So, went to the Zoo yesterday to show my new to the world Son an elephant. Never did I expect to see a 458 Mannlicher, I've read so much about put on display in a negative manner…. Damn I didn't like it. But I guess I was asking for it at a zoo huh…
How many of these 458's were built anyway??

This seems like a very upscale rifle for a poacher. I have a feeling darn few of these ever poached anything, much less African or Asian elephants.

Sad end for a classic rifle.

Jeremy

quote:

Originally posted by farbedo:
This seems like a very upscale rifle for a poacher. I have a feeling darn few of these ever poached anything, much less African or Asian elephants.

Sad end for a classic rifle.

Jeremy

Well said my friend

+1 What a waste.

Ugly stock though!

quote:

Originally posted by Late-Bloomer:

quote:

Originally posted by farbedo:
This seems like a very upscale rifle for a poacher. I have a feeling darn few of these ever poached anything, much less African or Asian elephants.

Sad end for a classic rifle.

Jeremy

Well said my friend

That is the classic split rear bridge Mannlicher Schoenauer Magnum rifle in 458 Win Mag. There were purportedly only 75 to 100 made. It was described by Richard Harland in his book on hunting Elephants. He thought quite highly of the rifle.

If it's as rare as you say, only 75 to 100 made, I doubt that a single one of theses particular rifles ever got into the hands of a poacher. But the sign only says ".458 caliber elephant gun", and does not mention the manufacturer. Still, I doubt that any .458 would be considered the number 1 gun used in poaching elephants. From what I've read, most poachers carry an AK47 (7.62 caliber) and shoot everything with it, including elephants. This should be researched, and if the statement is found completely false, the zoo should be contacted and notified. To me it looks like an obvious attempt of a greenie zoo administrator trying to manipulate the naïve public. Then, they would probably just change the wording to read, "One of the types of guns used to poach elephants." Bastards.

quote:

Originally posted by maxbear:
So, went to the Zoo yesterday to show my new to the world Son an elephant. Never did I expect to see a 458 Mannlicher, I've read so much about put on display in a negative manner…. Damn I didn't like it. But I guess I was asking for it at a zoo huh…
How many of these 458's were built anyway??

The rifle is definitely a Mannlicher Shoenauer rifle, but the second picture shows two cartridges that appear to be a pair of 375H&H cartridges. And the full length picture shows the stock to be a early MCA model, with the giaganic cheak piece, which was never on the very rare 458 Win Mag M/S rifles which were the last run of the Mannlicher Shoenauer MCAs

In any event all M/S rifles are collector pieces, and the idiot who destroyed that fine rifle should be drawn and quartered, regardless of the chambering.

Like others this is nothing more than the greenies attempt to turn the young kid's heads who visit the zoo.

There were less than 100 M/S MCA 458 Win Mag rifles made, and are as rare as hen's teeth!

..................................................................

Too bad we can't get God to recall his defective products, like GM or Remington.

notice the cash collection box on the right. that is for fools with more money than brains to make a contribution based on erroneous information.....

Someone added a pad, so it's not original. Wood is ugly as previously pointed out.

I have one. Someone added a red pad to mine at some point, but it's a lot prettier. Obviously, neither was ever used by a poacher.

My impression is that they only had a run of these in 1958, but I would be interested in the exact number made if anyone has that information.

The Mannlicher Shoenauer Rifles are one of the smoothest, and most precision rifle actions in the world. The rotary magazine is flawless, The action is Control round feeding, and the fitting of wood to steel is very well done in a factory rifle. Like all Austrian and German rifles the M/S rifle used very stable straight grained wood that is far more stable than the marble cake "LOOK AT ME' wood every one seems to long for. My MCA 458 came with a recoil pad from the maker. That is the only M/S rifle I've ever seen with a factory recoil pad!

The fit and finish will match any custom. The Cold Hammer Forged barrels are flawless, and maintain the very fine accuracy for thousands of rounds if cared for. I have a 1968 MCA rifle chambered for 243 Win that has over 3000 rounds of hot hand loads pushed town the tube, and it will still group 5 rounds in under 1 inch at 100 yds, and when new it would place 5 rounds in less than 1/2 inch at 100 yds!

When the Steyr Mannlicher came out sometime around 1968 or 70 they went with push feed, and plastic rotary magazines, and that is when I lost interest. I had one of the 458 MCA M-Shoenauer rifles, and not realizing that the run was so small I sold mine, and have been kicking my own butt ever since! The M/S MCA chambered for 458 Win Mag was among the last run of true MANNLICHERS made! That was in the late 1960s! I don't know the exact number of the MCA 458 Win Mag rifles made, but IMO it was shy of 100 rifles!

That rifle was the rifle Richard Harland killed thousands of elephants and cape buffalo with in the Tesetse fly eradication experiment in the early 1970s. The idea was, no animals, no flies! Man's folly that was a disaster to the wild life of the area, not only Cape buffalo and elephant but all wild life of the area!

Wish I still had that 458 M/S rifle!

Thanks for the info Mac.

I had one of the 458 Win Mag MS rifles that I sold to Marty on this forum. A great rifle. It needed a little work that Marty was going to have done. It shot great. I was just the care taker of that rifle for a while, now it's Martys turn.

Lane,

Any info on the picture. Looks like that one had a pad with a white-line spacer as well. Any chance these came from the factory that way?

That is Paddy "Bloodnut" Cutis 20-30 years ago I would imagine.

I will e-mail him and ask him about it.

Damn, Lane, you might be right. But if that's Paddy, it's at least 30 years ago. I didn't recognize him!

That is Paddy!

Wish I'd have known about this when we shared lunch in Masailand in 2012.

Hope I get another opportunity.

Actually...it looks just like him.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:

A younger version of the "Bloodnut Species" ?

Yes...he was still "a tad soft" (meaning his boss had not hardened fully) at the time of that pic for sure.

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
Lane,

Any info on the picture. Looks like that one had a pad with a white-line spacer as well. Any chance these came from the factory that way?

All MCA M/S rifles came with a white line spacer on the grip cap, and the butt pad. You must remember that was the style in the sixties!The earlier MCA rifles had a very large roll over cheek pad, like the Winslow rifles, but the later ones had a Mod 70 Winchester type high pad like the one in the one in the old picture of the hunter posted by Lane.

Yep looks just like um... I think he likes his double better now.

Ed

Mac,

I know they had whiteline spacers at the foreend and grip cap, but I was under the impression that they all had steel butt plates. Did the .458's come from the factory with a pad?

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
Mac,

I know they had whiteline spacers at the foreend and grip cap, but I was under the impression that they all had steel butt plates. Did the .458's come from the factory with a pad?

They didn't have steel butt plates, that was only on the earlier M/S rifles, and the MCAs had hard rubber with a molded M/S logo and a white spacer. I'm not aware of a recoil pad at all but I'm sure after shooting it that changed in short order! Mine had a Pachmeyr decelerator installed by me but retained the factory white line spacer!