Mannlicher M95

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  • Last Post 20 December 2017
David Reiss posted this 14 November 2017

I am looking to add a Mannlicher M95 surplus rifle to my collection. Is there anything I should know about the rifles themselves I should know before buying one, other than the usual. 

David Reiss - NRA Life Member & PSC Range Member Retired Police Firearms Instructor/Armorer
-Services: Wars Fought, Uprisings Quelled, Bars Emptied, Revolutions Started, Tigers Tamed, Assassinations Plotted, Women Seduced, Governments Run, Gun Appraisals, Lost Treasure Found.
- Also deal in: Land, Banjos, Nails, Firearms, Manure, Fly Swatters, Used Cars, Whisky, Racing Forms, Rare Antiquities, Lead, Used Keyboard Keys, Good Dogs, Pith Helmets & Zulu Headdresses. .

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delmarskid posted this 14 November 2017

The M95 shoots a weird 8mm bullet.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8%C3%9756mmR

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Wineman posted this 14 November 2017

The extractors are made of unobtanium. Always use the clips even for single loading. You can put a piece of tape over the bottom to keep the clip from dropping out of the rifle. With full charge loads they are very sporty. Sometimes the bolt may not want to stay cocked. There are tweaks you can do but sometimes they are just worn out. The bullet is just larger and I think LEE makes a die just for this size. Very short sight radius. If it was in a 6.5 mm caliber you would not ask for anything more.

Dave

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BigMan54 posted this 14 November 2017

DON'T DO IT!!!  , YOU'RE A YOUNG MAN DON'T DO IT.  THIS RIFLE IS THE ORIGINAL "P. O. S."

I bought one when BIG 5 had them on sale out here 9-10yrs ago. Got boxer primed ammo from GRAF. Surplus ammo at gun show. Clips from NUMRICH. Surplus ammo keyholded at 50yds Got OLD LACHMILLER dies at gunshow. GRAF ammo shot 9" high at 50yds, 6" group at 100yds, 6" high. Needed .330dia bullets. Gave up trying to find them. 

Sometimes I had to work the bolt 2-3 times to get it to stay cocked long enough to shoot.    Tried .323dia bullets, shotgun blast group at 50yds.  

My Bro-In-Law has it now, found .330dia bullets somewhere, can't get any more though.  

Long time Caster/Reloader, Getting back into it after almost 10yrs. Life Member NRA 40+yrs, Life S.A.S.S. #375. Does this mean a description of me as a fumble-fingered knuckle-draggin' baboon. I also drool in my sleep. I firmly believe that true happiness is a warm gun. Did I mention how much I HATE auto-correct on this blasted tablet.

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45 2.1 posted this 14 November 2017

I am looking to add a Mannlicher M95 surplus rifle to my collection. Is there anything I should know about the rifles themselves I should know before buying one, other than the usual. 

Yes... Which one? There is the older 8x50 and the newer 8x56. Definitely by the rifle version, not the carbine. The rifle version shoots to the sights while the carbine version shoots quite high. Look the rifle over well and do not buy if in worn condition. Lee has dies... do not buy the Lee mold for this at .330, get the .338" diameter mold and size down to 0.332" if you must. Most I've checked will take a 0.338" bullet easily. MP molds has a special bullet just for these rifles that shoots quite well.

 

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BigMan54 posted this 14 November 2017

I had the carbine, in 8X56. I'll tell my Bro-In-Law about the LEE mold. I'll have to cast bullets for him when the mold shows up on my doorstep. But how can I size down to .332 ? Maybe unsized & pan lubed. But how to attach the gas check ? 

Long time Caster/Reloader, Getting back into it after almost 10yrs. Life Member NRA 40+yrs, Life S.A.S.S. #375. Does this mean a description of me as a fumble-fingered knuckle-draggin' baboon. I also drool in my sleep. I firmly believe that true happiness is a warm gun. Did I mention how much I HATE auto-correct on this blasted tablet.

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45 2.1 posted this 14 November 2017

I had the carbine, in 8X56. You will have to fabricate a taller front sight in all probability. I'll tell my Bro-In-Law about the LEE mold. That would be the one for the 338. I'll have to cast bullets for him when the mold shows up on my doorstep. But how can I size down to .332 ? With a Lee push thru... either ream out or lap out a smaller one or order a custom size from Lee. I would see if a 0.338" diameter bullet would slip fit in a fired case neck, if so just size them 0.338" in a normal 450 die and try. If that is too large, then measure the inside fired case neck (be sure no crimp is left) and get a die .001" smaller in diameter to size them to. Maybe unsized & pan lubed. But how to attach the gas check ? Some folks attach them when pushing thru, but I size mine in a Lyman 450.

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Ken T posted this 14 November 2017

Graf's has jacketed bullets for the 8x56R.I have two of the Stutzens.Recoil is a bit stiff with issue ammo.Accuracy with mine was OK.They do shoot high of course.I have never had a problem getting them to stay cocked.Getting the bolt head to stay in position to install the  bolt in the receiver is another story.

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David Reiss posted this 15 November 2017

I do want the rifle version first. So far not any info I wasn't already aware of. This rifle would just add to my collection of WW I & II military rifles. I do shoot all my rifles, so the bore will have to be good. I am in no hurry and will wait until the right specimen comes along. I've had good luck in the past finding good examples of what I've been looking for and have not had to settle for poor specimens. 

My main reason for asking was to find out if there was any metallurgy issues, easy part breakage, etc. The handloading issues are not a problem for me. I like challenges. 

David Reiss - NRA Life Member & PSC Range Member Retired Police Firearms Instructor/Armorer
-Services: Wars Fought, Uprisings Quelled, Bars Emptied, Revolutions Started, Tigers Tamed, Assassinations Plotted, Women Seduced, Governments Run, Gun Appraisals, Lost Treasure Found.
- Also deal in: Land, Banjos, Nails, Firearms, Manure, Fly Swatters, Used Cars, Whisky, Racing Forms, Rare Antiquities, Lead, Used Keyboard Keys, Good Dogs, Pith Helmets & Zulu Headdresses. .

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BigMan54 posted this 15 November 2017

I'll tell my Bro-in-law about GRAF having jacketed bullets. I'd rather he bought bullets from them, than having me cast & size for him.He's not too inclined to part with $ to have me buy the stuff. 

That M-95 was the first surplus rifle that I bought from BIG-5 in a looong time that had a decent bore. It was only a little bit frosted & the wood was NOT beat to H**L.

Long time Caster/Reloader, Getting back into it after almost 10yrs. Life Member NRA 40+yrs, Life S.A.S.S. #375. Does this mean a description of me as a fumble-fingered knuckle-draggin' baboon. I also drool in my sleep. I firmly believe that true happiness is a warm gun. Did I mention how much I HATE auto-correct on this blasted tablet.

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oldblinddog posted this 15 November 2017

I have an Accurate 32-220B mould that I had made to cast at .331" that I could let go if someone wants it. It takes 8mm GC's.

USMC (ret.), CBA, NRA, TSRA, ARPC

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Larry Gibson posted this 15 November 2017

A couple years back I help a guy who had a M95 carbine.  It was in very good condition with an excellent bore.  He had it for numerous years getting it and some milsurp ammo 10 years or so ago when they first hit this country.  He had shot up most of the milsurp so he had a lot of the clips and a bunch of very good 1938 brass cases which were Berdan primed.  H had a mould and had cast up quite a few bullets.  I think it was a Lee mould but I'm not sure. He made his own GCs from .014 - .015 brass shim.  He also made a push through sizer sizing the bullets and seating the GCs at .330.  He said the groove on his M95 was .329. 

 

We converted a hundred of the 1938 cases from Berdan to SR boxer primers and annealed the neck shoulder area.  I showed him how to do both and he has since done a lot of them with about a 99% success rate converting the primer pockets.  Last I talked with him he was shooting the cast bullet right at 1800 fps using H4895 powder and a Dacron filler.  He's happy.

 

LMG

 

Concealment is not cover.........

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JeffinNZ posted this 17 November 2017

I bought some clips at a gun show just in case I found a nice rifle.   Sure as hens lay eggs if I hadn't the rifle would surface and I'd find zero clips.

Anyways, I have watched a lot of threads on this cartridge that relate to chucking lead and often wondered if the disproportionately deep rifling on these rifles is the enemy of the cast bullet shooter.  Seems that upon firing a throat sized bullet that will be a lot of lead being displaced/moved around/rejigged en route to the muzzle.  That can't be good for accuracy.

Cheers from New Zealand

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45 2.1 posted this 17 November 2017

Anyways, I have watched a lot of threads on this cartridge that relate to chucking lead and often wondered if the disproportionately deep rifling on these rifles is the enemy of the cast bullet shooter.  Seems that upon firing a throat sized bullet that will be a lot of lead being displaced/moved around/rejigged en route to the muzzle.  That can't be good for accuracy.

 

I can assure you that accuracy, with a properly designed bullet is more than good. There is absolutely no problem with deep rifling grooves either. The 8x56 has very deep grooves, but has not caused any problems whatsoever with the bullets I shoot.

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Starmetal posted this 17 November 2017

Ditto what the poster above me said. I had one (sorry I sold it now) and they are wonderfully accurate with cast. I'm a firm believer in deep rifling with cast. 

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shjoe posted this 18 December 2017

for my 8x50R Budapest M95 I shortened 7.62x54R Russian brass to 50mm length. then annealed the shoulder/neck area. I used unique and cream of wheat with a candle wax plug to fire form the cases to 8x50r and my chamber. for now, I used up a small supply of 200gr 8mm jacketed bullets which I had on hand. made a decent 75yd brush gun with 6" off hand groups and the bullets hitting nose first. I will try casting some 215gr bullets from an 8mm lee mold over the winter. best, john

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oscarflytyer posted this 20 December 2017

Have a pair.  Mine and my youngest son's.  He LOVES it!  In a pinch, it will work as a flame thrower!  As stated above, extractor can be an issue if you break it.  My understanding is, never shoot it w/o the clip/single shot or you stnad a great chance of breaking the extractor.  And very hard to get.  Next is, very odd 8mm size.  .329.  And most say they will slug at .330-.334 or so!  I have not cast/reloaded for ours yet.  I intend to.  Lee mold and maybe beagle it a bit.  Can get 329/330 jackets for it - Graf.  Lee dies.  Privi makes some great factory loads and brass reloads well.  And a big plus, they are not only cheap to buy, but usually can be found in fantastic shape.  Mine is an arsenal refurb from ~1938 and never issued far as I can tell.  Jake's is nearly same condition.  Mine is a neat Bulgarian contract rifle.  Wouldn't trade either of ours!

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