Milsurp After Hours

I knew this was coming up for sale so I got the paperwork in place to get it when he decided to sell. It is a Steyr Model 1895 Stutzen short rifle in 8x50R with a 1918 date. Some of the exterior metal has been a bit rusty at some time and has a bit of surface pitting but overall it is not too bad. The numbers match on barrel, action and stock. The bolt is un-numbered. The bore is shiney as a new pin and looks hardly used. The rifle came with a set of NDFS dies and 90 odd cases converted from 7.62x54R, only 50 of them have been used and 100 bullets. I thought the price was not bad at £150 for the lot.

A few pics.

The rifle has side mounted sling swivels as well as underneath ones. The stock mounted side swivel is a bit inconvenient if you are left handed.

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The 1918 date is there, just, among the pits.

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Matching numbers.

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Proof marks.

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The sight.

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The long and the short rifles.

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It seems a nice rifle and looking forward to shooting it.

Only two variations left now, one for a .303 and one for a 7.62mm. I will have to stop buying for a while after that.

Regards

Peter.

Here in the US what we see most of the time are the 8x56r conversions that were made during or before WWII. They all have the S on the wide part of the barrel as it connects to the receiver. I've got a carbine and a rifle in this modified caliber.

The carbine sights look a little different from yours.

Nice acquisition Peter and I would say a bargain at the price as well.

Interested to hear how it shoots.

Niner, my long rifle is in 8x56R so I now have an example of both calibre rifles.

Regards

Peter.

that is a good looking pair that you have, you'll have to give us a range report on it.

Nice find Peter and a very good price too. What are the bullets that came with the rifle? Do you have a load in mind?

Joe

Joe, the bullets that came with it are 198 grain pointy boat tails. The proper bullet is a 244 grain flat base round nose but they are not available as far as I know. The previous owner had a load of 45 grains of H4895 with a 220 grain bullet noted on the lid of the box. I am not sure what I will use yet. I have seen load data using IMR3031 and I have a tub of that. N140 should work OK, but I am out of that and York Guns were out when I went on Saturday to get some. I have some cases all prepared ready to load, just have to decide what to put in them.

Regards

Peter.

First off, I use a 205 gr. bullet with 35 gr's of 3031 and it's a nice load. if you went up to 45 gr's of 3031 it could be a bit stout.

I shoot a lot of 200 gr. lead bullets in mine. and yes, I'm up to two rifles and seven carbines.

And yes, the lower swivel is a pain in the right cheek. My thum comes all the way around the stock and every time i pull the trigger my fingernail get me. (ok, I don't think that is a good place to put a swivel) .

and yes, I'm in the US and I have used 7.62x54 brass to load 8x56R, it's not a hard way, but I find it easier to buy my brass from Graf and sons and reload with that brass instead of trying to keep those two septperated.(I reload for most of the mil. sup. rifles, 30-06, .308, 8mm mauser, 6.5x55 mauser, .303, 7.62x54R,8x56R, 7.62x39, 7.62x25 .223 and a few other misc. cal.)

Plus I shoot and reload a lot of pistol cal.

Pat

I was looking at an old Target Sports magazine from 2000 and spotted a familiar figure in there, it is you with your M95 Peter?

Joe

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Yes, that is me. If all goes to plan and the weather is decent, I have a shoot at Strensall on Sunday where I plan to take the M95 or maybe the Indian 7.62 I just got. I want to shoot both but there is another range day soon so I will shoot one and then the other. Too much walking to carry both rifles with all the other gear on the same shoot.

Regards

Peter.