Anybody have experience with the 8x56R Hungarian Steyr M95?

I almost bought one a few years ago. They are neat rifles. The cartridge is what stopped me. It's an obsolete, expensive, and difficult to find cartridge.

The K31 cartridge is an oddball as well, but with all of the K31s coming in, the cartridge availability is good right now. There are no boatloads full of Steyr M95s coming in.

So I like vintage military rifles, but only if they are useful and high quality.

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Given those parameters, I'd pass. It's a good quality gun, but usefulness is suspect. Put the $79 toward more GP11 for your K31.

I hope someone makes Boxer primer ammo for the things, but I have had mine for over 20 years, and I am still waiting.

Of all the straight pulls out there, the Mannlicher 1895 is the only one you can really claim to have been a successful battle rifle. While the K31 is a wonderfully built rifle, the Swiss did not prove that design in combat. The Ross failed, but the Mannlicher was used in the trenches of WWI, the steppes of Russia, to the Alps. Then it got used in WWII. I have seen coverted examples to 8X57, unfortunately I was unable to snag one at the time.

From a historical perspective it was a successful design. I don't know if stocks are any more prone to splitting than any other ancient rifle.

Reassembly of the bolt is a pain. I have forgotten how, but Smith's Rifles of the World has instructions.

Have 2 Styer M95's years ago along with a couple of thousand rounds of the Nazi marked ammo and some that was Hungarian. Built up the front sight to get it on a 100 yds. They do have heavy recoil and blinding muzzle flash. One rifle is a little better shaped than the other and is marked on the reciever and the stock with the bird over the swat. Early on the ammo was about 10cents a round. The nazi ammo is from 1938 and has proven to be surefire. The Hungarian was good for the most part but I did get the occassional click followed shortly by the bang. They are rifles with nice design lines but more of a low cost collector item.

Reasonably happy with mine though the ammo issue is a bit of a pain. Bought a bunch of the 1938 Nazi stuff but 1/3 of the time it doesn't go bang. Keep hearing rumors that Prvi Partisan is gonna make ammo but haven't seen it yet. Hornady custom has made some ammo in the past but I haven't been able to find any just yet. The rifles themselves are very light and handy..... I have one marked Budapest and one marked Steyr. The Steyr one has matching numbers and I am quite fond of it. With some reliable ammo it would be a great lightweight rifle to carry around. The iron sights on mine seem to be about right for 100yds, haven't tried any longer distances. The recoil is awful though, just bought a slip on cushion and will be taking it to the range later this afternoon.

I am thinking about buying one. You can reform 7.62x54r to 8x56 Lee sells 8x56 dies and .329 bullet sizers. Here is a link on reloading 8x56. http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting/reforming8x56/index.asp

Mike

Hornady makes boxer ammo for twenty bucks a box, go out and shoot!

I love mine, fast, accurate, and elegant. Also got another long rifle and a carbine. Had a M-95M, but did not like it and sold it.

Nice rifle and floor. One of the reasons i want to buy a M95 is to reload for it. It's nice to know that Hornady does make ammo for it.

Mike

I only looked one place but apparently Graf has ammo and brass:

http://www.grafs.com/product/189483
http://www.grafs.com/product/194805

It's not one I reload so I have no idea what your options would be in terms of bullet selection but these prices aren't crazy high considering it's a bit of an oddball.

Perhaps some reloads could be tailored to reduce the muzzle flash and recoil. I've heard they are both substancial.

Best

S-

The problem with the flash and thunder is that most surplus 8x56R ammo is either rifle-loadings or MG loadings, and most people are shooting it out of carbines. Call it M-44 syndrome.

Then again, surplus ammo right now is nearly a buck ten a shot, so that's not so much of a problem.

.329 bullets aren't real easy to come by, but folks who handload have gotten some nice loads worked up, and the M-95 is a very accurate rifle once you get used to the battle zero.

Graf and Sons has ammo for $23 delivered to your door.

Soft points and clean. Also potent enough for moose and elk!

The Steyr M.95 carbines that Big-5 is selling include both cut-down rifles and original carbines..

The condition runs from arsenal worled-over with dark bores to arsenal worked-over with new bores.

Most are without the crest and date on the side of the receiver, but I've also seen some with both...

All the ones that I've seen have had the stock renumbered to match the metal.

If you remove the bolt in the store while you're checking the carbine out, be prepared for the bolt head to rotate to the locked position when it comes out the the receiver and the difficult battle that will follow when you try to pull it back out to rotate it to the open position so that it can be reinserted into the receiver (the internal catch that is supposed to catch to retain it in the open position (bolt lugs horizontal) does not work well in many of these rifles).

You'll also be doing all this with a greased/cosmolined rifle in your hands, and you'll probably manage to get yourself and those around you pretty greasy. If you take a cleaning rod with you to check the bore (and you should if you're at all interested in the bore condition), open the bolt and use the cleaning rod from the muzzle to 'clean' the bore. When you find a good one, take it home before you fight with the removed bolt. It's much less embarrassing that way, and won't leave all the people at Big-5 with the impression that you're an idiot. Ask me how I know...

As mentioned, ammo is currently available, althougb somewhat expensive (what ammo isn't, these days). However, theoretically at least, Prvi Partizan is supposed to be coming out with ammo under their own name (unlike the renamed PPU stuff that almost everyone else is selling under their name) and it's rumored to be cheaper.

Keep in mind that, while reloading dies are available, the necessary bullets for reloading this round (.329") are not easily available.

I picked up a couple of these carbines because of their historical value and the neat design. And, at $79 to $85 on sale, they're dirt cheap.

Eventually, I'll shoot them when I can find relatively cheap, boxer primed ammo. Then again, if I can't, maybe I won't shoot them. But that's all right too...

If you do shoot these carbines, expect them to kick the crap out of you...

My advice is to get a couple while they're available...

Forrest

I have been doing some reading and they say you can resize cast and some jacketed bullets from .338 to .329. Has anyone done this and if if so how did it work out.

Mike

I have an idea one or more of the companies that make bullet casting molds make one for the .329. Possibly not the most high performance option but still an option.
Best all,

S-

Well i looked at one at Big Five last night it is a refurb and it is pretty clean. I may go back today with a cleaning rod and take a look at the bore. The only problem is if i buy it i well have to spend another hundred on a box of ammo, 329 mold, .329 bullet sizer, and a set of 8x56 dies.

Mike

I bought a M95 at the local Big 5 store Saturday for $79. It cleaned up very well. If it has ever been fired I can't tell. I cleaned the cosmoline with Berryman's brake cleaner and after that I used Montana Extreme 50 Cal bore cleaner. It didn't show any sign of copper fouling whatsoever.

I ordered 100 pieces of brass, 100 of the Hornady 205 grain 330 diameter bullets and 500 of the 100 grain 330 diameter pistol bullets for plinking.

I also ordered 12 of the enbloc clips from Numrich for about $40 including shipping.

I've had mine for years, but have rarely shot it due to the painful recoil.

Last year I bought some brass from Buffalo Arms, intending to also place an order with Midway for some Lee dies and bullet molds. Yes, Lee makes a mold specifically for this round. I still haven't got around to it, but cast bullets should tame this thing down nicely.

On the other hand, if you've decided to save for an M1 instead; you won't be sorry. I bought two Garands last year, through the CMP. As much as I like the old oddball surplus rifles, I would take an M1 over any of the others. They really are head and shoulders above the rest, I think.

Tried it out with a slip on Pachmayr recoil reducer and it makes a lot of difference.

I owned one and the firing pin broke at the cocking thread. *sigh* This is probably the most fun rifle ive ever shot being as handy and powerful as they are. I wish I could have a slide action rifle to scope just like it (I hate altering milsurp). I love fact that its a magnum caliber in terms of power. Recoil? pfft its very manageable (for me anyways).

I would not hesitate to get another as they are very fine rifles.
I'm always on the lookout for a bubba'd for a potential project.

Ammo availiability is the only problem with these buggers. Anyone know the cheapest possible way of getting/making ammo for it?

Nothing like the burst and fast action of this carbine, it makes my day.

Oh, btw, long time no talk guys

Reloads would be the cheapest. Cast your own bullets out of wheel weights. Lee makes a .329 mold for 8x65r it cost 21 dollars. For powder you could go with 13gr Reddot you can get a lot of loads from one pound of powder and the recoil would be about the same as 22 mag.

Mike

Today I got the supplies I ordered from Graf. Very good service. The Hornady soft points look very good and the 100 grain pistol bullets look like they will be ideal light load plinking. Of course I got the Lee dies for $25 and 100 Prvi brass cases.

This case begs to be blown out to a straight taper and a 40° shoulder. Think how that thing would kick in an Ackley Improved form.

Well i just bought a M95 now to buy some reloading stuff and some clips.

Mike

I ordered enbloc clips from Numrich and they haven't arrived yet. Today I will be moly coating all the bullets that came yesterday. Tonight I will load some of the 100 grain bullets and a few of the 205 grainers and shoot them tomorrow.

Some experience--limited

I bought an M95 from Big 5 recently and shot it some today. I bought about 500 rounds of J&G Sales Bulgarian FMJ for about 50 cents a round, similar to 7.62x54r purchased recently. I also loaded some 150 gr spire point hunting rounds with Buffalo Arms bullets and brass (reasonable priced and also available in 175g, 200 gr and 220 gr of similar design). The 150 gr bullet has a well placed cannelure.

Off-hand the military stuff does not kick different than an '06 or M44. Bench shooting is less tolerable, but this was expected. The 150 gr hand loads all shot pleasant enough. I am about 220 lbs--my wife is 120 lbs (5-4) and agreed with me on this point.

The best group from the vintage Bulgarian ammo was 3 shots at 1.3" c.c. and the best from the hand loads was 2 shots at .6" c.c (41.5 gr RL15). Shooting was from a benchrest at 100 yards with the issued open sight. The 150 gr loads are in the black with the rear sight folded vertical and using the lower fixed sight position.

The ammo is easy to reload with Lee dies, but be careful of buckles just below the neck. I didn't lose any cases, but came close until I saw adjustment was needed. The best groups in hand loads were for lower charges. I did not push the gun at all with my maximum of 44 gr, but found that above about 42 gr the groups opened to about 4". I had loaded 20 rounds using 2 cartridges per charge weight at the low end, 4 at the high end. I know this data needs lots more work, but I could see the groupings open badly at the higher charge weights anyway.

I like the little rifle a lot, especially with the lighter bullets and lower charges.