Austrian Snipers - original pictures from WW.I

Absolut

Absolut

Senior Member
Thought it might be interesting to some of you to see not only original pictures of the Steyr M.95 long sniper rifle in useage (Note how the sling is attached! That's the correct way), but also something which nearly noone in the collector scene is aware of:

The second picture shows a Austrian sniper course. If you look close, you'll notice that these guys are carrying Steyr M.1912 Mauser bolt action rifles in caliber 7x57 which were originally produced for Mexico, Chile and Colombia. Note how they were modified with a turned down bolt handle and equipped with very different kind of scopes (what was at hand, mainly hunting scopes), all mounted with the Austrian "Wiener Schnäppermontage" in the Mannlicher-Schönauer style.


All the Best,

Georg
 

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very cool photos.. I know a member here who doesnt post much who owns a restored M95 orig sniper. Its the only one i've ever seen . I cant quite figure out what the heck they are they are doing ? I do see a 96 hebel flare gun and a long barrel reichs revolver in the photo. The second photo Id say those rifles were heavily modifed. Note the double set triggers and typical claw mounts. Id say the mod12 was a better sniper rifle that the m95.
 
I do have a M.95 sniper rifle Carbine in my collection. Took me an amazing long time to find an original one, they are mostly faked, some better, some worse.

The guy who I got the pictures of told me they were "shooting fleas", basically they just fun and posed for a picture when they had free time in their camp. The guy in the rear is cleaning his Rast & Gasser revolver (good eye for noticing it!).

Regarding the M.1912 rifle: Besides the fact that the caliber 7x57 has by far better ballistics than the 8x50R (and even superior to the 8x57 cartridge), the Design itself would have been better than the M.95.

I've recently handed the original blueprints of the M.1912 rifle from Steyr, they bear the absolutely unknown and nearly unbelieveable fact that there were not only attempts but already finished drawings for a conversion of this rifle to the 8x57 caliber with useage of the G.98 rear sight, dating somewhat 1914-1916 (do not have it in my head).

But I now better leave it at that Point, enough history lesson for today.
 
The "de-lousing" photo is humorous one IMO. Is that the Goerz 3x in single claw mounts?

The other photo is very interesting as well. At least four different scopes, but several in the same mounts. The long 'arm' of front rings is an odd feature. Was there a reason for this, or just a case of using parts that were available?
 
Absolut said:
Thought it might be interesting to some of you to see not only original pictures of the Steyr M.95 long sniper rifle in useage (Note how the sling is attached! That's the correct way), but also something which nearly noone in the collector scene is aware of:

The second picture shows a Austrian sniper course. If you look close, you'll notice that these guys are carrying Steyr M.1912 Mauser bolt action rifles in caliber 7x57 which were originally produced for Mexico, Chile and Colombia. Note how they were modified with a turned down bolt handle and equipped with very different kind of scopes (what was at hand, mainly hunting scopes), all mounted with the Austrian "Wiener Schnäppermontage" in the Mannlicher-Schönauer style.


All the Best,

Georg
Click to expand...

These are Really Great Pics some really Nice Detail for the period and as mentioned by Wayne , I also notice one very interesting fact about the second Sniper Photo in regards to the Sniper Rifles was all have DBL Set Triggers at least on the ones that can be seen . I wonder whats the likely hood of finding one of these Sniper Rifles to add to ones Collection . Are any known to be in Private Collections . Best Regards
 
The only Steyr M1912 sniper rifles I have ever seen or heard of are the two in the Austrian museum.
Not sure if it was the "Rainer" museum or the Heeresgeschichtliche Museum at Vienna. One or the other.
http://www.hgm.or.at/
 
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Amberg, I took the chance (and the bad weather, 5°C + rain + much wind) and drove to Salzburg today - no M.1912 sniper rifle at the Rainer museum in Salzburg. Also, from my last few visits to the Heeresgeschichtliche Museum in Vienna I cannot remember a M.1912 sniper rifle, only the "looking lost" M.95 sniper hidden behind other items.

Therefore it would be great if you could dig it up from your archive and post a picture of such a rifle!

Regarding the M.95 snipers: a friend of mine owns a fully matching long M.95 sniper with a Luxor scope and I've recently handed a M.95 upper scope mount with a German Goertz scope (it has a different scale on the turret). Therefore there were not only Kahles Mignon scopes. And my M.95 sniper also has a (unknown) Austrian scope on it which is not a Mignon.
 
Amberg said:
The only Steyr M1912 sniper rifles I have ever seen or heard of are the two in the Austrian museum.
Not sure if it was the "Rainer" museum or the Heeresgeschichtliche Museum at Vienna. One or the other.
http://www.hgm.or.at/
Click to expand...

Yes I remember this Museum Well , You brought me there a few Years back . This museum had some great pieces in there collection . I enjoyed that day very much . Every place we have gone on my Visits have been fabulous . Best Regards:

:thumbsup:
 
Absolut said:
Amberg, I took the chance (and the bad weather, 5°C + rain + much wind) and drove to Salzburg today - no M.1912 sniper rifle at the Rainer museum in Salzburg. Also, from my last few visits to the Heeresgeschichtliche Museum in Vienna I cannot remember a M.1912 sniper rifle, only the "looking lost" M.95 sniper hidden behind other items.
Click to expand...

SORRY!
My fault. The rifles were shown at the HGM in Vienna.
Mr. Ilming (chief of the weapons and technique department of the HGM) told me today, that the rifles were removed from the exhibition, because they have some renovation work going on in that part of the museum. The rifles won’t be back before summer next year.
 
These two pictures will also be featured in one of Robert Spielauers upcoming two new books which are currently being printed. They're also in a bit better resolution.
 
.. For anyone else who thought the mount on the Austrian Steyr M.14 rifle looks strange: here is the proof it does not only look, but indeed is:
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1374229407.647714.jpg
 
can anyone advise do the Austrian WW1 issue M95 scoped sniper rifles have serial numbers of rifle on either scope base or on scope tube or upper mount fixed to tube, possibly all locations etc and, if as a general rule they are serialled , have any genuine non-serialled scopes (with fixed upper mount attached) been noted?

thanks

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Absolut said:
I do have a M.95 sniper rifle Carbine in my collection. Took me an amazing long time to find an original one, they are mostly faked, some better, some worse.

The guy who I got the pictures of told me they were "shooting fleas", basically they just fun and posed for a picture when they had free time in their camp. The guy in the rear is cleaning his Rast & Gasser revolver (good eye for noticing it!).

Regarding the M.1912 rifle: Besides the fact that the caliber 7x57 has by far better ballistics than the 8x50R (and even superior to the 8x57 cartridge), the Design itself would have been better than the M.95.

I've recently handed the original blueprints of the M.1912 rifle from Steyr, they bear the absolutely unknown and nearly unbelieveable fact that there were not only attempts but already finished drawings for a conversion of this rifle to the 8x57 caliber with useage of the G.98 rear sight, dating somewhat 1914-1916 (do not have it in my head).

But I now better leave it at that Point, enough history lesson for today.
Click to expand...
 
Are you talking about the M.95 rifle or M.95 carbine?

A M.95 sniper should have a a scope mount number on the right side of the front base, which is identical to the number on the right side of the rear scope ring (that number below the "AZF // EAXI") and identical to the number on the lever arm (I've seen those on both sides of the lever). Additionally the rear scope ring has the rifle serial (with suffix) on the left side. Often the front scope ring bears single letter markings, such as "S" or "R". Please also note that the front scope ring is not only soldered to the scope, but aswell is pinned to the scope. I am not 100% certain, but I believe that often the rear scope ring has aswell been pinned; would need to look that up on my scopes.

Please be aware that in the period after WWI and yet before Austria was part of Germany there were also sniper rifles being assembled, mainly from spare parts. Those scopes were using the same identical mount, but with different markings. While the above mentioned scope mounts have rather deeply struck markings, these interwar-snipers are superficially marked. They bear the "HV" marking (HeeresVerwaltung) plus the Eagle, below that a date.

Usually the scopes used are of Austrian, Hungarian or sometimes German manufacture. These scopes should only have heigh adjustment with a scale of nominal 800 "Schritt" (ancient Austrian measurement), but commonly can also be found with scales of either 1000 or 600. Bascially it's important that it has numbers engraved on the scale ring and that those are to greater distances than used for hunting. Aswell be noted that the German scopes used on the Austrian sniper rifles only feature a scale ring protection on one side, while the Gew98 scopes have those on both sides. Common manufacturers for Austrian sniper scopes are Reichert, Kahles, Süss Budapest, Oigee Luxor and R. Fuess, sometimes even completely unmarked scopes.
 
my enquiry was prompted by a foto I've seen of a scope and mounts on a bare Mannlicher 95 barreled action - but that foto is cropped so there is no way for me to note the length of the barrel (to determine if it is on a rifle or a carbine)

in the pic it is a M95 military action but of course that doesn't guarantee the scope + mounting is of military origin as I had originally presumed

many thanks for the info you've provided
 
here’s the foto – probably you’ve seen it already

If not, its from the website below – btw regrettably that’s not my own collection of scopes - maybe its your own– but I’ve got a few , maybe a lot, depending on individual perceptions of what is a few and what is a lot - lol:

http://forums.nitroexpress.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=53914&an=0&page=0

now that I’ve looked at it again the scoped barrel and action is clearly from a sportered rifle (d/s triggers etc)

my curiosity was piqued about Mod 95 snipers as I have a Voightlander Skopar B 2.5 fach (for info ref. page 478 of the 1911 ‘Alfa’ Catalog), that has perfect optics, with a very similar – slight variation – mounting arrangement as seen on the Mod 95 in the foto –its redundant from a German drilling I sold some time ago (sans the scope)

obviously I have been interested if the scope may have been commercialized – i.e. whether it was originally used on a rifle like the M95 in the foto (as it had a comparable mounting arrangement which could have been built into the drilling when it was made so as to accommodate the scope)– that now seems unlikely though
 

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