Steyr M1895 Stutzen

About the Steyr M1895 Stutzen

The Steyr M1895 Stutzen is the short-rifle variant of the Austro-Hungarian Mannlicher M1895 service rifle, a straight-pull bolt-action carbine designed by Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher and built by Oesterreichische Waffenfabrik Steyr. Shorter and lighter than the full-length infantry Gewehr, the Stutzen retained the same en-bloc clip-fed five-round magazine and rapid straight-pull action while shortening the barrel to roughly 480 mm for issue to cavalry, artillery, engineers, and non-commissioned officers. Originally lacking a bayonet lug, many Stutzen were fitted with a bayonet-capable front band during World War I. Chambered for the 8x50mmR Mannlicher cartridge, it served extensively with Austro-Hungarian forces throughout the First World War.

The straight-pull Mannlicher action let M95 troops cycle rounds far faster than the rotating-bolt rifles of their enemies, earning the rifle the soldier's nickname Ruck-Zuck ('quick-quick'). The handier Stutzen put that rapid action in the hands of mountain troops and cavalry across the Alpine and Eastern fronts.

Steyr M1895 Stutzen specifications

The M95 family comprised the long Gewehr (infantry rifle), the Stutzen (short rifle), and the cavalry Karabiner. The Stutzen and Karabiner were nearly identical in length, the Stutzen distinguished chiefly by its stacking hook and later bayonet provision. Many were rebarreled to 8x56mmR in the interwar M95/30 conversion program.