Mannlicher-Schoenauer Carbine ~ A Short History

By AmmoLand Editor Duncan Johnson

By David Tong,
In this article, David Tong takes us through the history of the Mannlicher-Schoenauer Carbine.

U.S.A. –

The rifle action was a derivative of earlier Mannlicher military rifles, and it famously used a series of proprietary cartridges, most notably the 6.5X54mm M-S. The action featured twin-front opposed locking lugs a la “Mauser,” but also used a split rear bridge to allow an abutment that also had the bolt handle integrally-machined with it to act as a third “safety lug,” in the case of both front lugs failing from an over-pressure cartridge.

The most interesting part of the action though was Shoenauer’s magazine. Each rotary spool magazine was spring detachable from the action for cleaning. Each caliber had to have spools to match the portion of the case’s diameter to ensure proper function and feeding.

Every one is as smooth operating as if it was suspended on axles with ball-bearings.

The same could be said of the action’s operation. The beautiful close tolerances, heat-treatment of superior steel alloys, and the lack of drag against the …Read the Rest

Source:: AmmoLand