Oesterr waffenfabr ges. Steyr

[Tinpig]

...stamped on the L side of the receiver of a rifle a good friend brought over to show me today...one of the most beautiful rifles I've ever seen. It was recently given to him by his elderly father-in-law. Neither of us knows much about it other than it's Austrian and, according to his FIL, chambered in 6.5x54.

Here are a few pics:






It seems to be a natural carbine, not cut down; There's a raised boss at the front sight.

Heavily carved walnut stock with scenes of a bear and it's cub.

The underside of the removable magazine floor plate has a moose engraved on it! The magazine itself is unusual, it seems to have an ingenious rotary mechanism.

SN 18403, matching on barrel, receiver, and under bolt-handle (which is flat.)

Rear sight is a Lyman peep. It is articulated and sprung to allow the bolt to push it aside when the sight is low. The sight also serves as the bolt release.

Double set trigger; with the rear trigger set, the front trigger is very light and crisp.

The bore is sharp and clean. Bluing slightly worn in a few places but overall very good.

Engraved on top of the barrel: AUGUST SCHULER / SUHL GERMANY

Any knowledge, information, or comments about these rifles would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Tinpig

 

[meanmrmustard]

It's beautiful.

I know nothing of it, sadly, other than its gorgeous.

 

[Cosmoline]

Looks like a Mannlicher-Schoenauer 1903 action. Is it a rotary magazine?

 

[Sun Tzu warrior]

Yep! Steyr makes beautiful rifles! Love those rotary box magazines! I had a 1979model "M" Mannlicher in .270 (left handed) with the full stock, very well balanced, very light, super accurate! The factory traded out the double set trigger for a German hair trigger, at no charge. even the shipping both ways!
Wish I still had it, but it was stolen about 10 years back.
Beautiful rifle your friend received from his FIL! A family airloom!

 

[Jim Watson]

Cosmoline has it.
Look up Mannlicher Schoenauer and you will get a lot of background information.

August Schuler was a well known German gunmaker. I would say the wood carving and metal engraving was done in his shop, it is not like factory work that I have seen illustrated.

The Lyman sight is probably a later installation after the rifle came to America. The Europeans were not much for peep sights and the ones they did use were commonly built to fold down into the top tang.

The 3/4 length stock is an old European style.

 

[Tinpig]

Thanks for the information. Somebody here always knows!

Tinpig

 

[Jim K]

The foreend is odd looking. Could it have been a full-length "Mannlicher" stock that someone cut off?

It could have been a rifle customized in Germany, but OWG sold actions and barreled actions to gunsmiths, so this could have been the result.

Jim

 

[Cosmoline]

Cosmoline has it.

I wish! I've been holding onto a box of 6.5 MS brass for the past 12 years in the hope that "one day" I'll be able to find a matching rifle worthy of them ;-)

 

[Tinpig]

A box of Norma 6.5x54 that looks like the two rounds on the left came with the rifle:

http://www.oldammo.com/65x54MS.JPG

Is that the correct ammo?

Tinpig

 

[vaupet]

Prvi and fiocchii still make the right ammo.
Maybe you can get it at canadoammo.com

 

[waidmann]

Osterreich (Austria), Waffenfabrik (Weapons factory), geshaft (firm/company), Steyr. W.D.M. "Karamoja" Bell a professional ivory hunter used one of these in 6.5x54MS with 180 gr. RN to great effect.

 

[Jim Watson]

160 I believe.
Until some junky Austrian ammo let him down, then he went to .275 Rigby = 7mm Mauser in English. Later clear up to .318 Westley Richards.
He lived to see the introduction of the .308 Win and said it would be good in a nice hunting rifle.