Mannlicher-Schoenauer 1908

About the Mannlicher-Schoenauer 1908

The Mannlicher-Schoenauer 1908 is an Austrian bolt-action sporting rifle chambered for the 8x56mm Mannlicher-Schoenauer cartridge. Built on the celebrated Mannlicher-Schoenauer action with Otto Schoenauer's spool-type rotary magazine, it was offered most often as a full-stocked carbine with a slim 19.75-inch barrel, flat butterknife bolt handle, two-leaf rear sight and a double set trigger. Prized by hunters for its exceptionally smooth action and fine handling, it remained a benchmark of European sporting-rifle quality until production was interrupted by the Second World War.

The Mannlicher-Schoenauer action paired Ferdinand Mannlicher's smooth bolt with Otto Schoenauer's rotary spool magazine, and the resulting sporting rifles earned a near-legendary reputation among hunters worldwide for their slick cycling and accuracy, with Ernest Hemingway among their admirers.

Mannlicher-Schoenauer 1908 specifications

The 8x56 M-S chambering was one of several larger-bore options offered on the Model 1908; the same model was also produced in 7x57mm and other calibers. Not to be confused with the rimmed 8x56mmR Steyr military cartridge used in the M95 service rifle.