Portuguese Mannlicher M1896
Österreichische Waffenfabriks-Gesellschaft (Steyr) · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1896
Also known as: Espingarda 6,5 mm m/896, Portuguese Contract M1896 Mannlicher, Steyr Mannlicher m/896
Overview
The Portuguese Mannlicher M1896 (Espingarda 6,5 mm m/896) is a turn-bolt repeating rifle chambered in 6.5x53mmR, built by Österreichische Waffenfabriks-Gesellschaft (Steyr) on the same pattern as the Mannlicher M1893 supplied to Romania. The Kingdom of Portugal ordered roughly 12,500 of these compact rifles and carbines from Steyr, some in 1896 for the Navy and Cavalry and the balance in 1898 for the Artillery. It feeds smokeless 6.5mm cartridges from a five-round en-bloc clip loaded into a fixed central magazine, marked with the 'CI' monogram of King Carlos I of Portugal.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3800 g (134.0 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1105 mm (43.50") |
| Barrel Length | 610 mm (24.02") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | En Bloc Clip |
| Effective Range | 500 m (547 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 2000 m (2187 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 6.5x53mmR · primary — also known as 6.5mm Romanian, 6.5x53R Mannlicher, 6.5mm m/896
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: En Bloc Clip
- Safety mechanisms: Wing Safety
- Features: Turn Bolt Action, En Bloc Clip Feed, Self Ejecting Clip, Smokeless Powder, Short Rifle Configuration
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Portuguese Army · adopted 1896 · as Espingarda 6,5 mm m/896
- Portuguese Navy · adopted 1896
Production
Estimated total produced: 12,500 · Production years: 1896-1898
Approximately 12,500 6.5mm Mannlicher rifles and carbines purchased from Steyr across the 1896 and 1898 contracts
Origin
Country of origin: Austria
Designer: Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher
Discontinued: 1898
Notes
Ordered as a lighter, clip-loading replacement for the earlier tubular-magazine Kropatschek rifles in Portuguese cavalry, artillery, and naval service. Manufactured and dated by Steyr (marked 'STEYR 1896'). Later supplanted in front-line service by the Mauser-Vergueiro m/1904.
Background
Every Portuguese contract M1896 carries the 'CI' cypher of King Carlos I over the chamber; the monarch would be assassinated in Lisbon in 1908, and the rifles bearing his monogram outlived the very monarchy that bought them.