doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Steyer Project rifle

Interesting, I have a 1905 model (9x56) and the bolt is completly different than this. It is control feed and claw extractor, it also has a guide rib intergal with the bolt handle. If there is interest I can take and post some photos of it. Steyr made a line of rifles that used a different type of magazine. I am guessing the bolt is from one of these, which probably why it won't close.

James, I have seen several of this same model with this same bolt. And the bolt head is numbered to the bolt, don't know if it is numbered to the rifle though. I'll have to wait and see when I get it. I also checked on gun broker and saw the bolt head on the model 1908. I think it is chambered in a shell that the head was so large they modified the bolt head to except it that way. No way to tell 100% until I get my hand on it. The other rifle of this same type in the auction had the exact same type of bolt in it. If it is the incorrect bolt I will have a hard time finding a correct replacement.
Mike

The bolt assembly looks to me to be from a GEW 88 Commission rifle or a Steyr 93 (Romanian) contract rifle,not a Mannlicher Schoenauer.

Absence of the bolt guide rib on the bolt body is a good clue. Neither of the above use one. The Dutch 95 Steyr does.
All three of these use the straight line feed en-bloc 'clip' loading system and have the magazine extending below the stock.
The bolts are all very much a like and some parts will interchange as well as some with the Steyr Mannlicher Shoenauer bolt assembly

The flattened bolt handle on this one looks like an issue German GEW 88 Carbine bolt.
The rifles had the standard round knob straight handle bolt.

(Steyr) Mannlicher Schoenauer uses a bolt guide rib on the bolt body extending forward of the bolt handle root.
Both on Military and Commercial actions.
GEW88 & Steyr (Romanian) 93 bolts do not have the bolt guide. The Steyr (Dutch) 95 does have the bolt guide on the bolt body.
(The Dutch 95 was also made in Holland at Hembrug Arsenal.)

Commercial M/Schoenauer bolts will have a small 'V' detent projection just to the rear of the root of the bolt handle. That is for the bolt lock spring to ride over and hold the bolt closed when in the down position.
The bolt lock spring is dovetailed into the right rear side wall of the receiver on the outside. Easily seen. It as well as the 'V' detent on the bolt body was omitted on the Military contract actions from Steyr and those made at Breda in Italy.
In the pics posted originally, the bolt lock spring is clearly present (commercial action), but there is no V detent behind the bolt handle for it.

None of the Steyr straight line feed bolt actions or the GEW88 used the bolt lock spring that I can recall.



Just my observations.

Mike I am not a Mannlicher-Schoener expert but my understanding is that 1903,1905 and 1908 models are pretty much the same except for the changes to feed the cartridges. Your action and what is left of the stock is identical to my 1905 even to the scope mounts. Below are the photos of my bolt asembly, as you can see the bolt head is completely different than the photo of yours. Note also that my bolt handle has proof marks stamped at the root of the handle, there are no serial # stamped on this bolt assembly. Guess we will just have to wait and see what you get.

Well, now anyone know where I can get a bolt?

mwhite49,
I got one several years ago(Greek 1903 version)from Springfield Sporters. They might have one left, it's worth a call.
Mike

Will the Greek o3 bolt work?
Mike

I've owned a couple of the MS rifles. A 1903 in 6.5 MS (it had a Wolf or Bears head carved into the forward portion of the firearm.)and a 1924 Sporting Rifle in 8x60 Mag. Interestingly the 6.5 bore was a bit oversized and never shot that well. The 8x60 shot extremely well with the RWS H-Mantle bullets.

Mike,
I believe it will work,it might require a little fitting and the bolt face will have to be opened up. 6.5x54 MS has a head dia. of about .445" and 8x56MS should be about .468".Any gunsmith that does conversions should be able to do the job.

Ken, The H-mantel is one of my favorite bullets also, great in my 7x57R.Hornady has .268" 6.5 bullets for Carcano, should work in MS.
Mike

DeHaas' Bolt Action Rifles book may be a resource to your question. Looking at Springfield's if they have any, they look fairly inexpensive so probably worth a try.