Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles mannlicher-schonauer 6.5x55?

I am intrigued by these rifles and would like to find on in 6.5x55. can those who have the rifle comment and how hard to find in the swede?

I think they only did the 6.5x54.

In this part of the world, half stocks pop up every now & then the full stock carbine in good condition is a harder find - and more money.

Sweet rifles......

I believe you are right, mlg. The 6.5X54 is a different round altogether, and I believe the ammo boxes even have the Mannlicher Schoenauer tag after the numbers.

While I have not seen one in 6.5x55 there could well have been some built for the European market in the 50's & 60's. The early ones were built using proprietary cartridges. 6.5x54, 9x56, 8x56 etc.

The model 1956 MC rifle & carbine were chambered in 6.5x55 and 6.5x57. Otherwise, it looks like the MSs in 6.5 were all x54.

i believe your right....depending on which MS rifle you are talking about the 50's era ones were chambered in a fair number of rounds.....the earlier ones were more limited....

Agreed.

FWIW, I simply looked up the calibers made in each model as documented in my BB

I stand corrected.

46 years ago, almost to the day, I paid $225.00 for a minty M-S carbine, the 1961MCA model, in FACTORY 6,5x55. I had it until the following July, when I sold it to a friend and I shot several .5" groups at 100M, with it, using the Norma 139 gr. ammo and the Kollmorgan 2.75x scope in Redfield mounts.

I found another like it, not D/Ted, here in Vancouve, in 2001, and a guy I knew bought it for $1800.00 from the owner, whom I also knew.

I had a 1956MC from about 1997 to last year when a friend talked me into selling it to him "cheap" and I had a M1903-6.5x64 here to perhaps puchase for awhile, but, I am not that keen on them and decided that these were my last M-S rifles.

Contrary to a lot of the BS you read/hear, they SHOOT and of the five choice .30-06 sporting rifles in my safes until recent sales, the M-S would equal ANY of them.

So, yeah, they WERE made and a few made it into Canada, circa the '60s.

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IMO there's not a lot of difference between the 6.5x54MS & the 6.5x55 Swede, except for factory ammo availability.

I've owned/shot/hunted with both, but do slightly prefer the Swede.

As far as M-S rifles/carbines go, though - it's more about the rifles, their smoothness, and precision fitment.

NOTHING speaks quality better than the feel of a M-S rotary magazine being slid out/into it's receiver bottom.


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so if one were going to buy one of these rifles which one of the newer editions should I be looking at?

If by newer versions you mean the 1956 MC or the 1961 MCA in the 6.5 swede, then I think you will have to do some serious searching as it is a rare chambering in each. I think these two models are both highly and equally regarded, though maybe others can chime in as well. As between these two, the stock design is a little different, with the MC having a high comb and the MCA has a monte carlo. You may want to try each to see which style fits you best - see below:

MC


MCA


I like the look and fit of both, but would really like the MC in a 257 Roberts...that's just me though.

Though not a schoenauer, the Steyr Mannlicher Model M is very nice, has a good reputation, and was chambered in 6.5x55. My guess is that you might find it more easily...