Mannlicher-Schoenauer Model 1900
- Category
- Rifle
- Barrel
- 725 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.80 kg
- Introduced
- 1900
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Mannlicher-Schoenauer Model 1900 is a bolt-action rifle designed by Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher and Otto Schoenauer and built by Steyr in Austria. It introduced the pairing of Mannlicher's turning-bolt action with Schoenauer's smooth-feeding rotary spool magazine, chambered for the then-new 6.5x54mm Mannlicher-Schoenauer cartridge. Patented in 1900, the rifle was submitted to contemporary military rifle trials, most notably in Romania, and served as the direct predecessor to the refined Model 1903 that Greece adopted as its standard service rifle. The five-round rotary magazine fed reliably regardless of the rifle's orientation, avoiding the double-feed and nose-dive problems of period box magazines.
The Model 1900's rotary magazine impressed trials boards and civilian shooters alike; the same action went on to become one of the most celebrated sporting rifles of the 20th century, favoured by big-game hunters such as ivory hunter W.D.M. 'Karamojo' Bell.
The Model 1900 was primarily a trials and pre-production pattern rather than a widely fielded service rifle; most physical dimensions closely match the production Model 1903 that superseded it. Standalone specifications specific to the 1900 pattern are sparse in reference sources, so several figures are inferred from the closely related 1903 rifle.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Steyr Arms
- Category
- Rifle
- Country
- Austria
- Status
- Out of production
- Produced
- 1900 to 1903
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 725 mm
- Overall length
- 1230 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.80 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
- 2000 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
Turning bolt action
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 1,612 rifles | 3.80 kg | 3.50 kg | Heavier than about 60% |
| Overall lengthAmong 1,557 rifles | 1230 mm | 1080 mm | Longer than about 80% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 1,659 rifles | 725 mm | 584 mm | Longer than about 80% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 1,611 rifles | 5 | 5 | Holds more rounds than about 60% |
Answers
Questions about the Mannlicher-Schoenauer Model 1900
How much does the Mannlicher-Schoenauer Model 1900 weigh?
The Mannlicher-Schoenauer Model 1900 weighs 3.80 kg (8.38 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Mannlicher-Schoenauer Model 1900?
The Mannlicher-Schoenauer Model 1900 is chambered in 6.5x54mm Mannlicher-Schoenauer.
How many rounds does the Mannlicher-Schoenauer Model 1900 hold?
The Mannlicher-Schoenauer Model 1900 holds 5 rounds, fed from a rotary magazine.
How long is the Mannlicher-Schoenauer Model 1900?
The Mannlicher-Schoenauer Model 1900 is 1230 mm (48.4 in) long overall, with a 725 mm (28.5 in) barrel.
Who makes the Mannlicher-Schoenauer Model 1900?
The Mannlicher-Schoenauer Model 1900 is made by Steyr Arms (Austria). It was designed by Ferdinand Mannlicher / Otto Schoenauer.
When was the Mannlicher-Schoenauer Model 1900 introduced?
The Mannlicher-Schoenauer Model 1900 was introduced in 1900 and discontinued in 1903.
How does the Mannlicher-Schoenauer Model 1900 operate?
The Mannlicher-Schoenauer Model 1900 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
- Kingdom of Romania (trials)
- 1900
Provenance
Confidence in this record
62%
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-schonauer-model-1900' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "mannlicher-schonauer-model-1900", "name": "Mannlicher-Schoenauer Model 1900", "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": "rifle", "name": "Rifle", "description": "Long-barreled firearms designed for accurate shooting" }, "country_of_origin": "AT", "year_introduced": 1900, "barrel_length_mm": 725, "weight_empty_g": 3800, "action_type": "bolt_action"}