Hello everyone. I've been collecting and reloading for pre-war Mannlicher-Schoenauers since the mid-70's. I don't pretend to be an expert but I have been through the reloading drill on the 4 Mannlicher proprietary calibers and will do my best to answer any questions you may have on reloading for these fine rifles. I also will do my best to dispel some of the myths and misinformation that is out there on Mannlichers. I don't like to give specific load data but will try to give you a starting point or direct you to specific load data. Let me know how I can help.
P.S. Please don't ask how much your gun is worth. Only you and a perspective buyer for your rifle can answer that one.

Hi Steyrsteve
Glad to know about your interest in Mannlicher Schoenauers.
I do have some of them and load and hunt with all that I have.
If you want we could share loading experiences.
Sincerely
Guillermo Trotz
gtrotz@gmail.com

Steve, you've picked a great brand to become enamored with. Any experience with the 9.5x57 MS? What can brass be made from?

Biebs

gtrotz and biebs,

It would be great to share reloading experiences.
As far as 9.5x57 MS, it has been over 30 years and I was new to reloading and started from scratch with no reference. It was a loooong learning process. I tried 8x57 cases and kept getting off center necks. Then, because of the long freebore and different shoulder placement, I had trouble getting rounds to hold tight enough to the bolt face to fireform. I eventually necked the .375/8x57 brass up using a .41 Magnum sizing die to create a false shoulder, then sized back down in the proper 9.5x57 MS. By this time, the brass was work hardened, the necks were goofy looking, and most brass only lasted a time or two. I threw the whole lot away and started again.
I then went with 30/06 cases. I expanded 30/06 to .375 using a very helpful and necessary RCBS .30 to .375 Expander Die and trimmed to length. The RCBS Die expands the necks in stages, minimizing torn necks. I recommend it, if RCBS still makes it. Then I sized the brass in the proper 9.5x57 MS die. This gave me good brass that fit tightly in the chamber.
In deference to these wonderful but aging rifles, I keep the loads to factory pressures or less so the brass, which was a PITA to make, lasted until I foolishly sold the rifle (a 1910 Takedown Rifle).
Eventually I came across a bunch of Norma 9.3x57 brass and then it became pretty much a one-step process. I may have had to make false shoulders at .410", then neck down to .375 specs on some of the 9.3 brass but (and I haven't found my old notes yet) I think most 9.3's necked up, chambered, headspaced to fireform, and all was smooth sailing.
That's a long answer to your question, biebs, but I have found that all too often, people assume any of the x57 cases, from 5.6 to 10.75, are a simple variation of the same theme. They often think all one has to do is neck up or down and all will be well.
My experience is that it often isn't.

I'm toying with the idea....cool rifles.

quote:

Originally posted by Biebs:
I'm toying with the idea....cool rifles.

They're great rifles Señor Biebs. I bought my last M1910 in 1972 for L8 Sterling at an auction n in Old Blighty...back when the English L was worth $2.68 Canadian.

I loved that rifle but a friend in Saskatoon wanted it for his son, so I sold it to him thinking I could always get another easily enough. (Turned out I couldn't, for anything even within shooting range of that price.)

Because of the short neck, I loaded the 235 gr. Speer bullets (didn't seem to have enough mass to be "Pulled" by the recoil). That left me far short of the lands, but they fed well enough, and they shot superbly. I always used about 39-40 grains of IMR 3031 in mine, but that was a long time ago, IMR has been made by at least two different companies since then, and may burn a lot differently these days. So, I would start down around 37 grains or less and work up if appropriate.

Anyway, my 1910 Carbine was a super handy and effective gun for big Saskatchewan deer. Never used that rifle on anything else. Did use the same cartridge in several high class English Mausers I bought a little later, including a take-down Holland & Holland, and with the longer barrels I got slightly better velocities, but nothing more worth writing home about. (The Brits called it the .375 Nitro Express Rimless.)

I've got a Model 1903 in 6.5x54MS. I have a handload with a 160 Gr Hornady RN and IMR 4831SC that is really accurate. Problem is, I only have about 150 of the RN left and they are getting hard to find. I need to find a replacement bullet and have been thinking about the 160 Gr Woodleigh.

Mannilchers are neat little guns to play and hunt with. Everyone should have at least 1 in their life at some point. But, mine ain't for sale!

Lloyd and Tom, thanks for the info. Yes, the 9.5x57 AKA the 375 NE Rimless 2 1/2"! One of the many cartridges/actions/ideas the Brit gun trade purloined from the Germans!

Not to run the thread off on too many tangents, but you likely know the Brits developed their own equivalent before 1905...the .375 NE 2-1/2" Rimmed. I have had several of those including one I surely wish I had never sold...a Dan'l Fraser TD on a M'98 action. It had one of the slanted fore and aft magazines the Brits could by direct from Mauser back then, for rimmed cases. A fabulous rifle.

But I was younger and at least a little more foolish then, so I let it go TWICE. After the first time I bought it back a couple of years after selling it, for $140 Canadian. The second time I sold it, it "disappeared"...I couldn't even find it to make an offer on it after I had sold it to a gun shop in either Castlegar or Kamloops B.C. and decided I wanted it back yet again. Wouldn't be surprised if it came to the 'States.

Anyway, if you run across a .375 NE Rimmed in your travels, that is also a very fine deer cartridge.

Cheers...

Ahhhh...if we could only have them all back!

Tommy
Hornady sent me an email saying the 160 grn RN is still in production. You might inquire when the next run will take place.

quote:

Originally posted by TommyII:
I've got a Model 1903 in 6.5x54MS. I have a handload with a 160 Gr Hornady RN and IMR 4831SC that is really accurate. Problem is, I only have about 150 of the RN left and they are getting hard to find. I need to find a replacement bullet and have been thinking about the 160 Gr Woodleigh.

Mannilchers are neat little guns to play and hunt with. Everyone should have at least 1 in their life at some point. But, mine ain't for sale!

I just bought my first MS. A 1956 in 7X57 with the Lyman peep sight. I've got a line on a 1903 in 6.5X54. I'm hoping that works out. I got a box of Hornady 160's in a mixed pile of junk about 25 years ago, so now I need the rifle to go with them.

I guess we all have those guns and calibers which we know we want and think we need. But I really feel that no true rifle aficionado can be called "compleat" without owning at one time or another a Mannlicher-Schoenauer.

I just checked and Reed's Ammunition of Oklahoma City is selling 6.5x54 MS 156 gr SP ammo for $15.00 for a box of 20. Hot deal.
Another good source of loaded ammo for 6.5x54 MS, 8x56 MS, 9x56 MS, and 9.5x57 MS (as well as about 100 other hard-to-find-ammo-for calibers is Glenn Anderson of Aardvark Labs in Florida. His pricing is very reasonable. He doesn't have a website but his phone is 630-957-7999 and he will treat you right.

This thread needs some pics, here is a photo of my 9.5x57

Here's a photo of my 6.5x54MS with a Texas Dahl from several years ago.

How about a separate forum for Mannlicher Schoenauers?

Made my day & started my year proper!

Let me show off my 1910 MS restock project for those who may not have seen it - http://forums.accuratereloadin...9411043/m/8611058421

I also have a 1903 MS carbine that I restocked - but not a great job.


I did own an original 1903 sporter but sold it to fund another project. I wish I had that rifle.


Here is a fallow hind that I shot with it using the .268 dia bullets - 160gr RN.

Your 1903 rifle with the bolt peep is one fine, fine looking rifle. Thanks for showing it. This is great for me to see all the MS aficionados coming out and talking about their wonderful rifles and the enjoyment they derive.

Here's my 1956 in 7X57 out in the deer woods.

Awesome pix guys :-)

Steyrsteve and all
Wonderfull mannlichers, I love them all.
I don't recognize this in my house but I bought and buy most of the mannlichers schoenauers I could.
Now about the load for 9,5x57
The brass is very simple to do , I trim some excess and do fire forming .
The load with which I hunt some hogs and with very good result is Sierra 250 gr, reloader 15 56 gr ,cci 200 primer.
2335 fps and good accuracy.
Mine is a fullstock rifle in a mint condition, don't know how to post Photos and for the electronics I feel as I have the two hans left.
sincerely
gtrotz

243 and greek

ALF, Nice Mannlichers and nice use of them. Sorry to see your M72 had such a problem. They were good looking rifles but I didn't know of the plastic and, it appears, cast pot metal magazine parts. Is there a replacement or did you have more robust parts made?

Yes, I have heard that the M72 is the only one to avoid.

Biebs, it is 1st Feb & not 1st April!



I want to see the photos!

How does one get permission to post photos? I don't have it so can't post my own.

Steve, no permission needed, just has to be brought in from a 3rd party website, like Photobucket. I'm not sure why my photos disappear after a day or so. They're brought in from Photobucket, and post up as directed, but then disappear later :-(

Biebs, Do you delete your pix on Photobucket after a few days?

Here is a 1908 that was reamed out to 8x57:



An MCA in .30'06 out in the deer woods, where it was made to be:

Biebs, Maybe I miunderstood but when I tried the process, it said I do not have permission to post photos. Photobucket is new to me and I am busy today so I will try later or, can I resend the photos to you to try to repost???? I'm kind of proud of my MS's, especially the M1900, and they do need to be seen by all.

Steve, here we go. I think I must need to keep them "live" in Photobucket while they're posted. It must draw on that site each time it's opened.

Photo 1 = MS M1900 6.5x54 MS. British safari rifle w/Lyman bolt peep sight
Photo 2 = MS M1952 7x57 w/Lyman 36
Photo 3 = MS M1952 7x57 receiver detail
Photo 4 = MS M1952 .257 Roberts w/Pecar 2 3/4x scope






2 more photos of my MS M1900 6.5x54 MS.

Biebs, Thank you for taking your time to post these.
The first two are of the M1952 7x57 Carbine w/Lyman 36, the M1900 follows. The scoped rifle is a M1952 rifle in .257 Roberts I recently purchased. It has a Leupold Adjusto Mount with 7/8", or 22mm rings. It had a Leupold Pioneer 4x, the old one with no turrets. I replaced the Leo with the neat looking 2 3/4x Pecar scope it now wears. The Pecar is much brighter than the Lyman Alaskans.
My M1950 .257 rifle loves the old Nosler Partitions, the ones with the relief groove in the shank. My supply is dwindling so I may have to do some more load development.

Very very nice MS rifles you have their Biebs, they sure are something to be proud of.

Yes, as you have discovered, you have to leave your photos live on Photobucket where they are accessed each time by sites such as AR etc.

Eagle, yes..thanks for the tip...I didn't know it was still pulling them from Photobucket each time they are opened on another site.

By the way, these are Steve's rifles, not mine, but I'm definitely in a Mannlicher-Schoenauer collecting mood of late :-)