Friend of mine has come into a very nice Steyr Mannlicher Schoenauer Model MCA in 30-06. This one was made for the American market as it has a stock typical of what Europeans think Americans want (usually wrong, but nonetheless...)

Anyway, it has the bottom half of what looks like a tip-off mount made by Pachmayr. It is secured to the action by one screw and it is not secure at all. The top half plus scope is not available. The rifle was picked up at an auction for $200.

The owner wants to ditch the tip off mount and install a decent set of mounts. There are 2 screws on the left side of the split bridge that look like they may be used for mounts but none on the receiver ring.

Who makes mounts for this rifle?

Thanks

pete

Are you sure it is an MCA? The only factory model with rear holes and no front holes was the model 1952. It was intended for the factory swing-away mount, which mounted to the barrel ahead of the receiver ring.

Here are some firms making mounts, which fit your M-S:
www.eaw.de
www.recknagel.de
Also try a mail to Mannlicher: www.mannlicher.at

Best regards,

Fritz

Kurt,

The receiver ring says

"Made in Austria
Original
Mannlicher Schoenauer
Model MCA
30-06"

The receiver ring is not tapped but the rear left split bridge is tapped and stopped with two screws.

Lynx make a mount but it is a cantilever affair mounting only on the Receiver ring with 2 large dia screws

Pete

Redfield made a base (2 piece) for these rifles but it was long ago discontinued. Last one I saw in the Gun List was several years ago. They wanted $75 bucks. We have one of those in Ethiopia but somewhere along the line lost the bases. It just sits there wanting a scope!
Rich Elliott

Pete,

That is very interesting. I have never seen an MCA that was not drilled and tapped in the front receiver ring. It was obviosly intended for the factory barrel mount. These mounts were very well made, but were bulky with sharp corners. They are collector's items nowadays.

The Redfield and Leupold mounts will require drilling and tapping. However, they are rather cheaply made and are ugly. The EAW mounts are of much better quality and appearance, and they can be removed in an instant. You will have to drill and tap the front ring, or use a barrel mount. The latter will require some inletting of the stock.

The Jaeger or Griffin & Howe side mounts are still available, and are easy to install. There is a removeable side plate on the left side of the receiver for this purpose, but some inletting of wood is required. The Pachmayr side mount is a cheaper alternative, but it does have the benefit of being able to flip it aside for loading or to use the bolt safety.

Let me know if you need more info on any of these mounting systems.

One more vote for the EAW!
- mike

Pete, try to get a Paul Jaeger sidemount from New England Custom Guns, (same outfit that sells EAW's), or check with Griffin & Howe. Williams used to make one that I used with great satisfaction on two .270 M.S. carbines. but I don't kmow if they are still making mounts.

I had an MCA that I bought in 1964 in Fairbanks AK, and it had NO DRILLED AND TAPPED HOLES AT ALL. It did have a removable plate on the left side of the receiver, and the Williams base fit into this recess perfectly. Drilling and tapping was EASY!!

You'll pay around $300.00 for a good mount, but remember that an M/S in excellent condition is worth over $1,000 BEFORE you put a scope on it!!

Such a deal your friend got!!

[ 05-21-2003, 21:02: Message edited by: eldeguello ]

Eldeguello,

Do you recall if your MCA was a Stoeger import or not? It would have the Stoeger logo on the floorplate if it was. I'm thinking that only the Stoeger ordered rifles would have been drilled and tapped, at their request.

Kurt, it sure was a Stoeger import,complete with the Stoeger logo on the mag. floorplate!! There were a number of them at retail at Frontier Sporting Goods in Fairbanks. I got there too late to get a 7X57, so had to settle for a .270. As I recall, the price was...$120.00!! I already HAD ONE in .270, a Mod.52.

$120 ??? My 1952 Stoeger catalog lists them at $198.00 I'd say you got one hell of a deal. Too bad about the 7x57, they are hard to come by on this side of the puddle.

Yeah, kurt, they had two 7X57's, but both were sold before I got to the store. They were having a closeout on M/S rifles, and I also got a Colt Gold Cup the same day for $90.00. They said they'd had it in stock for over a year, and nobody was interested. All the locals were only buying .44 Magnums in those days!! I agree the price on the M/S's was a steal, even in the early 1960's!!

My Stoeger MCA 6.5 fullstock carbine has the Redfield two piece base, I saw one of these sets for sale on ebay recently. Also has the removable plate for the sidemount. I do not like the EAW, it is unnecessarily bulky and complicated.

Gentlemen

The most elegant and best mount to my mind is the Reck Nagel claw mount. It is not cheap but it will match the rifle perfect

/ JOHAN

johan, you mean ALL GUNS aren't just toys? i have been wrong for 50 years?!?