| Posted: Sat Jan 7th, 2006 03:55 AM |
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1st Post |
Charley
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 9th, 2005 |
| Location: | San Antonio, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 3781 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! | | My favorite chambering is:: | all of them |
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Here's a quick bit about my M95.
This is a Mannlicher M1930 short rifle, caliber 8x56R. These were converted from WWI produced Mannlicher M95 rifles, in caliber 8x50R, which was the standard infantry rifle of the Austria-Hungarian Empire. Austria standardized the short rifle in 1930, and converted the rifle to a new cartridge, in collusion with Hungary.
The action is one of the few straight pull military rifles produced, and the M95 family was produced in greater numbers than any other.
Only the chamber was affected by the caliber conversion. The original .323 diameter bullet of the 8x50R was a flat based bullet. The theory at the time of the design was that the bullet would obdurate to fill the deep rifleing. The 8x56R was loaded with a boat tail bullet, which wouldn’t upset like the flat base bullet, so the diameter was increased to .329.
A note for those not familiar with European cartridge designations: cartridge names are expressed as two different numbers, the first is nominal bullet diameter, in millimeters, followed by an “X”, which is usually read as “by”. The second number is the case length, in millimeters. The letter “R” designates a rimmed cartridge. Therefore, 8x56R is an 8 millimeter bullet in a case 56 millimeters long, and it is a rimmed case. This system makes considerably more sense than the US make-up-a-name/number practice.
These rifles were pretty inexpensive when imported. I think I paid in the neighborhood of $60 for mine. Ammunition was plentiful and cheap, too! The rifles are still available with some searching, and are a little more expensive. Military ammunition is getting a bit scarce now, and prices for it have risen considerably. The military ammunition has lovely, high quality brass, but it is Berdan primed. I’d rather not mess with it!
The M95 uses a Mannlicher en-bloc clip for loading. The clip becomes a part of the magazine, and is dropped thru the bottom of the magazine when a new clip is inserted. Without ammunition loaded on clips, the rifle is a single shot. Before damning the Mannlicher system, remember out very own M-1 Garand uses a very similar system.
Handloading is no problem now. Hornady has a 200 grain .329 diameter SP bullet available. Graf & Sons imported a bunch of Boxer primed brass last year, they are currently sold out. Somebody is loading a bunch of 8x56R! Custom maker, like Buffalo Arms, form and sell 8x56R brass, and the price isn’t too bad. The case can also be formed from 7.62x54R Russian brass. It is useable, but too short. Lee sells inexpensive die sets, along with a .329 diameter bullet mold, and a .329 sizer. The sizer can be used to size jacketed .338 bullets down to .329. Accuracy isn’t the best, because of the bullet jacket springing back from the trip thru the sizer, but the bullets will do for plinking.
I’ve used .338 cast bullets, sized to .334 in a lapped out Lyman sizing die. The generous throat in my rifle makes this a viable option, too.
Every M95 I’ve looked at or handled has had the same trigger pull…about six inches long, and spongy to boot! Sights are BB gun coarse, and are designed, as most military rifles of the day were, for young eyes. A “V” shaped rear notch, and an inverted “V” shaped front sight are tough for us old guys to get a good sight picture with. Scope mounting would be tough, because of the clip loading system, and the Mannlicher split receiver ring. I’m not going to try, anyway. I like my military rifles straight!
I’m not going to claim that the rifle is amazingly accurate. It is accurate enough for most military purposes, like shooting at people out to a couple hundred yards. It isn’t a varmint rifle! Recoil with the military load gets your attention, and isn’t pleasant to shoot from a bench. Off hand is much more comfortable, and even there the recoil is noticeable. Most folks who haven’t fired one before will run one clip thru the rifle and that is plenty of fun for them.
If you like weird rifles, consider getting your mitts on an M95. They are pretty neat guns.
Attachment: M95 004.jpg (Downloaded 3 times)
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| Posted: Sat Jan 7th, 2006 03:59 AM |
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2nd Post |
Charley
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| Joined: | Fri Sep 9th, 2005 |
| Location: | San Antonio, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 3781 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! | | My favorite chambering is:: | all of them |
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Here's the ammunition. One clip is .338 cast bullets, sized to .334, one is .338 200 grain SP sized to .329, and the FMJ bullets are military ball. Attachment: M95 003.jpg (Downloaded 6 times)
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| Posted: Mon Jan 9th, 2006 09:51 AM |
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3rd Post |
greysmoke
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| Joined: | Tue Mar 15th, 2005 |
| Location: | Port Elizabeth, South Africa |
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Hey Charley
Glad you kept to your word about posting some of your rifles!!
Looks really great friend, wouldnt mind adding a M95 to my collection....
I was wondering , it would probably be possible to form cases out of 7x57R as well?
Hope to see more Charley
All the best
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| Posted: Mon Jan 9th, 2006 11:41 AM |
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4th Post |
Charley
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I don't think 7x57R will work. Base diameter of 7x57 is .473 or thereabouts, and I guess 7x57R is the same. Too small for the base of either 7.62x54R or 8x56R.
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| Posted: Mon Jan 9th, 2006 12:02 PM |
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5th Post |
greysmoke
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didnt think about that,
thanks for the info Charley
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Grey Smoke
"A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject."
-Winston Churchill
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