Greek Mannlicher-Schoenauer Rifle Austro-Hungarian Weapons (original) (raw)
Greek Mannlicher-Schoenauer Model 1903/14 Infantry Rifle
6.5mm M.03/14 Griechische RepetierGewehr
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Made by �sterreichische Waffenfabriks-Gesellschaft, Steyr, 1914Caliber: 6.5x54mm rimlessTurning bolt action with 2 locking lugs1226mm overall length, Weight 3.77kg725mm long Barrel, 4-groove, rh.Muzzle Velocity: 680m/sec with M1903 ball cartridge Rifle Assembly Drawing and Parts List |
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Receiver markings: M1903 on the left, M1903/14 on the right.The 1903/14 is a modification of the 1903 model: Greek Crest added, Full length handguard added, (Note, handguard is missing from the rifle pictured above), Grasping groves simplified, Stacking hook added. |
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These Greek Contract rifles intended to the Basileos Stratos (Royal Army) were sequestered and issued to their troops by Austro-Hungary in 1914. Millions of freshly made ammo was also commandeered, and ammo production continued until the end of WW1. After WW1 some of these rifles were forwarded to Greece as war reparations. |
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5-rd integral charger loaded spool mag.
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Tangent leaf front sight is graduated 200-2000 meters |
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Bayonet mount for M1903 Knife bayonet. |
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Stacking hook and front sight protector
Greek letters in the serial numbers
Greek proofmarks, St.George killing a dragon
M1903 knife bayonets were made by Steyr and FN Belgium. Old Greek Gras bayonets were altered to fit the M1903. These had a 522mm blade and 643mm full length or 400mm blade and 521mm full length.
Greek Mannlicher-Sch�nauer Model 1903/14 Carbine
A Carbine version was also manufactured with similar features, except the sling swivels were on the left side of the butt and barrel band. 1025mm overall length, 525mm barrel length, 3.58kg weight.
Muzzle cap
Carbine rear sight
Mfg date on an M1903
Greek Mannlicher-Sch�nauer Model 1903/14/27 Infantry Rifle
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Between 1927-30 Societa Italiano Ernesto Breda, Brescia, Italy assembled about 100,000 rifles and 10,000 carbines for Elleniki Demokratia (Post WW1 Greek Republic). |
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There are two theories for the origin of the parts:
1. The majority of the Y:1903/14 Mannlicher-Sch�nauer rifles left in Austria after WW1 were delivered to Italy as reparations and Breda refurbrished them with parts and machinery supplied by Steyr. When Greece placed the contract with Breda, they assembled new rifles using some of the aforementioned Steyr-made parts and when these were exhausted they produced complete rifles on machinery obtained from Steyr.
2. This contract was completed from Steyr manufactured parts by Breda, to circumvent the military weapon manufacturing prohibition imposed on Austria after WW1.
Greek Mannlicher-Sch�nauer Model 1903/14/30 Carbine
In 1930, Greece purchased from Steyr Werke AG (SWAG), 25,000 6.5mm M1904/14/30 Mannlicher Schoenauer carbines.
Receiver left side legend
St.George's Shield and Cross crest and the Acceptance mark (St.George and the dragon) are common throughout before and after WW1.
Related Greek Military History
From pages 555 & 556 of Christos Z. Sazanidis: The Arms of Hellenes, a Historical Survey of the Small Arms of the Hellenic Arms Forces, the Security Forces, and Guerilla Bands, (1821-1992)", Thessaloniki, Greece, 1995.
4. The Repeating Rifle Era (1905-1941) For Greece, the first decades of the 20th century was full of war events. The armed phase of the Macedonian Struggle (1904-1908), the victorious Balkan Wars (1912-1913), WW I (1914-1918), and the campaigns to Russia 1919) and Asia Minor (1919-1922) had all a decisive effect upon the organization and the armament of the Greek Armed Forces.
4a. Up to WW I (1905-1914) The armed phase of the Macadonian Struggle last 4 years (1094-1908) and Greece took active part in it by sending men and arms to this region. The small arms used by the Greek armed guerillas (andartae) who participated in the conflict were Gras and Martini single shot rifles and carbines.
After 1905, there was also a limited number of 6.5 mm Mannlicher-Sch�nauer repeating carbines, which were slightly different from those adopted by the Army. An assortment of rifles and carbines, coming from war booties (9.5mm and 7.65mm Turkish Mausers and 8x56mm Bulgarian Mannlichers) and commercial sales, was also used.
In the field of handguns, most were Chamelot-Delvigne and Montenegrin Gasser revolvers, but any other type of pistols and revolvers (Nagant, Colt, Smith & Wesson, Mannlicher etc) could also be seen in the hands of Greek guerillas. In Athens, after long debates and repeated trials, the Army adopted the 6.5mm Mannlicher-Sch�nauer repeating rifle and carbine on October 28, 1904. The first contract between Greece and the Steyr company (Oesterreichische Waffenfabrik Gesellschaft, Steyr) was signed on October 29-November 11, 1905 for 60,000 rifles and the first weapons were issued to troops in July, 1907. Up to the autumn of 1912, when the first Balkan War began, 130,000 Mannlicher-Sch�nauer rifles and carbines had been delivered to Greece, along with 100 million 6.5 mm cartridges bought from the Austrian Hirtenberger and Georg Roth companies, and the Greek Powder and Cartridge Company.
This rifle was used in both Balkan Wars, WW I, the campaigns to Russia and Asia Minor and the Greco-Italian and Greco-German Wars of 1940-41. It was also used by the resistance organizations during Axis occupation of Greece.
B. Up to the Treaty of Lausanne (1914-1923) When WW I broke out, Greece preferred to remain neutral for a certain period. This neutrality caused her to be cut off from any possible channel of armament procurement, including small arms and ammunition. Till then, Greece had in her arsenal 190,069 6.5mm M1903 and M1903/14 Mannlicher Sch�nauer rifles & carbines, 77,000 11mm M.1874 Gras rifles & carbines, and 44,000 Turkish Mausers and Bulgarian Mannlicher rifles and carbines.
C. Up to the Eve of the Greco-Italian War (1923 to October 27, 1940). After the Asia Minor debacle, the salvaged material, inter alia, included: 1. 96,000 6.5 mm M1903 and m1903/14 Mannlicher-Sch�nauer rifles 2. 8,650 M1903 Mannlicher-Sch�nauer carbines 3. 16,000 8 mm M1888/90 and m1895 Bulgarian Mannlicher rifles 4. 700 8 mm M1890 and m1895 Bulgarian Mannlicher carbines. 5. 26,000 7.65 mm M1890, M1893, and M1903 Turkish Mauser rifles 6. 10,500 7.65 mm M1890 and M1905 Turkish Mauser carbines. 7. 9,150 M1898 Mauser rifles8. etc.
All these weapons were old, worn out an short of spare parts, while most of them needed repair. In order (for) the Army to be ready for combat, new small arms had to be bought. After long debates and repeated trials, in 1925, Greece ordered tom the Italian Breda Factory 100,000 6.5 mm M1904/14/27 Mannlicher-Sch�nauer rifles, which were delivered in 1927. In 1930, Greece also purchased from Steyr Werke AG (SWAG), 25,000 6.5 mm M1904/14/30 Mannlicher Sch�nauer carbines, making a total of 224,700 Mannlicher-Sch�nauer weapons (old and new)." (Courtesy of John from Gunboards.com)