[bp805]

Im new to this forum, and I hope this is in the right spot. Anyways, I have a 1902 Mannlicher Steyr (atleast I think its a 1902 from what Ive read) pistol. I wanted to check the chamber because it doesnt belong to me to make sure it wasnt loaded before I started to handle it. I dont know anything about this gun, but now the slide is in the locked open position and I do not know how to release the slide to close up the chamber. Im afraid to keep it open for long periods of time because it might damage the springs inside. There is a small lever on the right side of the grip. I pressed that down while trying to move the slide backwards to release the tension and hopefully have it move foreward, but no luck.

Does anyone have any experience with this pistol that can offer some guidance as to how to return the slide to the closed position? Any input would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks!

 

[dbldblu]

I am not familiar with this pistol but on some designs, it is the magazine that holds the slide back. Try removing the magazine and then pull the slide all the way back and let it go.

 

[Clyde]

Bet it is a 1900, 1901 or 1905 type and if so it doesn't have a removable magazne. The little lever is like the one on a Steyr-Hahn, and releases the catridges from the fixed magazine. I've never ahndled one, so I can't offer any useful advice.

 

[bp805]

Yeah, from what I have gathered it is a model 1902 and it does not have a removable magazine. It is loaded from the top by stripper clips (I think). Do you know of anyone I could get in contact with who has experience with this type of gun that could hep?

 

[Nyles]

You'll likely have to push down the follower on the magazine, which will be what's holding it open. Just make sure it doesn't slam shut on your finger.

 

[bp805]

Yeah that might be the tricky part. Not sure how im gonna do that without slamming my finger in there, or if i use something else to hold it down, then that might snap off inside which would be bad.

 

[bp805]

I tried to push the follower down while holding the slide back, but it didnt allow the slide to go forward. There has to be something else holding it up...just cant figure it out...

 

[Comrade Antibiotika]

Steyr makes lots of pistols in that era... is it this one?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/1901AustrianMannlicher1a.jpg

or this one?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/1894_mannlicher6.sized.jpg

I mean, im guessing it's the top one since you said slide, but i want to make sure. You may simply want to borrow someone for their hand and say hold the grip while you use one hand to depress the follower and the other to move the slide forward. I assume there is a button to act as a slide release, but you may not have the inclination to poke around stuff on a gun that's not yours.

 

[bp805]

Yeah its the first one. I tried having someone else push the follower down with the end of a pencil while i pulled the slide backwards and then let it go forwards as the other person depressed the follower, but it didnt work. It still seemed to get hung up on something. On the right side of the grip there is a thin metal lever that Im guessing is the slide release, but it doesnt do anything...Shouldnt I not have to push down on anything on the inside to make it go forward? Since the lever is on the right side of the gun it seems as though it is maybe left handed...not that it makes any difference.

 

[HowdyDoody]

On a 1905,
pull the slide back,
push the follower down, let the slide foreward. It won't go far but will hold the follower down a little.
then pull the hammer back with the thumb. The slide will go foreward under spring pressure.
Works on a Agentine 1905. Might work on yours if it is similar.

Jim

 

[Rick N.]

You got it Howdy !! That is the exact procedure, just be sure to keep fingers clear when you pull the hammer back. Those pistols are serious biters !!!

 

[bp805]

Thanks Howdy! It worked! I dont understand why they would make it so that you had to have someone else help you to get the thing closed. I guess maybe they figured that it would ALWAYS be loaded and no one would ever want to close it empty.

 

[HowdyDoody]

One person can close it easily, as long as you have two hands.

Jim