6.5x54 Mannlicher-Schoenaur

[versifier]

I put my foot in it this time.

An old (non-shooting) friend gave me a beautiful old m1904/14. His dad brought her home from Europe after WWII. She weren't much of a looker from the outside, and she had lived in various closets for god knows how many years. The dust on her was pretty thick, but there was surprisingly little rust.
He had mentioned it several weeks ago: "I was told it's a 6.5mm, and I think it's a Mauser. Do you want it?" A Mauser from Heaven, of course I wanted it! :mrgreen:

AHA, I think, it must a Swede! So, I got me some 6.5 bullets, a full set 6.5x55 dies, and a bunch of brass. Yesterday he handed me a Mannlicher. So I'm still looking for a Swede....

Anyway, never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I took her all apart and thoroughly cleaned and oiled her. The bore is PERFECT. The fancy rotary magazine is in wonderful condition, too. It was properly cared for before it went into storage, but the outside never got oiled over the years and it looks like it's been through, well, a war.

Needless to say, the 6.5x55 cases I have are much too big to fit. Does anyone have some 6.5x54M-S dies, shellholder, and brass that's gathering dust? I think it's going to be a tack driver and I can't wait to shoot it.

[Ricochet]

Congratulations! That ought to be a sweet rifle.

[Jumptrap]

I put my foot in it this time.

An old (non-shooting) friend gave me a beautiful old m1904/14. His dad brought her home from Europe after WWII. She weren't much of a looker from the outside, and she had lived in various closets for god knows how many years. The dust on her was pretty thick, but there was surprisingly little rust.
He had mentioned it several weeks ago: "I was told it's a 6.5mm, and I think it's a Mauser. Do you want it?" A Mauser from Heaven, of course I wanted it! :mrgreen:

AHA, I think, it must a Swede! So, I got me some 6.5 bullets, a full set 6.5x55 dies, and a bunch of brass. Yesterday he handed me a Mannlicher. So I'm still looking for a Swede....

Anyway, never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I took her all apart and thoroughly cleaned and oiled her. The bore is PERFECT. The fancy rotary magazine is in wonderful condition, too. It was properly cared for before it went into storage, but the outside never got oiled over the years and it looks like it's been through, well, a war.

Needless to say, the 6.5x55 cases I have are much too big to fit. Does anyone have some 6.5x54M-S dies, shellholder, and brass that's gathering dust? I think it's going to be a tack driver and I can't wait to shoot it.


Well, hold your breath. I have a 6.5 mannlicher carbine sporter and the bore mikes at .267! Graf's has some .268 hornadys....BUY some! Now, your military version may use a rimmed case...the 6.5x54 I have is rimless. Regardless, expect to find a fat bore.

[45 2.1]

You can form brass from 3006 provided you can turn off some body diameter at the base. Military 3006 cases leave plenty of case wall in that regard.

[9.3X62AL]

I spent a little time with a Mannlicher-Schoenauer M-1903 in 6.5 x 54, and did not cast boolit work with it. I used the Hornady 160 RNSP's, and it would keep everything under 2" at 100 yards using the factory iron sights on the little full-stock carbine. Those "flying pencils" were designed with 2200 FPS muzzle velocities in mind, which is the level at which I loaded the Norma brass with IMR 4350 and IMR 4831. A fun little rifle that became too valuable to hunt with (and get scratched up). I sold it to one of the collector types that enjoys spending money on things to look at instead of use.

[versifier]

....I sold it to one of the collector types that enjoys spending money on things to look at instead of use.

Do you still have the dies and shell holder for it? If so, are you possibly interested in parting with them?

[9.3X62AL]

No, the die set and shellholder went with the rifle. Sorry about that.

[BruceB]

If you go to

www.buffaloarms.com

and select METRIC brass (toward the bottom of the caliber list) you will find Norma-made 6.5x54 Mannlicher Schoenauer cases at 55 cents per case, or $11.00/20. This isn't a bad price in my opinion, and I see that BA can also provide the dies, at $55.00 for RCBS manufacture.

At the last small-town gunshow I attended here in Nevada, I found two ziploc baggies on a dealer's table, each containing 20 brand-new 6.5x54 cases, also by Norma. The price was a measley $7.50 per 20, and I just about broke my arm diggin' for my wallet...

[Larry Gibson]

I put my foot in it this time.

Needless to say, the 6.5x55 cases I have are much too big to fit. Does anyone have some 6.5x54M-S dies, shellholder, and brass that's gathering dust? I think it's going to be a tack driver and I can't wait to shoot it.


I'll have to rummage around but I think I've got 15-18 unfired Norma cases if you're interested in that small amount.

Larry Gibson

[versifier]

I'll have to rummage around but I think I've got 15-18 unfired Norma cases if you're interested in that small amount.

Larry Gibson

Sure, Larry. Every little bit helps. PM coming your way.