Mannlicher M1896
Steyr Mannlicher · Pistol · Discontinued · 1896
Also known as: Mannlicher Model 1896, Mannlicher 1897/01, Steyr-Mannlicher M1896
Overview
The Mannlicher M1896 is an early Austrian self-loading pistol designed by Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher and built by Österreichische Waffenfabriks-Gesellschaft (Steyr). Departing from Mannlicher's earlier blow-forward and blowback experiments, the M1896 used a fixed-barrel, locked-breech action firing a comparatively powerful bottlenecked 7.65mm Mannlicher cartridge. The earliest examples carried a fixed six- or seven-round magazine; the refined M1897/01 production guns adopted a detachable six-round box magazine. It was a single-action design and was offered in several configurations including longer-barrelled carbines and versions with combination holster-stocks.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 950 g (33.5 oz) |
| Overall Length | 245 mm (9.65") |
| Barrel Length | 160 mm (6.30") |
| Action Type | Short Recoil |
| Firing Mechanism | Single Action |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Detachable Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 326 m/s (1070 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 292 J (215 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 50 m (55 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Slide Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.63mm Mannlicher · primary — also known as 7.65mm Mannlicher, 7.65x21mm Mannlicher, 7.63x21mm Mannlicher
Features
- Firing modes: Semi Automatic
- Feed systems: Detachable Box Magazine, Fixed Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety Lever
- Features: Locked Breech, Bottleneck Cartridge, Shoulder Stock Lug, Wood Grip Panels
Service history
Operators
- Austro-Hungarian Empire
Production
Estimated total produced: 1,000 · Production years: 1896-1905
Fewer than 1,000 M1896 and M1897/01 pistols made across several variations; numbered in a single sequential serial range.
Origin
Country of origin: Austria
Designer: Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher
Discontinued: 1905
Notes
Catalogued under our 7.63mm Mannlicher caliber id; period and modern sources also label the cartridge 7.65mm Mannlicher. Although patented in 1896-1897, the design was not offered commercially until around 1901-1903, and serial numbers across the M1896/M1897-01 family approached but never reached 1,000 units. Specific factory weight and length figures vary by configuration; values shown reflect the standard pistol. Muzzle energy estimated from bullet mass and velocity.
Background
The M1896 marked Mannlicher's pivot from his odd blow-forward 1894 pistol to a conventional locked breech, making it one of the earliest locked-breech self-loading pistols and a direct ancestor of the better-known Steyr-Mannlicher 1901 and 1905 designs.