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.
This is how it looks now.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This is how it looks now.
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.
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.
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.
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.