Postwar Mannlichers

Any list of the great hunting rifles of all time includes the Mannlicher-Schönauer bolt action. Beginning in 1903, it was manufactured by Steyr-Mannlicher for almost 70 years, surviving two world wars, the Great Depression, the dissolution of an empire and the annexation of Austria by Germany in 1938. When it finally went out of production around 1972, it was a victim of rising costs combined with changing tastes.

This early Mannlicher features a typical European claw scope mount. These worked well for the split bridge but were (and are) expensive.

This is not to say the fabled Mannlicher did not undergo changes during its three score and ten years. In fact, it appeared in dozens of models and configurations for an increasing range of cartridges. We can, however, divide its life into several distinct stages.

The all-time classic is the Model 1903 – a genuine icon of riflemaking – with its 17.7-inch barrel and full-length stock, chambered for the 6.5x54 Mannlicher-Schönauer (M-S) cartridge. This was the origin of the “Mannlicher” sporting stock, subsequently copied by everyone from Mauser to Ruger.

Two years later came the Model 1905 (9x56mm M-S), then the Models 1908 (8x56mm M-S) and 1910 (9.5x56mm M-S.) These later models varied from the 1903 in having slightly longer barrels. After 1918, as the U.S. became the world’s prime market for hunting rifles, Steyr expanded its line, adding many different calibers and offering “rifle” styles with longer barrels and standard English- or American-style forends. These were imported to the U.S. by Stoeger Arms of New York City, and for decades the Stoeger catalogs (and later the Shooter’s Bible) were the standard reference on Mannlichers. An additional distinct model, the M1924, followed much the same lines but was offered in .30-06.

The Mannlicher rotary magazine is a precision-made instrument that functions perfectly.

Through the 1930s, the Mannlicher appeared in Ernest Hemingway’s classic short story of African safaris, The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber, and its reputation was made even among socialites who hunted only occasionally and knew little or nothing about rifles. For rifle fanatics, however, the Mannlicher was admired for its superb workmanship, reliable design, its rotary magazine which functioned flawlessly, and a bolt stroke so smooth it set gun writers to drooling. Steyr was a pioneer in the use of the finest steel and used only the best in its rifles.

One problem that is encountered immediately by any Mannlicher enthusiast is the dearth of detailed, reliable information – finding information from presumably reliable sources that contradict each other, or encountering individual rifles that are exceptions to the rule and trying to determine where they fit in.

From the beginning, Steyr supplied entire rifles or barreled actions to custom riflemakers such as Boss or Holland & Holland in London. These might be altered, or they might not. Similarly, M-S rifles were modified and customized by European gunsmiths who may not have identified it as a custom rifle.

Some of the features offered through the 1930s included a take-down model with a “half” or sporter stock, a pop-up aperture sight in the top of the pistol grip, a factory-standard detachable scope mount and different barrel lengths and chamberings. Somewhere in the mix, Steyr offered an “African” model with a 25-inch barrel and three-quarters-length stock, allowing the rifle to be carried on the shoulder, muzzle forward, with the hand gripping the stock and barrel. Mauser offered a similar model.

After 1945, when the Allies allowed Steyr to once again begin making sporting rifles, the traditional Mannlicher-Schönauer went back into production. However, the world after 1945 was not what it had been, not least of all in the demands on hunting rifles.

Postwar Mannlicher model numbers and calibers were engraved on the action ring.

The major problem facing the Mannlicher was the mass transition from iron sights to riflescopes. The Mannlicher action has a split bridge through which the bolt handle passes, forward and back, as the action is cycled. This makes scope mounting a considerably more complicated proposition than with the solid-bridge Mauser 1898 or Winchester Model 70.

The Austrians developed a claw mount with the rear claw in a base that was screwed or pinned to the left side of the bridge. These worked well but were an expensive custom option. Some Americans liked them, but most did not. Companies dealing in high-end hunting rifles, such as Griffin & Howe in New York, Paul Jaeger in Pennsylvania and Pachmayr in Los Angeles, arrived at their own solutions. These became the most famous mounts for the Mannlicher, and all were similar. The Griffin & Howe and the Jaeger used a side plate which attached to the left side of the action rail, and its one-piece ring unit was detachable. Pachmayr went one better with a mount called the Lo-Swing. It was hinged and could be swung to one side to allow use of iron sights, or removed altogether, leaving only the base.

In theory, at least, the Pachmayr Lo-Swing gave a hunter every option – the best of all worlds. In actual use, they were less than perfect. The mechanism could flex and did not take well to riding in saddle scabbards on difficult mountain trails. Recoil could cause the hinge to lift slightly out of its “locked” position. This was not a huge drawback because, in practice, they shoot to pretty much the same point of aim. Still, it’s disconcerting and one more distraction a big-game hunter doesn’t need. With a little care, however, they work well enough. Through the 1950s, Stoeger offered the Lo-Swing as a standard option.

The Model 1956 action incorporated two postwar changes: a modern-looking bolt-stop release and an auxiliary side safety.

Another drawback of all of these mounts was the requirement to mount them abnormally high to allow the bolt to clear them underneath, and to allow the use of the Mannlicher’s over-the-top wing safety that was similar to the military Mauser ’98.

Leupold later designed a one-piece Adjusto base that was fastened by screws to the receiver ring with a rear projection down the left side of the bridge and held by two more screws. This partially solved the scope height problem.

Scope mounts were one thing; stocks were another. The traditional Mannlicher Stutzen had a slim buttstock with considerable drop at its heel. This positioned the eye perfectly for its iron sights but presented a problem when using a scope – especially when using such high mounts.

Finally, there were aesthetic considerations that really began to assert themselves in the mid-1950s, and these became progressively more acute through the 1960s. This was the age when Roy Weatherby really exerted an influence with his “California” look. Stocks became angular with exaggerated Monte Carlo combs, white-line spacers appeared everywhere, and skip-line checkering began to replace the simple patterns of previous years. No rifle manufacturer could afford to ignore these trends – questionable (and transient) as they might have been – and Steyr was no exception.

The original Model 1903 6.5x54 Mannlicher- Schönauer is a great hunting rifle and the first of a family that stayed in production for almost 70 years.

A Mannlicher-Schönauer Model 1956 Stutzen .257 Roberts with a Schmidt & Bender Zenith 1.1-4x 24mm scope in an EAW side mount.

In 1950, Steyr introduced a model called the Model 1950 and used the year of introduction for model numbers for the next decade. The M1950 was not radically different from the prewar models but was offered in a more American styling and in a range of American calibers, including the .270 Winchester and .30-06. It had a second safety catch on the right side of the action, above the trigger, that rocked forward and back so the shooter could use either one. The side safety did not lock the bolt. The traditional butterknife bolt handle was made wider than before and beveled on top to allow slightly more clearance for a scope. The traditional button-shaped bolt release was replaced by a more modern-looking, rectangular version. The M1950 was available with either a double-set trigger or a single trigger, the American preference. Another excellent feature of the Mannlicher-Schönauer was its modular, interchangeable trigger groups mounted on the trigger plate. Another new model, the M1952, followed much the same path, except that its bolt handle was swept back and otherwise altered to clear a scope.

None of this solved the problem of scope height, however, and Americans, then and now, like their scopes mounted as low as possible over the action. The stepladder mountings so beloved of central Europeans have never gone over well in the New World.

A Model 1950 .270 Winchester with a Redfield Widefield 3-9x scope in a Pachmayr Lo-Swing detachable side mount.

This Model 1956 .30-06 is fitted with a Weaver K4 in a Pachmayr Lo-Swing detachable side mount. It’s exaggerated Monte Carlo comb works remarkably well, allowing a solid hold with either iron sights or a scope.

With the Model 1956, Steyr tackled this problem from a different angle and created, in my opinion, the greatest all-time stock design for allowing the use of both a scope and iron sights. The Model 1956 stock had an exaggerated Monte Carlo that some likened to “the business end of a canoe paddle.” To be sure, it looked somewhat overdone (although, in fairness, that was the style of the age), but in practice it worked like a dream. Instead of being flat, the cheekpiece is dished. With the scope off, it accommodates the cheek low enough for iron sights; with the scope in place, a shooter’s cheek is slid up into position and has firm support all the way. What the critics mistook for mere styling, with a high rollover comb, was in fact eminently practical.

Another feature of the M1956 was a factory-milled flat surface on the left side of the receiver to allow a G&H-type side mount. This flat surface was fitted with a “dummy” side plate. To fit the mount, the only gunsmithing required was drilling the appropriate holes, relieving the stock where necessary and custom-fitting the screws.

By this time, Mannlicher- Schönauer rifles were being offered in both carbine and rifle form in calibers ranging from .243 Winchester to .458 Winchester Magnum, including such hot rods as the .257 Weatherby Magnum. It was also available for various European cartridges. The Model 1956 also embraced the white-line spacer on the buttplate, grip cap and forend tip, with the wood finished in a high-gloss varnish.

Sometime during this period, Steyr began offering a variation on the second safety, replacing the rocker side-safety with a sliding catch on the grip like a shotgun. According to Steyr’s own history, this was part of the M1956 changes, but I have owned three M1956s and all had the rocker safety, not the sliding catch. As well, the Steyr history shows a Model 1956 rifle in .458 Winchester Magnum with a straight bolt handle, not swept back. Just to further complicate matters, letter designations were added for variations within the 1956 line, such as GK and MC.

The final “official” model variation was the M1961 in both carbine and rifle form, although this is not set in stone. Most references refer to the M1961 as the last, but according to Stoeger, there was also an M1960. It offered three different comb heights but was otherwise indistinguishable from the M1956. This model was also referred to as the “MCA.”

The Mannlicher-Schönauer was never inexpensive, and by the early 1960s a combination of changing tastes and rising costs put the writing on the wall. Shooters wanted high velocity and big scopes to go with the glitzy looks. The M-S may have still been the gentleman’s rifle, but it seemed that fewer gentlemen wanted to pay the price. The new trend in America, for someone with money to spend, was a custom rifle built on a Mauser action. Aficionados still loved the Mannlicher, but its market was under siege.

Although its demise is often blamed on the oil-price shocks of the early 1970s and the rampant inflation that followed, the rifle that originated with the Model 1903 was in fact discontinued two or three years earlier. It was replaced by a completely new design, the M72 that was just as smooth and just as beautifully made with all the traditional Steyr workmanship, and it would accommodate a low scope.

In the years since, the traditional Mannlicher-Schönauer has gathered enthusiasts and collectors, with the pre-1939 rifles and carbines in factory-original condition commanding the highest prices. The post-1945 models tend to be neglected. For the true rifle lover, however, they offer the finest European quality at prices considerably lower than either Oberndorf Mauser sporters or pre-1964 Model 70s. One caution: Once you experience the action of a finely tuned Mannlicher, nothing else will ever feel the same.