The Austro-Hungarian Empire had just adopted the straight-pull Model 1886 infantry rifle designed by Ferdinand von Mannlicher, almost a year before, chambered in an 11x58Rmm (11mm Werndl) compressed black powder loading. The initial order placed with the Steyr factory for 143,000 rifles was immediately suspended after only 80,000 rifles had been produced while the General Staff figured out what to do about
France
's new superiority in the field of small arms.
Two years later, the semi-smokeless 8x52R Gewehrpatronnen M1888 was adopted and existing mannlicher rifles were upgraded to suit the round and re-designated the Model 1886-88. The Steyr (and the FEG plant in Budapest) began manufacturing purpose-built Model 1888 rifles at this time, chambered from the beginning in 8x52R.
By 1890, the Austro-Hungarians, like most of the European great powers, had perfected smokeless powder in the new 8x50R calibre. At the same time, the Cavalry was looking for a new carbine to field and concerns were being raised about the strength of the 1888's locking mechanism given the new, higher chamber pressures being generated. Mannlicher fell back on an early trials rifle design that had been discarded as too complicated to manufacture during the development of the Model 1886 rifle. The newly designed bolt employed dual, opposed front locking lugs with a floating stationary extractor. Helixes on the bolt head shaft engaged helixes in the bolt body to rotate the bolt head 90 degrees during extraction. This greatly increased the strength of the action and also allowed for a somewhat shorter receiver and bolt throw. The resultant rifle, the Model 1890 cavalry carbine, was liked so much that it's action became the basis of Austro-Hungarian firearms design until the break-up of the Empire, and also of Austria and
Hungary until the onset of the second world war.
The 1890 action is of a straight-pull design. The rifle is loaded by means of a charger clip containing 5 rounds of ammunition inserted from the top into the open action, whereby the clip becomes an integral part of the magazine. Once all 5 rounds have been expended, the empty clip falls out the bottom of the magazine and a new clip is inserted. In 1890, this was arguably the fastest repeating rifle available, in terms of loading and sustained firepower, as most contemporary rifles were either using single-loaded box magazines of the Lee design, or tubular Kropatschek-type magazine systems below the barrel. Additionally, the straight-pull bolt was faster to cycle than other rifles employing the mannlicher clip system like the Gewehr 1888 Commission rifle.
By 1895, the 1890 carbine was so well regarded that the Austro-Hungarian Authorities directed Steyr to build infantry rifles based on the 1890 Carbine's action. The ensuing rifle was predictably adopted as the Model 1895 Infantry Rifle (Osterreichisches Repetier-Gewehr M.95).
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