Mannlicher-Schönauer Model 72
Steyr Mannlicher · Rifle · Discontinued · 1972
Also known as: Mannlicher-Schönauer M72, Model 1972
Overview
The Mannlicher-Schönauer Model 72 is an Austrian bolt-action sporting rifle produced by Steyr, the final development of the classic Mannlicher-Schönauer hunting rifle line. It retains the celebrated Schönauer rotary spool magazine feeding a modernized bolt action, and was offered chambered in popular hunting cartridges including .30-06 Springfield, .270 Winchester and .243 Winchester. Prized by hunters for its smooth cycling and refined walnut-stocked build, it was made in both half-stock and full-length Mannlicher-stock carbine forms.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3400 g (119.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1080 mm (42.52") |
| Barrel Length | 600 mm (23.62") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Rotary |
| Muzzle Velocity | 880 m/s (2887 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 4515 J (3330 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 300 m (328 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .30-06 Springfield · primary — also known as 30-06, .30-06 Sprg, 7.62x63mm
- .270 Winchester — also known as 270 Win, .270 Win
- .243 Winchester — also known as .243 Win
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Internal Rotary Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Wing Safety
- Features: Schonauer Rotary Magazine, Mannlicher Full Stock Option, Double Set Trigger Option, Hinged Floorplate, Butter Knife Bolt Handle
Variants
- Mannlicher-Schönauer Model 72 L (Luxus) - Deluxe
- Mannlicher-Schönauer Model 72 S (Standard) - Standard
Service history
Operators
- Sporting and hunting market · adopted 1972
Production
Production years: 1972-1990s
Sporting rifle; production of the Mannlicher-Schönauer line at Steyr wound down through the 1980s into the 1990s
Origin
Country of origin: Austria
Designer: Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher
Notes
The Model 72 modernized the earlier post-war MS-1950/1956/1961 sporting rifles while keeping the signature Schönauer rotary magazine. Many were built with a double-set trigger and the traditional butter-knife bolt handle.
Background
The Schönauer rotary magazine, designed by Otto Schönauer at the turn of the 20th century, was so smooth and reliable that hunters kept demanding it for decades — the Model 72 carried that rotating spool feed all the way into the 1970s and beyond, long after box magazines had become the industry norm.