When stacked up beside comparable offerings in today’s market, the current Mannlicher is probably one of the prettiest rifles around. That may be a negative note on which to introduce the Steyr Mannlicher, but don’t let this insight into the ‘old world’ discourage you from looking at the modern rifle. Getting my hands on one of the old rifles from that iconic era is high on my list of desires. The rifle bolt may look the same, and it still sports the distinctive tool marks on the barrel from the cold hammer forging process, but the quality and impeccable engineering of the 1903 mo del has the edge on today’s rifle. However, the new model is no modern version of the classic 1903 model.
Today’s Steyr Mannlicher Classic is touted as a direct descendent of the Schönauer. This rifle, in the hands of ‘Karamojo’ Bell, reputedly accounted for 1,011 elephants during the era of the great ivory trade. The Mannlicher Schönauer was a legendary piece of engineering with a magnificent history and hunting pedigree. My introduction to Mannlicher rifles set the standard for how I would judge all rifles from that moment on.
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