Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original Dutch Geweer M.95 Mannlicher 6.5mm infantry rifle manufactured by Österreichische Waffenfabriksgesellschaft, or ŒWG, at Steyr and dated 1898. It retains its STEYR 1898 receiver marking, matching 9370F barrel and receiver numbers, extensive shortened matching component numbers, Crown / W stock cartouche, and a strong rifled bore. The bolt is nonmatching, reflecting later service or arsenal replacement.

This is an antique black powder firearm manufactured before 1899. Under federal law, it may generally be owned within the United States without a special license or permit and does not require transfer through a Federal Firearms Licensee. However, state and local laws may vary. This firearm is sold solely as a historical collector’s item and has not been test fired or inspected for firing safety by a professional gunsmith. Any mechanical or bore observations provided below describe only its present condition and should not be interpreted as confirmation that the firearm is safe to load or fire. The purchaser is solely responsible for complying with all applicable federal, state, and local laws.

The Geweer M.95 was adopted by the Netherlands in the 1890s as its standard 6.5mm bolt action infantry rifle. Early production included rifles manufactured in Austria by Steyr before Dutch domestic production expanded. The pattern remained in Dutch and colonial service for many years, including use 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 example was manufactured by the Steyr Mannlicher firearms works of Österreichische Waffenfabriksgesellschaft (ŒWG, Austrian Arms-Manufacturing Company). The right side of the receiver is marked:

STEYR 1898

The right side of the butt stock retains a clear circular:

STEYR 1898
CROWN / W

cartouche, with the Crown / W associated with Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands.

The chamber is marked with serial number:

9370F

The same full number is present on the barrel beneath the upper handguard near the receiver. The shortened serial:

70

appears on numerous additional components, including the rear sight base, both parts of the sight leaf, magazine housing, bolt release, barrel band, nose cap, and other small parts.

The bolt is nonmatching and appears to have been replaced during the rifle’s service life or during arsenal maintenance. This is fully disclosed.

The rifle remains in very good service used condition. The metalwork has a worn blued patina with scattered light peppering from age and handling. There is also localized pitting along the wood line. While this type of corrosion is consistent with prolonged military use and potentially humid storage, it does not by itself establish service in the Netherlands East Indies.

The stock remains solid and shows the dents, dings, scratches, and handling wear expected from a rifle with a long service history. The wood has darkened considerably with age, though the underlying grain remains visible. No major cracks or structural repairs are noted.

The action cycles correctly during manual inspection and the trigger releases as intended. The firing pin and extractor remain present on the bolt. The safety functions, and the bolt release also operates correctly.

The bore retains strong lands and grooves but is somewhat dark overall. Old fouling remains visible in the grooves, along with age related discoloration and oxidation. These observations describe only the rifle’s present mechanical and bore condition and should not be interpreted as confirmation that it is safe to load or fire.

With its 1898 Steyr manufacture, Crown / W stock cartouche, matching 9370F barrel and receiver numbers, extensive shortened matching component numbers, strong rifling, and long service appearance, this is a solid early example of the Dutch Geweer M.95 infantry rifle. The nonmatching bolt, crossed out receiver number, worn blue, scattered peppering, wood line pitting, dark bore, and stock handling wear are all fully disclosed. It would fit especially well in a Dutch military rifle, Steyr Mannlicher, Geweer M.95, pre-1899 European service rifle, or advanced antique firearms collection.

Specifications:-

Year of Manufacture: 1898
Maker: ŒWG Steyr
Model: Geweer M. 95 Rifle
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
Federal Classification: Pre-1899 Antique

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" 6.5x53.5mmR 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.

IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to most US States and most U.S. territories.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to most addresses within the United States.