Dutch Model 1895 Mannlicher Rifle

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  • rob63

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    It was mentioned in another thread that hardly anybody ever posts any mil-surps on INGO, so I thought I would post this Dutch M1895 Mannlicher Rifle. I won it with an online auction bid for $230, but after shipping and fees it totaled $300. Not really cheap, but not too horrible for a mil-surp that you don't see too often.

    Somebody installed some sort of buffalo plaque on the stock for reasons that escape me. It also had a coat of varnish on the stock, and the metal had been painted black.

    The serial numbers match on the receiver, barrel, stock, and most of the small parts. The bolt is mismatched. Interestingly, even though the stock and receiver have matching numbers, one is dated 1915, and the other is dated 1916 so it must have been made pretty early in 1916.

    It is known as a Mannlicher rifle, but that is something of a misnomer, the action is really a copy of the German Gew 88. The clip loading magazine is the only true Mannlicher feature of the rifle. The rifle was initially sold and produced by the Austrian firm of Steyr as the result of a lawsuit won against the Germans for unauthorized use of the Mannlicher magazine in the Gew 88. This particular example was manufactured by the Dutch at Hembrug, a suburb of Amsterdam.

    The first couple of photos are from the auction and show how it was when I got it.

    2rUclBJ.jpg

    0MfZGZw.jpg


    This is how it looks now.

    VMR28rY.jpg

    78TTOyt.jpg

    zNI47h5.jpg

    VRakPCC.jpg

    17CEx3i.jpg

    xFPSxu5.jpg

    adcr415.jpg


    This particular rifle has been modified to use a German Kar 98k style of sling. The original rear sling swivel was removed, the resultant hole filled, and the butt cut to allow a German sling to pass through it. This was presumably done by the Germans after they conquered the Netherlands in WWII.

    ypiwr3H.jpg

    BQzVHN1.jpg

    eEsygBC.jpg


    The rear sight is one of the easiest to adjust for elevation of any mil-surps I have encountered. You simply squeeze the ears and it is moved easily. One side is hinged and is held in place by a spring. I really like it, it seems to stay securely in place in spite of being very easy to move.

    7DYAWLR.jpg

    7IPk7UZ.jpg


    Finally, the bayonet is also an interesting variation. The latch mechanism is on the side of the handle that is opposite of the muzzle ring. I don't recall ever seeing this on another bayonet, normally the latch is on the same side of the handle as the muzzle ring. I included several photos to better illustrate it.

    JatXZFF.jpg

    rkXstgH.jpg

    DOf436a.jpg

    N960qN7.jpg


    I would love to give a range report, but so far I haven't been able to find any ammo for it. It hasn't been produced for many years, so I may be out of luck on that score.
     

    Miller Tyme

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    Not your everyday Milsurps there Rob. But the fact of the matter is Milsurps don't have the "pizzazz" EBR's and AK's have so the kids don't buy them and show them off, which is fine with me as it leaves more for me to acquire. :spend:
     

    rob63

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    I forgot to mention the caliber in my original post. It fired the Dutch 6.5 X 53R cartridge, the R indicates it was rimmed. I suspect that if you played with modern bullet designs and powders in this cartridge you could probably get something similar to 6.5 Creedmore performance. However, whether it would also perform well in this rifle model is an unknown since it was designed for round nose bullets. Unfortunately, even finding brass is nearly impossible. I have found articles by people that used .303 British as a starting point, used 6.5 Carcano dies to neck down the brass, and then fire-formed to final size. That is all way beyond my expertise level.

    Here is a photo from Forgotten Weapons showing the cartridge being loaded. (It makes me happy that there is someone out there that has hairier arms than me!)
    6.5-Dutch-with-clip.jpg
     

    MongooseLaw

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    That is really cool Rob thanks for sharing. Hopefully you can fire it someday, either way it's a nice one to look at. That bayonet is neat too, always nice when you can get the right bayonet for your rifle!
     

    rob63

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    Awesome!!! There is some history in that rifle!

    What was your recipe for restoring the finish?

    Thanks.

    I tried several different things to try to remove the varnish (or whatever it was), CitriStrip was what finally worked. Several coats of boiled linseed oil hand-rubbed a little at a time after that with plenty of time too allow each coat to dry. Sawdust and wood glue to fill the holes left behind by the buffalo plaque thingy. You can still see them, but they aren't horrible.

    WD-40 and 0000 steel wool took care of the black paint. It flaked off pretty easily. There was a fair amount of the original bluing remaining after that, with a lot of it turned brown. I did touch up some scratches on the receiver with an antique browning solution, but otherwise it is as it was under the paint. The scratches appear to be from somebody putting it in a vise at some point, but I don't know why they would have done that. It still has the original barrel, and the bore cleaned up nice, so I don't know what they were trying to do. I have long given up trying to figure out what goes through people's heads.
     

    DoggyDaddy

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    Nice Rob! Graf's has the brass: https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/category/categoryId/686?

    I have a set of 6.5x53R dies also. I found brass from Buffalo Arms as well. It was actually made from .303 brass. I split the cost between indy1919a4 and Wolfhound and I loaded it for them (and me). If you get the brass and want to borrow my dies you're more than welcome. I've got a Hembrug "bicycle carbine". I can't seem to find my pics of it though.
     

    DoggyDaddy

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    6.5x53R Dutch Load Data


    C.O.A.L. = 3.35”


    140gr jacketed
    IMR 3031 - 28.2 to 32.8 grains
    IMR 4064 - 30.0 to 34.8 grains
    IMR 4320 - 30.2 to 35.1 grains
    IMR 4350 - 35.2 to 41.1 grains

    160gr jacketed
    IMR 3031 - 26.8 to 30.0 grains
    IMR 4064 - 28.5 to 33.0 grains
    IMR 4320 - 28.9 to 33.6 grains
    IMR 4350 - 34.0 t0 39.0 grains
     

    indy1919a4

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    Nice Rob! Graf's has the brass: https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/category/categoryId/686?

    I have a set of 6.5x53R dies also. I found brass from Buffalo Arms as well. It was actually made from .303 brass. I split the cost between indy1919a4 and Wolfhound and I loaded it for them (and me). If you get the brass and want to borrow my dies you're more than welcome. I've got a Hembrug "bicycle carbine". I can't seem to find my pics of it though.

    maxresdefault.jpg


    Tell you what, DD may not be able to find a photo, but that Rascal knows his 6.5x53R, Went to a shoot with him and everyone there either called him the Dutchman... or Herr Doktor...
     
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    DoggyDaddy

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    Just took a pic of mine. The 6.5x53R bicycle carbine on top, and the one on the bottom is one that was converted to .303 British by Indonesia.

    rTfr2Gl.png
     

    mcapo

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    Thanks.

    I tried several different things to try to remove the varnish (or whatever it was), CitriStrip was what finally worked. Several coats of boiled linseed oil hand-rubbed a little at a time after that with plenty of time too allow each coat to dry. Sawdust and wood glue to fill the holes left behind by the buffalo plaque thingy. You can still see them, but they aren't horrible.

    WD-40 and 0000 steel wool took care of the black paint. It flaked off pretty easily. There was a fair amount of the original bluing remaining after that, with a lot of it turned brown. I did touch up some scratches on the receiver with an antique browning solution, but otherwise it is as it was under the paint. The scratches appear to be from somebody putting it in a vise at some point, but I don't know why they would have done that. It still has the original barrel, and the bore cleaned up nice, so I don't know what they were trying to do. I have long given up trying to figure out what goes through people's heads.

    Excellent work!

    Now I have to add yet another gun and caliber to my "I want one" list....
     

    rob63

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    Just took a pic of mine. The 6.5x53R bicycle carbine on top, and the one on the bottom is one that was converted to .303 British by Indonesia.

    Lots of nice carbines in those photos from both of you!

    I'm assuming the bicycle carbine is for some sort of bicycle corps, but what is different about it compared to the other carbines?

    And dang... that brass is salty! I'll have to give that some thought.
     

    indy1919a4

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    Aluminum and brass, any ideas on what it was?

    I was hoping for you that it was one of those commemorative silver bars they made big time in the 1970s and such... But aluminum and brass ..yeech .... at least its not made of a radioactive material..

    2019-silver-10oz-buffalo-bar-sealed-obv.jpg
     

    indy1919a4

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    Just took a pic of mine. The 6.5x53R bicycle carbine on top, and the one on the bottom is one that was converted to .303 British by Indonesia.

    rTfr2Gl.png

    Ok Not to cost you more money, But if you get the Indonesian 303 converted m95, the one one with the Wing ears sight.

    Indo95Mann-625-1007.jpg


    Then what you can do is take the rifle out of the wood and you can place the shootin part of the rifles in any of the 12+ m95 variations wood stocks and you can then shoot those various models on the cheap with 303.

    The Indonesian conversions where they added the muzzle break will not allow most of the rifle stock rings to fit over the muzzle break.

    Then you will not be held hostage to pay the high rates for that reloaded ammo from Herr Doktor..
     

    DoggyDaddy

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    Lots of nice carbines in those photos from both of you!

    I'm assuming the bicycle carbine is for some sort of bicycle corps, but what is different about it compared to the other carbines?

    And dang... that brass is salty! I'll have to give that some thought.

    You're exactly right about the bicycle carbines. That extra wood on the left side was to make it more comfortable for the soldier when he had it slung across his back. And yes, the brass is salty, but after that initial investment, it's a lot cheaper than the loaded ammo (if you can find it at all) and of course the cost per firing goes down each time you reload it. We crunched the numbers and figured it was cheaper to buy the brass and "roll your own" than it was to buy the pre-loaded stuff. Just don't want to take it along to the range with a .303 rifle to avoid mix-ups since it still has the .303 headstamp.

    Bicycle troops...

    iu
     
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