Rifle Manlicher: history, price. Bayonet to Manlicher Rifle

Among the small arms created in the 1890s, Manlicher's rifle is particularly interesting. It was designed by Ferdinand Manlicher in 1895. Naturally, the invention was named after its creator. It can be said that Manlicher's rifle had a number of distinctive features, so it favorably looked against the background of other small arms of those times. But let's talk about everything in order.

A bit of history

The Manlicher store rifle in 1895 was adopted by the Austro-Hungarian army. In those days it was a very reliable and accurate weapon. Its creator was the gunsmith Ferdinand Manlicher, who works at one of the arms factories in the city of Steyr. From 1895 to 1918, about 3 million rifles, as well as various modifications (carbines, sniper rifles) were manufactured in Budapest and Steyr. This small arms was called "M95".

After the collapse of Austria-Hungary, weapons remained in service with Austria and Hungary. It is also worth noting that an impressive number of rifles of this type were in Italy. True, this country did not produce them and received only as trophies. Already in 1924, weapons were converted to a German cartridge Mauser 7.92 mm. A characteristic difference was the truncated trunk and the presence of Mauser clips. In principle, Manlicher's rifle was used everywhere, because it was almost exemplary.

A few more interesting historical facts

In 1930, in Austria, it was decided to remake the rifle under the cartridge 8x56R, as it was more powerful. The main changes touched the trunk, which was significantly shortened, and small arms received a new, modernized sight.

Hungary followed the modernization of Hungary. It is worth noting that Hungarian rifles, like the Austrian, were actively used during the Second World War. In 1885, Manlichher developed a shop with a stacked loading. A single-row shop was used in a metal bundle, which remained until the cassette was completely discharged. By and large, Manlicher's rifle was very convenient to use, but sometimes let the soldier down. It happened for various reasons, as we will tell you later.

Straight Shutter

It can be said that the direct shutter had both advantages and disadvantages in comparison with the rotary shutter. He was a cylindrical body, which has longitudinal guides with a shank of the shutter and combat stops. Its inner part had spiral projections, they were connected with the incoming grooves on the shank.

It is only natural that there was a trigger in the tail part of the shutter, which allowed manually to cock the drummer, without opening the shutter itself. If we talk about the advantages of such a solution, it consists in the simplicity of manufacturing. However, there were significant drawbacks. The main one is sensitivity to dirt. In addition, the direct shutter, in contrast to the swivel, can not provide a large extraction of the cartridge case, which was also a drawback. Also, in the window for the burst of a pack, which is impressive in size, dirt and water constantly got into the box.

Manlicher Carbine: specifications

A distinctive feature of the 1895 carabiner was a shortened trunk, a modernized sight and a bed. In this case, we used a standard cartridge and a straight shutter, which, as we have already understood, is not without its drawbacks. It is interesting that the rifle of the Austro-Hungarian army did not have a bayonet. Manlicher did not foresee this. At the same time, the carbine was charged just as quickly and conveniently as the infantry version, which gave a significant advantage in combat. In addition, the weapon had a relatively small payback and low weight, so it could be carried over the shoulder without significant energy expenditure. This carabiner is convenient to recharge on the horse, and the strength of the fuse is at a high level.

Ideal for cavalry

The Manlikher rifle of 1895 was very popular with cavalrymen. In principle, this can not be called something surprising. The reason for such popularity was that it possessed such important advantages as rate of fire and high strength. In battle, these are simply irreplaceable qualities. It can be said that the Mausers and the "trilinear" were significantly inferior in many respects to this weapon. As for the shortcomings, as noted above, they include increased sensitivity to dust and dirt, as well as a large applied force when working with the shutter. Nevertheless, with due skill both the first and the second defect were easily eliminated. Scouts, shock infantry groups, as well as Cossacks very often used Manlicher, because it was powerful and quick-firing. In skilled hands, such a rifle became a deadly weapon.

Austrian Manlicher: sniper rifle

As you might think, here we will talk about small arms not of the 1900s. This large-caliber sniper rifle was manufactured in Austria by the Steyr arms factory. The weapon was developed in 2004. The main purpose of the weapon is to destroy enemy snipers, as well as to maintain fire on aviation and lightly armored vehicles. For shooting, the ".50 Browning" cartridge is used, as well as the modified .460 Steyr.

It is interesting that this weapon is not shop-like, like most modern sniper rifles, but one-shot with a sliding slide. Planck Picatinni allows you to use a suitable optics in a given situation. In front of the bed are bipods, they are adjusted in height. To reduce the impact on the back of the stock is a rubber shock absorber. You can say that this is a very effective Manlicher. A sniper rifle of this type allows targeting fire at a distance of up to 1.5 km.

What is Manlicher-Carcano?

It is often possible to find such a term as Manlicher-Carcano. Many people start to think that this is another modification of the M95 small arms, but this is somewhat wrong. Here we are talking about the unitary cartridge, which was used by the Italian military during the 1st and 2nd world wars.

It proved to be very effective at distances of 200-300 meters. In terms of power, it belonged to intermediate cartridges. Manlikher-Carcano was also used by the Finns in the war against the USSR. Subsequently, the Finnish troops were armed with small arms "Carcano", which had nothing to do with Manlicher. President Kennedy was shot with the help of Manlicher-Carcano. A rifle under this cartridge was never created, but several models were altered. In modern museums, one can find old-fashioned bullets with a bluntly ogive part. They were replaced by pointed, which were considered more effective and piercing.

Manlicher Hunting Rifles

The company "Steyr" exists to this day. Great experience allowed to produce weapons of various purposes. Here you can find traumatic pistols, sniper rifles, carbines and hunting rifles. We are just interested in the last point about which we will talk. The first thing I would like to note is the so-called classic, which includes SBS 96 Classic. This weapon is equipped with a rotary slider, which allows it to quickly and efficiently recharge. It is interesting that as a protection against dirt and dust, the chute milled on the gate is used. However, as practice shows, in natural conditions it does not clog. The store is on-off for 4 rounds. The fifth bullet can be sent directly to the barrel. This is enough for hunting.

Rifle shooting rifle Manlicher

Russian experts were shot. Testing was conducted not only on the shooting range, but also directly on the hunt. In the autumn-winter period, the rifled SBS 96 Classic rifle showed itself on the good side. High power and accuracy of the carbine are noted. On the hunt, a wild boar (from a distance of 90 meters) and elk was extracted. 13-gram bullets "Con Point" were used.

As for the shortcomings, it is only one and that is insignificant. There is a minus in the rubber backplate, which extinguishes the return with insufficient efficiency. Professional hunters and experts talk about "omnivorous" rifles. Results with used cartridges of different types proved to be more than good. In general, we can say that Manlicher is a hunting rifle, which is ideal for Russian hunting. The carbine is light, durable and comfortable, though, with very sensitive feedback. But this shortcoming you will stop noticing after a few shots.

Austrian Mannlicher rifle: the price of weapons

Naturally, it is almost impossible to find samples of 1895 or even 1886 for sale. This is a real antiques, which if you can buy, then for a very large amount of money. But the company "Steyr" successfully produces its own weapons today. Rifles are used throughout the world by hunters, special services and armed forces. However, for an ordinary person this is an expensive pleasure.

So, the carbine SM12 300VM will cost you 200-220 thousand rubles. In return, you will receive a very high-quality product with a magazine for 3 cartridges. The bed is made from a nut of the 4th class (high-strength), which is very important for active use, and has a rubber backplate. More budgetary option - SBS 96 ProHunter. Such a carbine will cost about 170 000 rubles. To soften the recoil, the backplate of a complex design is used. Also there is a receiver, which allows to install optics on the rifle. In general, it is worth counting on costs from 150 to 250 thousand rubles. Believe me, this is a well-grounded cost for Manlicher. A rifle, the price of which may be higher, is exceptionally high-quality and has a nice appearance.

Use in the East

As already noted a little higher, Manlicher was widely used throughout the world. The Imperial Russian Army was no exception . After the transfer to Fort Port Arthur, Russian troops, as trophies from the Qing army, received a large number of Manlicher rifles of the 1886 model. They used a cartridge with smoky powder, and the bolt was straight, as in other rifles of those years.

In 1904 the project of the so-called artisanal machine gun was realized. Its essence consisted in the fact that on the wooden frame was fixed about 5-8 Manlicher rifles, which were used for volley fire on the enemy. Such a system was named "Shmetilo" in honor of the creator.

Bayonet to the rifle

In the standard version, a bayonet with a knife blade was used. Its main advantage was a small weight - 280 grams. At the same time, its length was about 260 mm, and the penetrating power is very high. This made it possible to quickly and effectively disrupt the enemy. It is also worth noting that the bayonet to Manlicher's rifle was worn separately and was installed only in the case of the need for close combat.

The extremely light bayonet, the reliability of the rifle, its high lethal power and the rate of fire - all these advantages led to the fact that it was much easier to make the Mauser during the wartime. For this simple reason, in 1916, these rifles began to be supplied to the armament of Austria-Hungary. For the most part, this was due to the fact that Germany had the necessary resources for the manufacture of these weapons and could supply it in large numbers to the Allied forces. "Manlicherovtsy" were popular for quite a long time, in addition, such rifles were loved by officers and successfully used them during the Second World War.