The Firearms Forum banner

Need to confirm the bore of my Mannlicher

2K views 15 replies 7 participants last post by  Rothhammer1 
#1 ·
Hi and I have a Mannlicher Schoenauer passed on from the family and it is a 6.5 mm rifle but doesn't have the bore marked on the rifle . The serial number is mentioned on the rifle , it says Patent M 1903. Is it possible to get the history of this rifle or to get a document or reference about the particular Serial No stamped on it to decipher the bore of the rifle and know more about this particular piece.
 

Attachments

See less See more
1
#2 ·
A very nice, high quality rifle, this type of quality would cost you an arm and a leg nowadays. Since it is a Mannlicher and it is marked 6.5 I would say the caliber is 6.5x54MM Mannlicher Schoenauer. I believe you mean what is the caliber rather than what is the bore. Sorry, I don't know any way to get a history of your rifle. Perhaps others may know, but not I.
 
#3 ·
Thanks for the revert. But the issue is it doesn't say 6.5 mm though it is a 6.5 mm as it takes the 6.5MMMS rounds. Need to confirm this bore as have to submit some document or evidence that this is a 6.5mm rifle to licence authorities here.
 
#4 ·
The serial number is mentioned on the rifle , it says Patent M 1903.
This is not the serial number, Patent M 1903 means only the year 1903 of developing this type of gun by Mannlicher - Schoenauer.
Normally on every gun of MS the proof marks, caliber, protocol number, serial number, proof date and proof house are shown on barrel and / ore action. You can see this signs when you remove the stock.
6,5 x 54mmMS, bore is 6,48mm, groove is 6,78mm, twist = 200, 4 grooves.
 
#5 ·
Marble nailed it. You have to remove the barreled action from the stock. The info should be on the barrel just in front of the receiver. Yours appears to be an un-mucked with 1903. Keep it that way. The 6.5 X 54 M/S cartridge is a good one. Our deer season opens today and I will be carrying my 1903 sometime during the season.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BlackEagle
#7 ·
I had to leave the house for a while but I see that your question was answered. I didn't quite understand the information you needed. One reason is because the bore is listed, 6.5 MM. it is not marked MM on the because it is a given , it was manufactured in a European country and factory were the metric system was the standard, if fact it would have been redundant. Where to you reside that you need the bore size to license a long arm??
 
#8 ·
Hi Rjay and the mm is on the bullet. There is nothing Written on the barrel and or below on the action as suggested earlier. There is the usual Mannlicher Schoenouer engraved with made in Austria and a serial number but that's about it. The bore is not mentioned so need to know if it is written on the rifle at any place and is it possible to get the rifle details from Mannlicher after giving out the serial number. Would someone be able to have details of these productions or could someone at Mannlicher certify that this is a 6.5 mm rifle ? This would help . India has this requirement.
 
#9 ·
Well then, if you must know the bore diameter for legal ( and it is " not mine to reason why" when the gun is clearly marked with that information )reasons then either you or a gunsmith will have to drive a lead slug down the bore and measure it. that would be proof enough even in a court of law . The area of Europe that this gun was made went thru two World Wars, I really doubt if any factory records even exist. By the way , can you tell us where you reside, just curious.
 
#10 ·
I can't believe there are no proof marks on the barrel unless they have been ground or filed off. I'm no authority by any stretch of the imagination but any 1903, 05, 08 or '10 M/S I have seen, if in original condition, has all the information in the proof marks that Marble posted. Did you disassemble the rifle and look on the bottom of the barrel just in front of the receiver? Most are not visible unless the rifle is disassembled.

I believe you are confusing bullet with cartridge. The bullet is the projectile only. The cartridge is the complete assembly of bullet, case, primer and powder. it is highly unlikely "6.5" will be stamped on the bullet. More likely it is on the head of the cartridge case.
 
  • Like
Reactions: RJay
#15 ·
Ahhh. ok, RJ. As per usual I didn't understand everything....lol!!

roundball, you're right as best I recall.
 
#16 ·
Gurpal,

If you do not have '6.5mm' stamped on the underside of the barrel, perhaps a slug of the barrel (as others have advised) would do.

Also, the caliber of early Mannlicher Schoenauer rifles was specific to the model number. If your M1903 is original and unmodified, it is chambered for 6.5x54 calber.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top