Mannlicher Steyr M95/34 in 35/40 krag

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Todd Doyka
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Joined: Mon Mar 09, 2015 5:52 pm

Mannlicher Steyr M95/34 in 35/40 krag

Post by Todd Doyka »

my friend has a mannlicher steyr M95/34 carbine in 8x56R that used to be his father's(he passed away last year). since he doesn't handload and 8x56R is not on the shelf of every walmart, he wants to sell it. i'll look it over, either this weekend or the next, and i'll buy it or just give him a wave and smile and say "no thank you".

the 8x57R isn't a favorite of mine(bore runs .329-.340"), but i think i could rebore it to 35-40 krag and put on an old aperture sight. then i'll have another 35 cal bore!!! my questions is, has anybody done this? what do you think about it? what do you do with 8x56R stripper clips to make into 35-40 krag stripper clips?

:Dno, i don't have any pictures of it. i'll just have to wait and see. ;D

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Parashooter
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Re: Mannlicher Steyr M95/34 in 35/40 krag

Post by Parashooter »

How will you handle the ~.040" oversize chamber diameter?

Hoot
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Re: Mannlicher Steyr M95/34 in 35/40 krag

Post by Hoot »

A buddy of mine has converted them into both .45-70 and .30-40. I **believe** both required a new barrel.

The 8x56R is a fun cartridge and components are available. Hornady produces a soft point and Privi makes both FMJ and cases. Lee makes dies.

Todd Doyka
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Joined: Mon Mar 09, 2015 5:52 pm

Re: Mannlicher Steyr M95/34 in 35/40 krag

Post by Todd Doyka »

How will you handle the ~.040" oversize chamber diameter?



i finally got around to comparing both cartridges and the diameter of the krag is too small. so i'll rebarrel it or stay the same.

Todd Doyka
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Joined: Mon Mar 09, 2015 5:52 pm

Re: Mannlicher Steyr M95/34 in 35/40 krag

Post by Todd Doyka »

my friend showed up and he wants a price that is beyond my capabilities, so i said no, thank you.

i noticed right off the bat, the stock was cracked(s), yes, plural. it didn't have a handgaurd or the two bands. the action and barrel are rusty(give them a bath, scrub bath, scrub........until it needs reblued. and while your at, bathe the magazine housing too. the bore looked fine(?), nothing better than elbow grease. he didn't have enbloc clips, so i'll take his word it function. i should have field strip it, but i quit going it over when he told the price.

waterman
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Re: Mannlicher Steyr M95/34 in 35/40 krag

Post by waterman »

Messed with several of these about 20 years back. Some serious problems in getting bolts to operate with any reliability at all. Can't imagine why any serious army even considered these things. But then I've only handled about a dozen.

FredC
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Location: Dewees Texas

Re: Mannlicher Steyr M95/34 in 35/40 krag

Post by FredC »

There is a thread going at Double Guns about doing a build with a similar named rifle. Not sure if it is the same as yours:
https://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ub ... 048&page=1
Maybe some helpful info if it is the same rifle.
If not and you really want a 35/40 finding a already sporterized Krag with a shot out barrel would be cheapest way in. Send the barrel out and get it bored to 35 then ream it and put it back together. I could check with the fellow that bought my reamer to see if he finished with it.

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butlersrangers
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Re: Mannlicher Steyr M95/34 in 35/40 krag

Post by butlersrangers »

Fred - Wrong Mannlicher.

I believe, the OP was considering doing the cartridge conversion on an 8mm Austrian "Straight-Pull" service rifle.
(IMHO - a real 'clunker' action for building a sporting rifle).

By contrast, the Mannlicher 'Turn-Bolt' models make rather nice Hunting rifles.

The 6.5 X 53 mm Dutch Mannlicher rifles were very popular, with British Gun Makers, for conversion into classic sporting rifles for hunting Deer in Scotland, in the 1920's and 1930's.
The .303 cartridge case (this works with .30-40 brass too) could be shortened and necked-down for 6.5 mm projectiles. This makes a cartridge that is a 'rimmed' copy of the 6.5 X 54 mm Mannlicher-Schoenauer round.
(The 6.5 X 54 mm cartridge was made famous by "Karamojo" Bell, a legendary African Ivory Hunter, who used a model 1903 M-S carbine, when moving through a herd of elephants).

I reckon the 'clack' of a noisy straight-pull action, when Dancing with African Elephants, would cause quite the stampede!

waterman
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Re: Mannlicher Steyr M95/34 in 35/40 krag

Post by waterman »

Twisting the thread a bit, there is an obscure pre-WW1 British volume called "Rifles and Ammunition" written by Ommundsen and Robinson, two guys who were serious match rifle shooters of the day. They competed in the 800 to 1200 yard "match rifle" game, rifles with iron sights and long barrels, 10 lb. weight limit, and 3-lb. trigger pull, shot from any of the prone positions. They wrote that the turn bolt 1892 to 1895 Mannlichers were selected because of their trigger design. They could get a much more reliable and uniform let-off than with any of the contemporary actions.

Some of the rules apparently required the use of "military cartridges". That meant a recognized military cartridge case. It could be any sort of hand load, but not a .300 H&H or similar.

The same game is played today, with "match rifle" rules limiting the cartridge used to a single caliber, 7.62 NATO / .308 Winchester. About 5 years back, I came in 2nd on a bid for one of the rifles with a .308 barrel. The action was an 1892 Rumanian Mannlicher, Steyr-built. Was sold as an antique.

The rifles were/are used as single shots, with the magazine innards removed so they could get more weight in the barrels. A few competitors favored Danish Krags with the entire magazine box removed.

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butlersrangers
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Re: Mannlicher Steyr M95/34 in 35/40 krag

Post by butlersrangers »

Over the years, I have owned a model 1903 - (Steyr manufacture) Mannlicher/Schoenauer carbine, a Greek (Breda-1927 manufacture) Mannlicher/Schoenauer service rifle, and a 'bubba-ed' Dutch (Hemberg) Mannlicher carbine.

All three rifles were very well made and a pleasure to shoot. I wish, I still had the commercial 1903 M-S carbine!

I like the 'turn-bolt' Mannlicher guns.

I was tempted a number of times to buy a model 1895 'straight-pull' carbine, a few years ago. They became a common import and sold for $89.
Most appeared to have undergone arsenal rebuild, probably in a former Eastern-Block country.
Twice, I had bolts come out of carbines, as I worked the action. Well-made Arms, but, IMHO, Frederick von Mannlicher should have spent more time on the bolt-stop design.

BTW - After a little reading on 'Karamojo" Walter Bell, I realize, he used a number of different rifles and calibers in harvesting over 1,000 elephants and plenty of other dangerous game.
He certainly took game with his "magic wand", .256 caliber M-S carbine (6.5 X 54 mm), but, found the cartridges not reliable enough.
He had no problems with his .276 caliber Rigby Mauser (7 X 57 mm) and found British and German DWM cartridges, with FMJ projectiles, to be totally reliable for his trademark Brain Shots.

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