8-mm M1895 Mannlicher Rifle
(8-mm ÖSTERREICHISCHES REPETIER-GEWEHR M95)
This weapon, the most widely used of all the Mannlicher rifles, was the standard Austro-Hungarian rifle of World War I, and huge quantities were surrendered to Italy under provisions of the Peace Treaty. Many small European nations acquired significant numbers of this weapon through purchases from Italy. It was widely used in the Balkan countries in World War II. The Hungarian 8-mm M 35M rifle is a copy of this weapon, but it fires different ammunition. Other weapons similar are the 8-mm Model 1890 rifle (the earlier model) and the 8-mm Model 1895 carbine. Since STEYR of Austria was the chief manufacturer of this rifle, it is often referred to as a “STEYR-MANNLICHER”.
The model 1895 rifle employs the straight-pull bolt-action. It is drawn straight back to unload, pushed straight forward to load. The Mannlicher system of clip feeding is used. The five-round loaded clip is inserted in the top and falls out the bottom of the weapon when empty.
Salient recognition features of this rifle are: (1) The straight-pull bolt; (2) the thumb safety at rear of bolt; (3) the finger grooves in the sides of the stock; (4) the lack of a windage adjustment on the rear sight; (5) the horizontal, rather than turned-down, bolt handle; and (6) the magazine well and trigger guard are of one-piece construction.
RECOGNITION FEATURES
CHARACTERISTICS
System of operation Manually operated, bolt action Caliber 8-mm (cal. .315) Weight (including sling, bayonet): Unloaded 4.0 kg (8.9 lb) Loaded 4.1 kg (9.0 lb) Length over-all: With bayonet 152 cm (59.5 in) W/o bayonet 127 cm (50.0 in) Length of barrel 76 cm (30.2 in) Feeding device 5-round clip, integral box Sights: Front Blade, barley corn type Rear Upright leaf, V-notch, graduated 600-2,600 m. battle sight set at 500 m Muzzle velocity 620 m/s (2034 fps) Effective rate of fire 8-10 rpm Effective range 400 m (440 yards) Ammunition 8-mm M1893 rimmed ball, round
