This rifle would be a nice addition to any collection of early German bolt action sporting rifles and would make just as excellent a hunting rifle today as it did a century ago. This is a nice-looking rifle built with typical German-Austrian craftsmanship just after the turn of the century. The bore is bright-gray, tending more to gray at the muzzle, with light wear in the pronounced rifling and some light erosion at the muzzle end. The rifle is in about Very Good to Fine overall condition with about 96% of its finish remaining. The rifle features a “butter knife” bolt handle, express sights, and a small, but clever storage compartment under the grip cap. This rifle has a 22 1/2” barrel chambered in 6.5x54mm M-S. The rifles were equipped with flat “butter knife” bolt handles and rotary magazines.
I also have his Winchester Model 62.22, serial number 19697. In addition to the Mannlicher, he passed down a Remington Model 51.380, serial number 13597 which indicates it was made in 1918 or 19, I believe. As you can imagine, he appreciated a good weapon.
#STEYR MANNLICHER SERIAL NUMBERS SERIAL NUMBERS#
The Model 1903 rifle as the first of the famous M-S Rifles and Carbines and it established the basic design of all the models that were to follow. Steyr Mannlicher Serial Numbers Lookup Serial Numbers Microsoft SOLD FOR: 1,276.00 LSB: 190211DL06. Mannlicher-Schoenauer rifles and carbines were exclusively manufactured at Oesterreichische Waffenfabrik Gesellschaft Steyr in Steyr, Austria. The 1903 Mannlicher rifles and carbines were the last designs of Ferdinand Ritter Von Mannlicher, who died the next year, and his friend Otto Schönauer who designed the exceptional rotary drum magazine intrinsic to all Mannlicher-Schoenauer rifles. Austria and Greece adopted the 1903 military rifle and the 6.5×54 cartridge that same year.
Our Assessment: The Mannlicher-Schoenauer rifle dates to 1903 when the 6.5x54mm cartridge and both military and civilian rifles to shoot it were introduced.