[supercrawldad]

I didn't get any information on the Mannlicher board so I figured I would post here since many of you gentlemen are just as knowledgable on the subject. If this post is against any type of rule please feel free to delete or move.

Picked up this M95 stutzen at the Maryland Collectors show in Baltimore last weekend. Overall its in pretty good shape, all parts are Steyr marked and the bore is clean with little to no pitting. It lacks any import markings and is still chambered in the original 8x50r caliber . The stock is duffle cut under the rear band so I am also assuming that this was a bringback at some point in history but I can never be sure. Unfortunately, the stock looks like it may have been sanded a long time ago, and it is missing the rear sling swivel. I don't think I did bad at only $145 though

I had a few questions about it,

1. The barrel does not match the receiver and is dated 1899, is there a way that I can determine when the receiver was manufactured? Reciever serial number is 59xxE
2. The buttplate has a unit marking on it "TR 21523", can anyone give me any information about it as to what the unit was and a possible history of it?
3. Since it still retains the original 8x50r chambering, is there any way that I can determine if it was used by any other country after ww1 such as Italy?
4. It looks like the swivel on the side of the stock was removed and filled in, is this due to bubba or just a military modification. I included a picture of it

Thanks for any help or information

 

[supercrawldad]

More pics

 

[Devo]

Very interesting. I've never encountered the "A" mark over the chamber before, so no help there. Is the bottom rear swivel just missing, or has the hole been filled in? In any case, a very interesting weapon, and a very good deal at $145. Congrats! See my post below.

-Devo

 

[Devo]

...

1. The barrel does not match the receiver and is dated 1899, is there a way that I can determine when the receiver was manufactured? Reciever serial number is 59xxE
--Short answer is "no." Serial numbers were done in annual blocks, so aren't much help with dating.

2. The buttplate has a unit marking on it "TR 21523", can anyone give me any information about it as to what the unit was and a possible history of it?
--I think it's 1st Line "TR 2" 2nd Line "2135," which is (I think) Tiroler Kaiserjägerregiment Nr. 2, Weapon #2135. TKJ 2 was an elite unit which fought with distinction throughout WWI, primarily on the Italian Front.

3. Since it still retains the original 8x50r chambering, is there any way that I can determine if it was used by any other country after ww1 such as Italy?
--Again, short answer is "no," absent any other markings, though the fact that it is still in 8x50R means it was probably somewhere other than Austria in 1930s

4. It looks like the swivel on the side of the stock was removed and filled in, is this due to bubba or just a military modification. I included a picture of it
--Once again, no real way to tell, but the tendency with the Austro-Hungarian military was to add rather than delete swivels (i.e. have both side and bottom swivels).

Thanks for any help or information

Hope that helps,

Devo

 

[supercrawldad]

Very interesting. I've never encountered the "A" mark over the chamber before, so no help there. Is the bottom rear swivel just missing, or has the hole been filled in? In any case, a very interesting weapon, and a very good deal at $145. Congrats! See my post below.

-Devo

Thank you very much for the information Devo. The bottom rear swivel is just missing and hasn't been filled in

 

[PrayingMantis]

Great looking Steyr, and I love that unit mark.

Too bad Austrians we're as meticulous as Germans when their weapons were reworked, or maybe they were and its just not as obvious.

 

[Nateg513]

I have an M95 long rifle with the A mark on the chamber also, like yours it is still 8x50. I have been looking for some time for info on the chamber marking, but no luck thus far.

 

[supercrawldad]

I have an M95 long rifle with the A mark on the chamber also, like yours it is still 8x50. I have been looking for some time for info on the chamber marking, but no luck thus far.

Interesting, I wonder if it could be a random Austrian marking or from some other country. I've been looking at other sources trying to find info about it but haven't come up with anything either