Made a range trip late yesterday afternoon. Took the new one along and tried it out. Shot up a box apiece of a couple of different loads and had several 3 shot groups right around 1" at 100, along with some others that weren't quite so pretty. One or two groups where I screwed up that were just plain ugly. Ended well: last two rounds I had along hit a (I want to say 16") steel gong they have hung out at 400 yds. Took a camera with to get better pics in good light, but somebody
played with the camera settings and they all ended up in some sort of sepia tint. Here's one anyhow:
As for information on the carbine, I'm not sure what to say. It's a Mannlicher Schoenauer; Steyr changed the action back at the beginning of the '60s and did away with the Schoenauer part of the name. They'd been using the old design clear back to the turn of the century and the old, prewar ones are
really legendary for having a smooth operating bolt. Those old prewar M-S rifles were legendary in other ways, most famously as being the tool of choice for ivory hunter DWM "Karamojo" Bell. Not that later production was chopped liver, either. However, by the late '50s, scopes were become almost required hunting gear for many prospective buyers and the M-S' split rear receiver (like a Moisin Nagant or Carcano has) made putting on scope bases a hassle, so out with the old and in with a new design. Has an internal rotary magazine, much like the innards of a Ruger 10/22 magazine. 18" barrel: I was wearing plugs under muffs at the range, but I suspect the muzzle blast is stout. For lack of a better term, the stock is gorgeous; a lot of outfits make/have made Mannlicher stocked guns, but most don't seem to understand the need to subtly curve the forend's taper to make it graceful. Handles nice, too.
H&H is right about the double set trigger, on my rifle (as well as some muzzleloaders and single shots I've got) the front one is for firing in both unset (regular) or set (hair) modes. To set it requires a fair amount of effort on the rear trigger before it clicks into place. I actually did manage to remember that it's there while aiming and set it before taking the shot on one of last season's deer.
.303 is a good cartridge. I've had more than one over the years and there's still one in the safe right now. To be honest, a SMLE would do everything I would need as a hunting and general shooting at the range rifle. But. It's just that after messing around with buying, shooting maybe trading or selling some and squirrelling other guns away in the safe for 30+ years, I finally realized that I had a whole pile of plain-jane or moderately interesting guns, but had always wanted to play with some neat toys "someday". Finally realized that I'm not getting any younger and if someday was ever going to happen, there was a time limit... So, I've been thinning the herd and putting the proceeds into the sort of stuff I've always wished I could have. Plus, it's been a matter of keeping my eyes open. The rifle and carbine together cost me in the neighborhood of what many internet auctions have for a starting bid for ONE similar model. I've seen stores asking more than either cost for brand new Model 700 Remingtons.
What glass are these wearing?
Nothing like Nice vintage Europeen glass on a Mannlicher. Just something so ..... I do not know the word but I am thinking country nobles hunting a red stag in the Alps wearing their oil skins and tweeds. Bavarian, that is the word...