-1918)
- Russian Civil War (1917-1923)
- Hungarian-Romanian War (1918-1919)
- Polish-Soviet War (1919-1921)
- Spanish Civil War (1936-1939)
- World War II (1939-1945)
- Korean War (1950-1953)
Production
Estimated total produced: 3,500,000 · Production years: 1895-1918
Approximately 3.5 million rifles produced by Oesterreichische Waffenfabrik Steyr and Hungarian FEG (Budapest) between 1895 and the 1918 Austro-Hungarian armistice. Additional production and large-scale conversions (M95/30, 31M, M95M) continued through the 1930s and early 1940s. Total including all conversions and variants often cited at over 4 million.
Origin
Country of origin: Austria
Designer: Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher
Discontinued: 1945
Notes
The straight-pull action is the M1895's most famous characteristic but also its most polarizing: while it enabled high rates of fire, the open action and bottom-ejection en-bloc system were notoriously vulnerable to mud, snow, and the trench conditions of the Italian Alps and Galician fronts. The two-piece wedge-locking bolt is more mechanically complex than a Mauser bolt but surprisingly durable when properly maintained. Steyr produced the majority of rifles, but Hungarian FEG in Budapest produced a substantial share for the Honved (Hungarian Landwehr). The M95/30 and 31M conversions lengthened the chamber, rebored the barrel, and restamped the rear sight for the new 8x56mmR cartridge; converted rifles are marked with a prominent 'S' on the barrel or receiver.
Background
The straight-pull bolt of the M1895 allowed Austro-Hungarian troops to fire 30-35 aimed rounds per minute against the 15-20 of a Mauser-armed opponent, and Italian infantry in the 1915-1918 Alpine campaigns often reported that a single Austrian rifleman seemed to be firing a machine gun. The price of that speed was a notorious weakness: the open en-bloc clip system ejects the empty clip out the bottom of the magazine after the last round, and a pinch of Carpathian mud or a few flakes of snow in the clipway could jam the rifle solid until it was stripped down with a bayonet tip.