Mannlicher-Schoenauer M1903
- Category
- Sniper Rifle
- Barrel
- 725 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.77 kg
- Introduced
- 1903
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Mannlicher-Schoenauer M1903 is a bolt-action rifle designed by Ferdinand Mannlicher and Otto Schoenauer, manufactured by Steyr for the Greek Army beginning in 1903. Its most distinctive feature is the innovative rotary spool magazine designed by Schoenauer, which feeds five rounds of 6.5x54mm ammunition smoothly and reliably regardless of orientation. The turning-bolt action with two locking lugs provides strong lockup, while the split-bridge receiver design facilitates scope mounting for sniper applications. Although no factory-dedicated sniper variant was produced, the M1903 was widely fitted with telescopic sights during World War I and World War II by Greek and Austro-Hungarian forces due to its inherent accuracy and the flat trajectory of the 6.5mm cartridge. The rifle saw extensive combat service across the Balkan Wars, both World Wars, and the Greek Civil War.
The Mannlicher-Schoenauer's rotary magazine was so smooth and reliable that it influenced sporting rifle design for decades. W.D.M. 'Karamojo' Bell, one of the most famous ivory hunters of all time, used a Mannlicher-Schoenauer in 6.5mm to take over 1,000 elephants in Africa, attesting to the cartridge's remarkable penetration and the rifle's exceptional accuracy.
The rotary magazine designed by Otto Schoenauer was a major innovation that prevented the double-feed and nose-dive issues common in box magazines of the era. The 6.5x54mm cartridge was considered advanced for its time with good ballistic performance at range. Greece ordered approximately 130,000 M1903 rifles from Steyr initially, with additional production by Breda in Italy bringing total numbers to over 200,000. Sniper-scoped versions were field-modified rather than factory-built, making surviving examples extremely rare.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Steyr Arms
- Category
- Sniper Rifle
- Country
- Austria
- Status
- Out of production
- Produced
- 1903 to 1940
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 725 mm
- Overall length
- 1230 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.77 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Bolt action
- Firing mechanism
- Striker fired
- Trigger
- Single stage
- Capacity
- 5
- Magazine
- Rotary
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Walnut
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 680 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 2334 J
- Effective range
- 500 m
- Maximum range
- 2200 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Rotary magazine
Split bridge receiver
Stripper clip guide
Butter knife bolt handle
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 430 sniper rifles | 3.77 kg | 5.40 kg | Lighter than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 429 sniper rifles | 1230 mm | 1150 mm | Longer than about 70% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 434 sniper rifles | 725 mm | 620 mm | Longer than about 80% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 434 sniper rifles | 5 | 6 | Holds fewer rounds than about 70% |
Answers
Questions about the Mannlicher-Schoenauer M1903
How much does the Mannlicher-Schoenauer M1903 weigh?
The Mannlicher-Schoenauer M1903 weighs 3.77 kg (8.31 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Mannlicher-Schoenauer M1903?
The Mannlicher-Schoenauer M1903 is chambered in 6.5x54mm Mannlicher-Schoenauer.
How many rounds does the Mannlicher-Schoenauer M1903 hold?
The Mannlicher-Schoenauer M1903 holds 5 rounds, fed from a rotary magazine.
How long is the Mannlicher-Schoenauer M1903?
The Mannlicher-Schoenauer M1903 is 1230 mm (48.4 in) long overall, with a 725 mm (28.5 in) barrel.
Who makes the Mannlicher-Schoenauer M1903?
The Mannlicher-Schoenauer M1903 is made by Steyr Arms (Austria). It was designed by Ferdinand Mannlicher / Otto Schoenauer.
When was the Mannlicher-Schoenauer M1903 introduced?
The Mannlicher-Schoenauer M1903 was introduced in 1903 and discontinued in 1940.
How does the Mannlicher-Schoenauer M1903 operate?
The Mannlicher-Schoenauer M1903 uses a bolt action, and its firing mechanism is striker fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
In service
- Royal Hellenic Army
- 1903
- Austro-Hungarian Army
- Austria
Provenance
Confidence in this record
78%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/mannlicher-schoenauer-m1903' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "mannlicher-schoenauer-m1903", "name": "Mannlicher-Schoenauer M1903", "manufacturer": { "id": "steyr-mannlicher", "name": "Steyr Arms", "countryCode": "AT", "foundedYear": 1864, "website": "https://www.steyr-arms.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": "Austrian rifle manufacturer, founded 1864. Currently produces hunting and sporting rifles.", "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-04-05 22:24:37", "updatedAt": "2026-04-05 22:24:37", "version": "a826cd329c11aab62c76039016717ad94b5d38e37df48de00a5a6800ce0b3c60" }, "category": { "id": "sniper-rifle", "name": "Sniper Rifle", "description": "Precision rifles optimized for long-range accuracy" }, "country_of_origin": "AT", "year_introduced": 1903, "barrel_length_mm": 725, "weight_empty_g": 3770, "action_type": "bolt_action"}