Mannlicher Model 1895

History

In the mid-1880s, the Austro-Hungarian Army attempted to modernize its infantry regiments with a new military rifle. This resulted in the 11mm Mannlicher Type 1885, which was tested and completed as the Type 1886. However, the French Lebel 8mm active duty rifle officially led to the use of smokeless powder cartridges, which quickly made all smoke-based cartridge rifles obsolete. Austria-Hungary then began to retrofit the 1886 to the 8mm 1888 - although it took Austrian engineers several years to perfect the indigenous smokeless cartridge. The semi-smokeless cartridge was introduced in 1890, followed by the completion of the smokeless cartridge in 1893.

The Model 1888 rifle made for the newer cartridge type became the Model 1888/90 Cavalry Carbine. This cavalry carbine became the new Mannlicher Model 1895 military rifle for the Austro-Hungarian army.

The Type 1895 continues the straight-pull bolt action design of the original Type 1886 series. The Model 1895 uses a narrow neck 8x50R cartridge, fired from a one-piece magazine fed by a 5-round clip. The Model 1895 was significantly different from its predecessor in design, including the one-piece trigger guard and magazine housing, with a gap from the previous Mannlicher brand. The front end was shortened in the new design, exposing more of the barrel on the handguard.

The body of the rifle remains a monolithic wooden element, with all major internals housed in the receiver as usual.

In fact, the Model 1895 was a more refined form of the earlier Mannlicher straight-pull bolt design. One weakness, however, is during extraction, which tends to build up dirt and debris on the site, causing congestion. Nonetheless, the 1895 model is still available from the Steyr company, and many are exported to Bulgaria and marked as such (adopted in 1897).

The Model 1895 became the standard Austro-Hungarian military rifle, replacing all other previous brands that were thus relegated to the second tier.

In addition to the basic combat service rifle, the Mannlicher Model 1895 was produced in two other different forms. The first was intended for cavalry and thus became a shortened carbine form without the traditional bayonet attachment. The brand is called "8mm Mannlicher Model 1895 Carbine". The second was used for artillery infantry and rifle training and was known as the Model 1895 "Extra-Corps-Gewehr" (or "8mm Mannlicher Model 1895 Short Rifle"). This version retains the bayonet mounting surface required for the basic infantry form.

An evolutionary form combining several aspects of both designs appeared before the start of the First World War.

Before the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the First World War (the war ended in November 1918), approximately 3,000,000 prototypes were made of the Model 1859. Many surrounding European countries also used this type, especially after the war.

In 1914 (before the war) a new rifle intended to replace the Model 1895 was being developed and known as the "Repetier-Rifle Model 1914". However, Austria-Hungary's declaration of war on neighboring Serbia ended all further work of this type.

Production takes place at the Steyr plant and the Hungarian plant Femaru Fegyver es Gepgyar (FEG) in Budapest.

The Mannlicher Model 1895 rifle survived the postwar world. The Czechoslovak model was modified to accept the more powerful 7.9x57mm Mauser cartridge, while the Italians received supplies as war reparations in the early 1920s.

Due to their widespread use, they are still in service on the battlefields of World War II.

Specification

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