Steyr · Rifle
Mannlicher-Schoenauer Y1903/14
Bolt action · 6.5x54mm Mannlicher-Schoenauer · introduced 1914
Also known as M1903/14, 1903/14 Greek Mannlicher, Steyr M1903/14
About the Mannlicher-Schoenauer Y1903/14
The Mannlicher-Schoenauer Y1903/14 is a Greek service bolt-action rifle chambered in 6.5x54mm Mannlicher-Schoenauer, produced by Steyr from a second Greek Army contract placed in 1914. It combines the earlier M1903's smooth turn-bolt action and distinctive rotary spool magazine with an added full-length handguard, and fed from five-round stripper clips. Roughly 50,000 were delivered before World War I interrupted deliveries, and the type saw extensive Greek service through the Asia Minor Campaign and World War II.
The 6.5x54mm Mannlicher-Schoenauer earned a legendary big-game reputation in the hands of hunters like Ernest Hemingway and W.D.M. 'Karamojo' Bell, who used the mild-recoiling, deep-penetrating cartridge on African elephants.
Mannlicher-Schoenauer Y1903/14 specifications
General
- Type
- Rifle
- Action
- Bolt action
- Firing mechanism
- Rotating bolt
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Calibres
- 6.5x54mm Mannlicher-Schoenauer
- Magazine capacity
- 5 rounds
- Magazine
- Rotary magazine
Dimensions
- Barrel length
- 725 mm (28.5 in)
- Overall length
- 1226 mm (48.3 in)
- Weight (empty)
- 3.77 kg (8.31 lb)
Barrel
- Rifling
- Right hand
- Grooves
- 4
Materials
- Barrel
- Steel
- Receiver / frame
- Steel
- Stock
- Wood
- Finish
- blued
Performance
- Muzzle velocity (typical)
- 680 m/s (2231 fps)
- Muzzle energy (typical)
- 2334 J (1721 ft·lb)
- Effective range
- 500 m
History
- Introduced
- 1914
- Discontinued
- 1927
- Production status
- Out of production
- Country of origin
- AT
- Designer
- Ferdinand Mannlicher, Otto Schoenauer
Features
- Full length handguard
- Rotary spool magazine
- Stripper clip loading
- Turn bolt action
Safety
- Manual safety
The most visible change from the M1903 was the addition of a full-length upper handguard. After 1927 the Italian Breda factory produced further examples marked Y1903/14/27, with roughly 105,000 total supplied to Greece.
