Mannlicher Schoenauer M72 Stutzen

High seat

Well-Known Member
Hi Folks, Happy New Year. What are your thoughts on these rifles,eg Quality of build,accuracy,history. Mainly for woodland shooting.Thanks in advance for your input. High seat.
 
A Brilliant bit of kit one of the best Rifles Mannlicher ever built with snail drum magazine and a double set trigger and butterfly roll over safety and spoon lever bolt , such combination has a job to be beaten in my view.

I have had one for over 30 years in stutzen form and is the first rifle I reach for and most of my stalking is woodland.

I cant say the same for the more modern Mannlichers but that comment applies to most modern built rifles as they certainly do not build them like they used to do thats for sure.

Happy New Year by the way
Stu
 
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Hi Folks, Happy New Year. What are your thoughts on these rifles,eg Quality of build,accuracy,history. Mainly for woodland shooting.Thanks in advance for your input. High seat.

Quality....very hard to beat on a Schoenauer.

I believe that the M72 is a late one and have persoanlly never handled one that I am aware of. Am used to the older ones like the M1903, M1910.

History? not sure what you mean here?

What calibre and cartridge are we talking about?

Ahh Stu, the magazine is a spool magazine and not a snail drum. Darn though I had a photo of the spool but here is my 1903:-

34057372.jpg


34057334.jpg

6.5x54MS just after coming back with the brand new Steyr barrel fitted.

As for accuracy and precision well that will depend on barrel condition mainly. A friend grandson just had his Schoenauer GK re-barreled as it had finally gone off. I don't know why but he had it altered to 7-08 :rolleyes: it was originally a 7x64. me I would have kept it as a 7x64mm.
 
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As Stu Says far better rifle than the latter offerings, Pro-hunter etc. As long as the barrel is in good nick it will be a fine rifle.

ATB

Tahr
 
Quality....very hard to beat on a Schoenauer.

I believe that the M72 is a late one and have persoanlly never handled one that I am aware of. Am used to the older ones like the M1903, M1910.

History? not sure what you mean here?

What calibre and cartridge are we talking about?

Ahh Stu, the magazine is a spool magazine and not a snail drum. Darn though I had a photo of the spool but here is my 1903:-

34057372.jpg


34057334.jpg

6.5x54MS just after coming back with the brand new Steyr barrel fitted.

As for accuracy and precision well that will depend on barrel condition mainly. A friend grandson just had his Schoenauer GK re-barreled as it had finally gone off. I don't know why but he had it altered to 7-08 :rolleyes: it was originally a 7x64. me I would have kept it as a 7x64mm.

Hi Brithunter, Either .243 or .308 calibre with 100 grn or 150 grn
 
Although it's difficult I have handled and shot a Muntie with a Schoenauer M1903 that was converted and re-barreled into .243 Winchester. It fed faultless and shot very well. The conversion I uderstand was done in Leige.
 
Hi guys, Thanks for your replies.Just found this on the net. mannlicher collectors association Tells you a little on the history of this classic rifle. Did not realise they had such a following.
Nice pictures of your 1903 Brithunter.like to see photos with stock fitted.
Stu what sort of groups do you get when zeroing?
Any ideas what one in good conditin would cost. Ie fair price.
 
I bought a 22.250 Manlicher Varmint new in about 1990 time, accuracy I did not find that good with factory but was not to bad with reloads as I could load nearer the lands.

However I have had a shot or three with Stu's old lady and she is a lovely old girl with a big .270 bark !!, a big Roe buck of my acquaintance certainly did not like it one bit.

A
 
Hi guys, Thanks for your replies.Just found this on the net. mannlicher collectors association Tells you a little on the history of this classic rifle. Did not realise they had such a following.
Nice pictures of your 1903 Brithunter.like to see photos with stock fitted.
Stu what sort of groups do you get when zeroing?
Any ideas what one in good conditin would cost. Ie fair price.

Ahhh highseat it needs a new stock. The one it has had been heavily altered for a child of lady at a guess. The barrel had been relined decades ago and the chamber had gone bad hence the new barrel. I do have some brass and just after gettign it back tried some Nosler 120 gran Ballistic Tips which shot well as I recall. I hope to change the scope mounts to better ones once we can get a new stock and have a Zeiss 4x32 put aside for this one.
 
I bought a 22.250 Manlicher Varmint new in about 1990 time, accuracy I did not find that good with factory but was not to bad with reloads as I could load nearer the lands.

However I have had a shot or three with Stu's old lady and she is a lovely old girl with a big .270 bark !!, a big Roe buck of my acquaintance certainly did not like it one bit.

A

He most certainly gave him a helava neck ache thats for sure didnt it Geoff, one of the nicest Bucks (7 Pointer)i have seen on our patch as well, When it comes back from the stuffers Geoff you will have to put a few piccies up.

Re the Old M72 sheis starting to open up a little bit now as shes accounted for many hundred beasts but when I first got her she was capable of shooting the b******s of nat at 200yds . I tend to stalk in more closer these days to account for her misgivings.
Regards
Stu
 
Its a bad start to the New Year that Tikka in cammo http://www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk/showthread.php?18388-New-addition-to-the-cabinet and now a Schoenauer with Weaver mounts on like.

We al have different tastes, jsut as wel really.

Those mounts were on it when I acquired it and as I said will be changed once I get the stock sorted ;). This is the stock it came in a heavily modified Mannlicher stock:-

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The rifle was brought as a project as good Schoenauers are usually expensive although by the time I finish it will no longer be cheap :doh:. Includign original purchase price what witht eh new barrel the fitting, proofign and a re-blue the bill so far is just over £500. new stock and Apel mounts will take it closer to £1000 but then I will have in essence a new Schoenauer :D.
 
Quality....very hard to beat on a Schoenauer.

I believe that the M72 is a late one and have persoanlly never handled one that I am aware of. Am used to the older ones like the M1903, M1910.

History? not sure what you mean here?

What calibre and cartridge are we talking about?

Ahh Stu, the magazine is a spool magazine and not a snail drum. Darn though I had a photo of the spool but here is my 1903:-

34057372.jpg


34057334.jpg

6.5x54MS just after coming back with the brand new Steyr barrel fitted.

As for accuracy and precision well that will depend on barrel condition mainly. A friend grandson just had his Schoenauer GK re-barreled as it had finally gone off. I don't know why but he had it altered to 7-08 :rolleyes: it was originally a 7x64. me I would have kept it as a 7x64mm.

I stand corrected it is a spool its was my incorrect terminology shame on me:doh:
 
QUOTE=High seat;168274]View attachment 4043Is this the same as the old lady stu
Brit the stock looks ok in the pic but cant see it properly[/QUOTE]
Yep thats a good likeness:D
3 gas ported bolt with butterfly safety thats as smooth as a whores drawers coming off with set rear trigger:lol:
 
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View attachment 4043Is this the same as the old lady stu
Brit the stock looks ok in the pic but cant see it properly

:rofl: I suppose if your about 4ft tall then it's OK. The LOP is SHORT. So the plan is to get a new stock that fits me and as any originality was lost ages ago well I'll have it made up fairly modern profile in a fairly nice piece of wood. Finding someone who will inlet and bed it is another problem :banghead: mention Shoenauer and most don't want to know.
 
:rofl: I suppose if your about 4ft tall then it's OK. The LOP is SHORT. So the plan is to get a new stock that fits me and as any originality was lost ages ago well I'll have it made up fairly modern profile in a fairly nice piece of wood. Finding someone who will inlet and bed it is another problem :banghead: mention Shoenauer and most don't want to know.


Whys that?
 
The Schoenauer magazine is not the easiest to inlet and the stock at the sides are much thinner than a Mauser staggered magazine. I have never inletted a stock but have been told several times that Schoenauers are not that simple to do so they just don't want to know.
 
A Brilliant bit of kit one of the best Rifles Mannlicher ever built with snail drum magazine and a double set trigger and butterfly roll over safety and spoon lever bolt , such combination has a job to be beaten in my view.

I have had one for over 30 years in stutzen form and is the first rifle I reach for and most of my stalking is woodland.

I cant say the same for the more modern Mannlichers but that comment applies to most modern built rifles as they certainly do not build them like they used to do thats for sure.

Happy New Year by the way
Stu

Stu, not all double set triggers they were available with double triggers or two stage single trigger.
 
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