Genuine Mannlicher-Schoenauer M1900?

[MattieA65]

I bought this in Germany, and am wondering if this is a genuine M1900. The differing stock, tang and barrel serial numbers are disturbing. Looks like the rifle originally had the front scope base dovetailed into the front receiver ring. Later, this was replaced by a barrel front ring base, and the dovetail plugged and re-matted.

[mike ford]

MattieA65,
There are others here more knowledgeable of Mannlicher- Schoenauers, but I'm guessing you have a refurbished Mod 1903(guessing it is 6.5x54-you didn't say). Even though it likely had the original front scope mount dovetailed into the receiver ring, the replacement had to be mounted with the base on the barrel. Even though a great many rifles had the receiver ring cut to mount a scope, this procedure was prohibited sometime after WW2. Some gunsmiths had cut too deeply and pierced the receiver ring. Sometimes, this caused damage to the rifle and possibly the shooter. As a consequence of this, the proof houses stopped accepting rifles with the scopes mounted this way. If the receiver ring wasn't pierced, the dovetail could be plugged and matted over, and accepted by the proof house. Then it was a matter of if it passed the definitive proof, it passed. If the ring had been pierced, it wouldn't pass the view proof. You didn't include enough photos for me to tell the serial number of the rifle, but I would guess the last three numbers are 940 as shown on the trigger guard tang. The number on the barrel is not the serial number and without seeing other markings, I can't tell what it is. I didn't see any number on the stock. You have a nice rifle, use it and enjoy it. If I'm wrong, someone will answer and correct me.
Mike

[MattieA65]

Thanks much, Mike! I will look for additional serial numbers.

[sharps4590]

Pull it down and look on the bottom of the barrel just in front of the action. Should be proofs there that will tell a story.

[Axel E]

Here are some lousy photos of another Mannlicher – Schoenauer M1900 Stutzen just like your's: Same stock shape with round pistol grip. Same peculiar front sight base. Same receiver ring inscription.

[Axel E]

One feature distinguishing the M1900 from the M1903: The M1900s had a flat spring inlaid into the left side of the cocking piece, retaining the firing pin nut. The M1903 omitted this unnecessary spring, replacing it with a small tab on the bottom of the nut..


Early M1900s had the cartridge release button on the outside of the action rail, between metal and wood. Later? ones, like your's and the one shown above , had it inside the action rail just like all other M-Schs from the 1903 on.


Be careful on disassembling a M1900 bolt(I learned it the hard way): Like with the later M-Schs, you remove the bolt from the action and uncock it. You push the safety flag forward a bit an swing it to the right, safe position. Now you unscrew the striker nut a quarter turn. On the later M-Schs the bolt head stays captive and has to be turned to remove it, striker and main spring. Not so on the M1900: As soon as you remove the striker nut, the mainspring will eject itself, the striker, bolt head, extractor and ejector out of the bolt body. These parts usually fly into the darkest corners of your room, after shattering a precious Ming China object. Especially the tiny extractor likes to disappear forever.

[mike ford]

Axel,
Not that I would have known what I was looking at( I said others were more knowledgeable), how did you see all those differences in the photos posted here? Is the caliber 6.5x54 MS?

[MattieA65]

Axel, Mike, Sharps490, thanks much!

[Axel E]

Axel, how did you see all those differences in the photos posted here? Is the caliber 6.5x54 MS?

Mike, MattieA's question was: " is this a real M1900?". He asked the same question both here and on the Nitroexpress.com forum. http://forums.nitroexpress.com/showf...rue#Post315108 So I posted the same answer twice.
As I know a thing or two about Mannlichers and Mannlicher – Schoenauers, I noted the stock shape and the uncommon (on M-S rifles) front sight bases at once. The Stutzen shown by me resides with a forester near by. The other two items, the striker nut securing spring and maybe the position of the cartrige retainer button, are useful to identify a M1900 action.
All M1900s were in 6.5x54 M-Sch originally. This model introduced the cartridge, not the M1903.
Myself I have another M1900 military action and barrel, once sporterised by George Gibbs, Bristol & London. It was the barreled action only, so I restocked it myself. Someone had it rechambered to 6.5x55 SE and duly reproofed in Birmingham 1982. Of course the Schoenauer spool magazine does not work well with the fatter Swedish cartridge. I am still working on it.

[mike ford]

Axel,
Thanks, I'll have to remember the 6.5x54MS was introduced in 1900, not 1903. I'm sure I have given out the incorrect date before.
Mike

[MattieA65]

Gentlemen, on the advice of someone from the Nitroexpress forum, I removed the action and barrel from the stock. I found a lot of extra markings. The most encouraging was the number "940" on the bottom of the front receiver ring. Since there is a matching "940" on the bottom tang, I assume the rifle is pretty much of a piece, i.e. not assembled from parts somehow. The cocking piece does indeed have the flat spring on the left side, which further encourages me to assume this is a real M1900. Here are photos of the markings that were concealed by the stock. Their British-ness makes me think this rifle was marketed to the UK.

[MattieA65]

One last photo of markings.

[sharps4590]

I believe the British proofs are indisputable!!

[Axel E]

One last photo of markings.
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Sorry, but my computer sais "Invalid Attachment".

[Axel E]

On the first photo of the British proofmarks the NPv nitro proofmark of the Vienna proofhouse is barely visible. To the left of this the last two digits of the proofhouse ledger number are even less readable, but seem to be xxx.02. If it is so, the rifle was originally proofed in 1902. The -1 under the receiver ring is a Steyr factory marking for tolerances, common on Steyr made rifles. Usually the corresponding barrel would be marked +1. 940 is most likely the Steyr serial or assembly number.