Mannlicher-Schönauer Model 72
- Category
- Rifle
- Barrel
- 600 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.40 kg
- Introduced
- 1972
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Mannlicher-Schönauer Model 72 is an Austrian bolt-action sporting rifle produced by Steyr, the final development of the classic Mannlicher-Schönauer hunting rifle line. It retains the celebrated Schönauer rotary spool magazine feeding a modernized bolt action, and was offered chambered in popular hunting cartridges including .30-06 Springfield, .270 Winchester and .243 Winchester. Prized by hunters for its smooth cycling and refined walnut-stocked build, it was made in both half-stock and full-length Mannlicher-stock carbine forms.
The Schönauer rotary magazine, designed by Otto Schönauer at the turn of the 20th century, was so smooth and reliable that hunters kept demanding it for decades — the Model 72 carried that rotating spool feed all the way into the 1970s and beyond, long after box magazines had become the industry norm.
The Model 72 modernized the earlier post-war MS-1950/1956/1961 sporting rifles while keeping the signature Schönauer rotary magazine. Many were built with a double-set trigger and the traditional butter-knife bolt handle.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Steyr Arms
- Category
- Rifle
- Country
- Austria
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1972
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 600 mm
- Overall length
- 1080 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.40 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
- Wood
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Muzzle velocity
- 880 m/s
- Muzzle energy
- 4515 J
- Effective range
- 300 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.
Schonauer rotary magazine
Mannlicher full stock option
Double set trigger option
Hinged floorplate
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 75 .30-06 Springfield rifles | 3.40 kg | 3.40 kg | Heavier than about 60% |
| Overall lengthAmong 73 .30-06 Springfield rifles | 1080 mm | 1100 mm | Shorter than about 70% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 75 .30-06 Springfield rifles | 600 mm | 584 mm | Longer than about 60% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 78 .30-06 Springfield rifles | 5 | 4 | Holds more rounds than about 80% |
Answers
Questions about the Mannlicher-Schönauer Model 72
How much does the Mannlicher-Schönauer Model 72 weigh?
The Mannlicher-Schönauer Model 72 weighs 3.40 kg (7.50 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Mannlicher-Schönauer Model 72?
The Mannlicher-Schönauer Model 72 is chambered in .30-06 Springfield, .243 Winchester, and .270 Winchester.
How many rounds does the Mannlicher-Schönauer Model 72 hold?
The Mannlicher-Schönauer Model 72 holds 5 rounds, fed from a rotary magazine.
How long is the Mannlicher-Schönauer Model 72?
The Mannlicher-Schönauer Model 72 is 1080 mm (42.5 in) long overall, with a 600 mm (23.6 in) barrel.
Who makes the Mannlicher-Schönauer Model 72?
The Mannlicher-Schönauer Model 72 is made by Steyr Arms (Austria). It was designed by Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher.
When was the Mannlicher-Schönauer Model 72 introduced?
The Mannlicher-Schönauer Model 72 was introduced in 1972.
How does the Mannlicher-Schönauer Model 72 operate?
The Mannlicher-Schönauer Model 72 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
- Sporting and hunting market
- 1972
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-72' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "mannlicher-schonauer-model-72", "name": "Mannlicher-Schönauer Model 72", "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": 1972, "barrel_length_mm": 600, "weight_empty_g": 3400, "action_type": "bolt_action"}