1895 Dutch Mannlicher 30-40 Krag

I picked this little carbine up about 8 years ago. It finally worked it's way up to be a project for me.



It caught my eye when I saw that it was re-chambered in 30 Government. So I bought it from an online auction site thinking it might be a fun companion to my Krags and my Ruger #3 in that caliber..

I haven't fired it yet. I do have a 30-40 Krag no-go headspace gauge (that it will not close on), but I don't have a go-gauge. Empty brass chambers fine.

I never fooled with it after purchase because I couldn't get the enbloc clips to work with 30-40 brass. It sat lonely in the back of the safe since then.

So I got it out this week, and tried again to see about getting the brass to feed. The 30-40 brass will not load into the enbloc clip, and "making it fit" doesn't help because the bolt will not strip the cartridge into the chamber from the clip/magazine well.

So I did some internet searching and saw that people use 303 British brass to form the original 6.5 Dutch round because the rim sizes are so close. That reminded me that 303 British and 30-40 Krag cases are pretty close cousins, with the 303 British rim being slightly smaller than the 30-40 Krag.

So out to the garage I went to retrieve a couple 303 cases. A little imperial wax and a trip through the 30-40 Krag sizing die and seating a 311299 bullet with no powder or primer resulted in a case that not only fit into the enbloc clip, but stripped off the clip effortlessly and into the chamber. Hmmmm...... Now we may be getting somewhere.

So I need to re-size and load some 303 British cases up for a test in the near future.

I wanted to ask the Winchester Guru's on the site what action this barrel might have been taken from?





It was dovetailed on the bottom of the barrel for a rear sight, which seemed strange as the Winchester barrel roll mark is visible from where the top of the barrel is exposed in the stock. Maybe it was used for another project before this one?

What a nice, fun carabine!
The bottom dovetail was a surprising detail. Made ready for export to Australia?
Keep us posted on how it shoots, and good luck!

Looks like it could be a M54 barrel.

a dovetail attachment, to hold the froearm on, was a Winchester standard on the 1885 Singleshot

Fun project! I passed up one of these Dutch 1895’s many years ago. I wasn’t reloading at the time, so it seemed a pointless purchase, back then.

These are fun. The Brits had access to a pile of surplus/overrun barreled actions from the Steyr factory and made some beautiful sporting rifles with them. I know that both Gibbs and Jeffries sold them.

That's a beautiful little rifle. I love all the character, to include the extra dovetail and the vise-jaw checkering job. It's just a super-cool rifle, chambered for a truly great cartridge.

I would personally be far happier toting that afield than any "more desirable" or more "capable" rifle.

I once had a Danzig 98 Mauser in 8x57, with a 24" barrel - a very well-done, if not very conservative "conversion," (not nearly as nice as your Mannlicher) which I had intended to use as-is, with the open sights. It handled so naturally and "felt" light and lively. I discovered the scope-mounting holes on the rear bridge were way out of alignment with the ones in the front ring and had intended to just plug them anyway. I hit my dad up for plug screws until I could order some more.

My dad was appalled and insisted I trade him for a VZ-24, which he had D/T'd himself correctly. Wouldn't listen to the argument that I wasn't going to scope it, as it was "an abomination" to own, let alone use a rifle buggered to that degree. I'd planned on making the VZ into a rifle of similar quaint charm and character to yours, but it ended up being too much like all the other rifles I had.

Haven't found one quite as charming as your Mannlicher - or my Danzig since.

I'd be proud to own that.

It's a pre-1964 Model 70 barrel. The bottom dovetail was for a bedding screw thread insert.

There was an inletted sling mount on the left forearm, you can find those at Brownell's and other places if you want to replace it.

Ian is right about it being a Model 70 barrel. A second look of the photos and I saw the washed out “Winchester Proof Steel” roll mark almost guarantees it’s a M70 barrel not a M54 Winchester

Thank you all for the kind comments and for the answer to my question on the origin of the barrel.

I probably will replace the sling mount, I can be weird in "needing" everything to be complete. When I bought my Colt New Service it came with the hole in the butt for the lanyard swivel, but no swivel. So of course I immediately ordered the swivel from Numrich's, even though I will never use it.

Jeff H said:

love all the character, to include the extra dovetail and the vise-jaw checkering job

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I had to laugh at the barrel index mark the "gunsmith" left.



Must have been enjoying a cold drink while swinging the hammer...... Oops.

Jeff H said:

Haven't found one quite as charming as your Mannlicher - or my Danzig since.

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It is funny what one man see's as charm, while another might call it an abomination.

Like my "Mannlicher" Krag I picked up about the same time as this Danish carbine. I love it, but I am sure it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea.

That's a couple of really cool rifles Brother, I'm a big fan of the 30-40 myself. I used mine for deer this year as it is so much better to carry a rifle with personality.

Very nice gun!

hporter said:

It is funny what one man see's as charm, while another might call it an abomination.

Like my "Mannlicher" Krag I picked up about the same time as this Danish carbine. I love it, but I am sure it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea.

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I would NOT be ashamed to carry that one either! Another beauty, in my eyes.

That "Mannlicher" Krag is KOOL!

The OPs bolt gun would also be fun.

Never played with a 30-40 Krag, but... I would REALLY like an 1895. Wouldn't scope it, so no reason to go 30-06 (could/cast/but...). So one in 30-40 Krag with peep sights, shooting nothing but cast, would be the PERFECT woods gun (all I hunt anyway).

oscarflytyer said:

I would REALLY like an 1895

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Me too. Of all the calibers it was chambered in, that would be my first choice.

Nice looking rifle except for that silly looking fore stock. Never cared for a Mannlicher.

the only 30-40 i have is a model 95.
i don't shoot it very often but it shoots the 165gr. rcbs silhouette bullet good enough.
i totally forgot about even owning that one till this thread.

fiver said:

the only 30-40 i have is a model 95.
i don't shoot it very often but it shoots the 165gr. rcbs silhouette bullet good enough.
i totally forgot about even owning that one till this thread.

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dang! gotta be tough to forget a 95 in 30-40!

A couple of years ago, I hesitated too long on a nicely sporterized, if plain, Dutch Mannlicher in a shop in Topeka. Been kicking myself since, butI really don't need the headaches of forming brass and such.

I love the .30-40 Krag, though. Lucked into a good deal on a well sporterized one a few years ago which is a good shooter with the 311284 and IMR4198.