Stutzen
- Thread starter Jay2020
- Start date
- Status
nhcruffler
Member
So what's the story behind your rifle? Did you inherit it, traded for it , week moment at the gun shop ,or have you always lusted after an M95 Steyr. It's a nice looking rifle and would fit nicely in many a gun collection. Just curious!
wiscoaster
Member
If it's Austrian and if it's not stamped "S" then you can assume it's bottle-nosed 8x50R.
DocRock
member
Again, I wouldn’t “assume” anything. A chamber cast will take the guessing out of it.
wiscoaster
Member
I don't see any need to do a chamber cast unless you suspect the rifle had been bubba'ed. An unmodified Austrian M95 only comes in two calibers, and you can assume which by whether or not it's stamped for the Spitzer-bullet cartridge. It's not that big of a mystery and you're not guessing because an assumption based on that stamp will be correct.
vintovka
Member
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2020
- Messages
- 902
Everything external points to it being a 95/34 in 8x56R except for missing "S" mark and chamber issues. When Century closed out all the m95 UFIXEMS some were found with broken off case necks lodged. Chamber casting might be a good idea and often used determine exact caliber AND broken case removal. The lack of the S however is a concern. SInce many of these are reported to have wound up in 3rd world countries as aid all bets are off. I thought about a rebarrel to 8x50R for ammo purposes but sight type and removing base kinda make that problematic. Low purchase price might be a clue as well. Let us know what happens.
bihj
Member
What is a "bottle-nose" cartridge?
wiscoaster
Member
It's a bullet, not a cartridge. Below: bottle-nose bullet, bottle-nose bullet, Spitzer bullet. Any of which could have been in a Carcano caliber cartridge.
View attachment 965644
The bottle-nosed bullets were used before the intro of the Spitzer bullet.
wiscoaster
Member
The rear sights were changed when the rifles were re-arsenalled to the new cartridge. Another clue yours is not. Yours probably started life as a long rifle, then was cut down to carbine length sometime before the new caliber. That's a long rifle rear sight.
wiscoaster
Member
bihj
Member
wiscoaster
Member
Oh, all right --- "bottle-necked cartridge with round nose bullet" to be 100% technically terminologically correct.
So I abbreviated a little. Give an old guy with a bad memory a bit of a break!! There's not that much room left in there for all that technical stuff anymore!!
vintovka
Member
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2020
- Messages
- 902
Front sight was altered as well generally using a band as opposed to direct attachment to muzzle. 8x50R carbines may even have the front sight forged on as part of the barrel. The idea someone may have rebored an 8x56R back to 8x50R rattled around in my head but produced a headache.
wiscoaster
Member
Nice point. The Swedish Mausers were resighted with new front sights marked with a "T" for "Torpedo" (Spitzer) when they switched, but I saw no such mark on my Steyr Mannlicher.
caribou
Member
Yours started life as the most common Austria-Hungaric issue, full length rifle.
Only the rifle had that rear sight.
During refurbishment at an arsenal in the 1930's, to be made into "Stutzen' as we know the M95/30, a Metric sight would have replaced your Pace measured rear sight.
I think it was a rifle shortened to short rifle length, before the 95/30 model series was done and likely/ perhaps a battle salvage at an arsenal, which was very common in WW!.
Only the rifle had that rear sight.
During refurbishment at an arsenal in the 1930's, to be made into "Stutzen' as we know the M95/30, a Metric sight would have replaced your Pace measured rear sight.
I think it was a rifle shortened to short rifle length, before the 95/30 model series was done and likely/ perhaps a battle salvage at an arsenal, which was very common in WW!.
vintovka
Member
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2020
- Messages
- 902
I think that its all down to a chamber issue. A broken shell or other defects (intentional or otherwise) would interfere with correct size 8x56R. On the other hand the "S" is being either scrubbed (or otherwise not there) does seem very strange. After WW2 the communists supplied "aid" to many in whatever ammo they had on hand at the time. There is another reason. During the surplus floods a pallet of M91 carcanos came in with holes neatly drilled in chambers or other damage to prevent use. Story at time that these were intercepted by Israel on their way to Arabs. The holes were added as sabotage. Casting chamber may tell the tale.
- Status
