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I have a Mannlicher m-95 long version. I havent use it yet, but i was wondering if its normal ,once you cocked it, that one can pull back the bolt before firing? In other words, once its fully lock and load (without a bullet inside) that the bolt can be pulled back?
Sound normal to me. (But I only have the one Steyr like yours.)
The bolt of the rifle is in 2 parts: the sleeve, which operates the rotating bolt-head (which is the actual bolt), and the rotating bolt(head) itself.
Think of a Garand with the gas shut off and the return spring missing. If you load it like a regular rifle, the bolt will unlock as you pull the operating handle backwards, rotating the bolt to unlock, pulling the fired round out of the chamber, ejecting it, feeding a new round and locking up.
Your Mannlicher works exactly the same, just with the rear sleeve of the bolt performing the function of the operating rod of the Garand. I have 2 of them, one a Bulgarian long rifle from the 1903 contract, the other a Carbine with 1917 civilian proofs. The Bulgarian has a 12mm (half-inch) S on the chamber, so has been converted to handle the 8x56R Model 30 cartridge, the little Carbine is still in the original 8x50R calibre.
Your rifle is important historically because they served in one of the biggest armies in the world in the Great War.... and in about a dozen smaller armies in the Second War. Technically, they are important because this rifle is the starting-point for the development of the Canadian Ross Rifle, which many (including myself) feel was the Ultimate Development of the Straight-Pull Rifle.
You have a Very Nice Toy. Don`t be afraid to take it out and shoot it.
8x56R ammo is said to be available from Prvi Partizan through Hornady, but it can be hard to get here. Trade-Ex Canada in Montreal has brass and bullets for the 8x56R. If they are out of the brass, you can blow out 7.62x54R and reload with the special .330`bullet for the 8x56R. For the old 8x50R you can just trim 7.62x54R brass and load with standard 8mm bullets. I usually push back the shoulders on my 7.62 brass, just a bit, while converting it; use a 8mm Lebel die to do this as 8x50R dies are VERY expensive and Lee makes the 8 Lebel dies for 25 bucks a set.
You have a very historic piece, one which is not very common. Have fun with it.
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