Original Dutch Pre-WWI Geweer M. 95 Mannlicher KNIL Rifle by ŒWG Steyr Serial 9023A – Dated 1897 Original Items

Original Item: Only one Available. This is a very nice example of the Dutch Geweer M.95 Mannlicher Infantry Service rifle, which was the standard Dutch long rifle from 1895 and through WWI. It was still in service in some areas until at least 1955, especially by the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army (Koninklijk Nederlands Indisch Leger or KNIL). Due to the large amount of wear on the rifle, it’s very possible that it saw colonial service.

This rifle was manufactured by the Steyr Mannlicher firearms division of Österreichische Waffenfabriksgesellschaft (ŒWG, Austrian Arms-Manufacturing Company) in Austria. The right side of the receiver is simply marked STEYR 1897, with no other markings present on the receiver. The end of the barrel is however marked with serial number 9023A, and the magazine, rear sight, barrel band, and other components are marked with shortened number 23. The bolt is a non-matching arsenal replacement.

Rifle is in very good used condition, and is solid overall. The metalwork has a worn blued patina, with some light peppering from decades of service and storage. There is also some pitting along the woodline, very common for a rifle issued in a tropical colony. The stock does not have any major damage, though there is a grafted repair on the right butt stock, which we seen on other examples. It looks like there was something installed there at some point, now removed. Overall the stock shows wear from service, and the to handguard definitely looks to have been replaced at some point.

The rifle cycles and dry fires correctly, with an intact firing pin and extractor present on the bolt. The bore shows strong lands and grooves, though it does have fouling in the grooves and is overall somewhat dark.

A very nice Dutch service rifle that probably saw long service in the Dutch Colonies. Fully cleaned and ready to display!

Specifications:-

Year of Manufacture: 1897
Caliber: 6.5×53mmR
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 31 Inches
Overall Length: 51 Inches
Action type: Bolt-Action
Feed System: 5 round internal magazine with En-Bloc clip

History of the Dutch Mannlicher

The Geweer M. 95, also known to collectors as the Dutch Mannlicher, was the service rifle of the Armed forces of the Netherlands between 1895 and 1940 which replaced the obsolete Beaumont-Vitali M1871/88. At first it was produced by Steyr for the Dutch, but after 1904, production took place under license at Hembrug Zaandam in the Netherlands. Although often regarded as being based on the earlier Mannlicher 1893 Model, the rifle is in fact a modification of the Mannlicher rifle by August Schriever and the Dutch rifle commission[2]. The Dutch issued about 470,000 M.95s.

Both Dutch and Romanian rifles fired the same rimmed cartridge often referred to as “Romanian” 6.5×53.5mmR or “Dutch 6.5” 6.5×53 mmR. In military service, Dutch M.95 rifles (6.5×53 mmR) cartridges are loaded primarily through the use of an en-bloc clip, similar in concept to the clip used later by the US Army’s M1 Garand. With the Ferdinand Mannlicher designed trigger guard / magazine housing assembly, when the bolt is open and fully retracted to the rear the full en-bloc clip is loaded into the magazine from the top through the open receiver. The empty clip will fall out through a hole in the base of the magazine housing when out of cartridges. This enabled quick reloading of the rifles during combat. When the bolt is in the fully open and retracted position, full clips can be vigorously ejected upwards from the magazine housing by means of a spring loaded latch at the rear of the magazine. This is operated by a recessed button in the front of the trigger guard portion of the assembly. The clips were essentially disposable as ammunition would be issued already loaded into clips from the factory.