I have the opporunity to purchase an early commercially produced 1903 model in very good condition. The barrel is in good shape but are barrels still available for these rifles?

It is drilled for weaver bases using an MER system what does that mean. Can it be set up with a scope easily of does the bolt throw cause problems.

cheers Lurcher
New Zealand

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I'm guessing that MER stnads for Medium Eye Relief. That means you need a "Scout" style scope that mounts forward of the action. That is also the only way I can think of to get Weaver top mounts on a split-bridge rifle.

Weaver did make a detachable side mount, but I'm not sure if they made one for the M-S.

If someone wants an M-S in 6.5x54, I usually recommend the post-WWII actions. The magazines are designed for use with different weight/shape bullets. Not so on the early models.

It is getting pretty hard to find replacement parts for the MS today, although you could no doubt have one rebarreled by a good gunsmith. One of the major limitations of these outstanding rifles is that the magazines cannot handle any cartridge that varies much in dimensions from the one for which it was originally intended. Any change in cartridge you wished to make witht his rifle is pretty much limited to something made on the 6.5X54 MS case, necked down to 6mm or .224" more than likely, rather than up! However, the "big problem" people talk about concerning mounting a scope on one is more imaginary than real! For example, Williams Gun Sight Corp. still makes a side mount base for the M/S, and with their HCO rings, it is a very sturdy mount of reasonable price. If you want to stay classic, Griffin & Howe and Jaeger detachable sidemounts (New England Custom Guns) are still available for the M/S. These cost more than the Williams, but being classic designs, are perfectly appropriate on an old M/S carbine! Have fun!

The 1903 6.5s tend to have oversize bores, running around the .268" area. However, Buffalo Arms, for one, stocks .268" jacketed bullets AND Hirtenberger-made 6.5x54 cases. Bullets are about $28/100 and brass $30/50, IIRC.

The cartridge is very effective on medium game, and I wouldn't hesitate to use it on moose or elk, if that's all I had available (with HEAVY-for-caliber bullets, like 140-160 grains).

I have a 24"-barreled 1903 take-down rifle which shoots very well indeed in stock condition. 140s easily reach 2750 fps from this barrel length. Be aware that many older M-S rifles display excessive headspace, but a reloader can work around that problem without much difficulty.

An UNALTERED 1903 Mannlicher-Schoenauer in good condition is a serious collector's item, with value to match. Any alteration whatever will reduce its value, so if yours is in good original condition, you should take this into account.

Lovely rifles, sir, and you have a classic. Isn't that action a machining wonder to behold???

Regards from BruceB (aka Bren Mk1)

Bren Mk1,

I was interested in your post about excessive headspace. I have an MS in this caliber with excessive headspace. Actually had a case separation.

I am thinking of using pistol primers and 8 grains of Bullseye with a "bullet" of candle wax to fire form the cases. Then neck size only. What do you think of that?

The workmanship on this rifle and smoothness of the action is great. So what if it's hard to mount a scope or use the magazine with different bullets. Shoot it with iron sights and 160 grain round noses like the makers intended.

Howdy, Indy.

The M-S excess-headspace condition is common enough that Lyman even mentions it in at least one of their loading manuals. My current rifle blessedly does NOT have the problem, but one I owned earlier certainly did.

Fireforming as you mention will still damage the cases, forcing the shoulder forward on firing and stretching the case ahead of the base.

The better way of solving the difficulty is to neck new cases up to .30 caliber, and then start sizing them back to 6.5 very gradually until the cases will JUST BARELY allow the bolt to be forced closed for fireforming. (This means expanding all the case necks, and then taking ONE case and sizing it more and more until it barely chambers. Then the die is locked at that point and all the rest of the brass is processed.)

What we are doing is creating a "false shoulder" ahead of the original shoulder, so all the fireforming does is re-shape the front of the case without "borrowing" brass from the critical head area and causing a thinning of the brass at that point. After this is done, naturally we have to avoid setting the shoulder back again in re-sizing....no more "screw-the-die-down-to-touch-the-shellholder" full-length sizing!

This worked well for me in my earlier 1903 sporting rifle, and brass life was normal.

Beautiful rifles...I love 'em, and wish I could afford more.

Regards from BruceB (aka Bren Mk1)

Bren MkI,

Thanks for the advice. What do I use to neck the cases up to .30 caliber? I have a .308 die set and load that caliber. Do I use the whole die or just the expander plug? I never sized cases up before.

And when I "just barely" size them back to 6.5mm, I take it you mean to only use the 6.5 die, not intermediate dies, and "just barely" refers to different amounts of the neck sized from .308 to 6.5mm.

Ammo: I just purchased 100 pieces of Norma brass from Graf & Sons. It was a little cheaper than Norma brass listed by Buffalo Arms.