M1888 Austrian Mannlicher

[nrobertb]

Here are some pics of my M1888 Austrian Mannlicher. It shoots well with .323 bullets and 3031 powder. Like all Mannlichers it requires a special clip that drops out of the receiver when empty.

In the top photo you can see a small screw at the side of the rear sight. Loosen this, and a volley sight slides out. This is used in conjunction with a spike mounted on the middle barrel band.

[Zeliard]

Have any M.88 clips with markings that aren't on the clip list?

[nrobertb]

Well, I lost my only clip so have been single loading. Drat!

[M67]

Beautiful, heavy rifle!

[vandle]

That rifle looks great. Shame about the clip.
I would imagine not easy to get

[nrobertb]

I went to the range today (Labor Day) . I thought it might be crowded with deer season coming, but I was the only one on the property.

I hadn't shot the Austrian Mannlicher in quite a while. I was using some new brass I got from the Little Green Man on Gun Broker and it performed admirably. I used 175 gr. .323 spitzers with 3031 powder. Because I don't have a clip, I was single loading.

This is a very accurate rifle and I got a tight group.

[nrobertb]

If you don't have a set of the $80 C4HD dies, I figured out a work around to load this 8x50R caliber, using the much cheaper die sets for 8 mm Mauser and 8x56R.

Since the brass is made from 8x56R, you can use the shellhead holder from this caliber.

I used my universal decapper to get rid of the spent primers, but if you don't have one you could take the decapping rod out of one of the die sets, or use a pin punch, or even a nail with the tip ground to the correct diameter.

If you are going to reuse the brass in the same rifle, there is no need to full length resize it. Instead just tap it in the 8mm Mauser die to resize about 1/16" of the neck, just enough to hold the bullet securely.

Use the 8x56R bullet seating die to seat the .323 bullet.

There you are. No doubt there are other ways to do it, but this worked for me with what I had on hand.

[garra]

Numrich indicates the clip for the M95 will handle the 8x50mm, but when I checked the 1888 model no stock. Different calibers? https://www.gunpartscorp.com/products/1165210

[nrobertb]

I had never heard anything much about the Italian/Austrian front in the mountains during WWI. I found some excellent videos on Youtube on the subject. The Austrians were outnumbered but had some advantages such as better artillery. They were armed with the rifle mentioned above, while the Italians had the Carcano.

[vandle]

Numrich indicates the clip for the M95 will handle the 8x50mm, but when I checked the 1888 model no stock. Different calibers? https://www.gunpartscorp.com/products/1165210

Different Clips

M1888

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M95

download.jpg (5.8 KiB) Viewed 2046 times

[AGB-1]

The first two clips pictured are for the 1886 11mm Mannlicher.
Note the paper patched bullet.

[junkbug]

There is a 8mm clip that looks like the first two, but smaller. The clip like the third photo is the usually comes with the 8x56r ammo. It will work in a 1888/90, and also the M-95 in 8x50r.

[vandle]

stand corrected, I had problems downloading photos, it kept doubling up the first download

[garra]

Does anyone have a M1886 Mannlicher in original caliber of 11.15x58 ?