6.5x54mm Mannlicher-Schönauer
Encyclopedia
The 6.5x54 Mannlicher-Schönauer also known as 6.5x54 Mannlicher-Schönauer Greek is a 6.5 mm (.264" cal.) rifle cartridge used in the Mannlicher-Schönauer
rifle
. 6.5 mm bullets are typically known for their high ballistic coefficient
s and sectional density
, which gives them great stability in flight, resistance to wind deflection, and excellent penetration.
, who shot more than 1,500 elephants in the period 1895-1930, had a very high regard for the 6.5 mm Mannlicher-Schoenauer, using it for approximately 300 of these kills. Daniel Fraser of Edinburgh, Scotland build him a special, lightweight rifle in that calibre. He only set it aside when he was unable to acquire dependable ammunition for it, and turned to a .275 Rigby Mauser magazine rifle instead. The .275 Rigby cartridge is interchangeable with the 7 x 57 mm Mauser
. Bell's legendary name has remained closely linked with the 7 mm Mauser, but the 6.5 Mann.-Sch. was his first preference.
The American cartridge, the .257 Roberts
also demonstrates many of the virtues of the 6.5 x 54 mm. The .257 Roberts was originally designed as a wildcat cartridge by Ned Roberts, and is based on the 7 x 57 mm cartridge. Note that the 6.5 x 54 mm shoots a .264" bullet.
The 6.5 x 54 mm was referred to by the writer Ernest Hemingway as the .256 Mannlicher. Though it never replaced his favorite 30-06 Springfield, he did speak highly of it as a lion cartridge, and it was the favorite of his African guide and professional hunter Phillip Percival. The Kenya game warden and naturalist A. Blaney Percival also favored the 6.5 x 54 mm.
In part, the 6.5 x 54 mm's reputation stems from its use of a 160 gr bullet, giving the projectile very high sectional density and therefore penetrating ability. It requires a fast rate-of-twist rifling (about 1 in 9") to stabilize such a long bullet.
rifle in 1903. From 1906 till the German invasion and capitulation of Greece in April 1941, was the standard military cartridge of the Greek Army. During the German occupation was used by Greek resistance fighters and during the Greek Civil War
(1946 - 1949) by the Greek Gendarmerie, militia units and even Communist fighters of the Democratic Army of Greece
The Austrian Army used the 6.5x54 Mannlicher-Schönauer cartridge during World War I
. Some Austrian Army regiments and the Polish Legion, were armed with confiscated Mannlicher-Schönauer
rifles produced for the Greek Army. Also the Austrian Army used the 6.5x54 Mannlicher-Schönauer cartridge in converted Arisaka
6.50x50 rifles captured from the Russian Army.
Mannlicher-Schönauer
The Mannlicher-Schönauer is a type of rotary magazine bolt action rifle produced by Steyr-Mannlicher for the Greek Army in 1903 and later was also used in small numbers by the Austro-Hungarian Armies.-Design Characteristics:In the late 19th century, the...
rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
. 6.5 mm bullets are typically known for their high ballistic coefficient
Ballistic coefficient
In ballistics, the ballistic coefficient of a body is a measure of its ability to overcome air resistance in flight. It is inversely proportional to the negative acceleration—a high number indicates a low negative acceleration. BC is a function of mass, diameter, and drag coefficient...
s and sectional density
Sectional density
Sectional density is the ratio of an object's mass to its cross-sectional area. It conveys how well an object's mass is distributed to overcome resistance. For illustration, a needle can penetrate a target medium with less force than a coin of the same mass...
, which gives them great stability in flight, resistance to wind deflection, and excellent penetration.
Background
Among professional elephant hunters of the 19th and 20th centuries, Walter Dalrymple Maitland "Karamojo" BellWalter D.M. Bell
Walter Dalrymple Maitland Bell , known as Karamojo Bell, was a Scottish adventurer, a big game hunter in East Africa, soldier, decorated pilot, sailor, writer and painter....
, who shot more than 1,500 elephants in the period 1895-1930, had a very high regard for the 6.5 mm Mannlicher-Schoenauer, using it for approximately 300 of these kills. Daniel Fraser of Edinburgh, Scotland build him a special, lightweight rifle in that calibre. He only set it aside when he was unable to acquire dependable ammunition for it, and turned to a .275 Rigby Mauser magazine rifle instead. The .275 Rigby cartridge is interchangeable with the 7 x 57 mm Mauser
7 x 57 mm Mauser
The 7×57mm cartridge, also known as the 7 mm Mauser, 7×57mm Mauser, 7 mm Spanish Mauser in the USA and .275 Rigby in the United Kingdom, was developed by Paul Mauser of the Mauser company in 1892 and adopted as a military cartridge by Spain in 1893. It was subsequently adopted by several...
. Bell's legendary name has remained closely linked with the 7 mm Mauser, but the 6.5 Mann.-Sch. was his first preference.
The American cartridge, the .257 Roberts
.257 Roberts
The .257 Roberts a medium powered .25 caliber cartridge known affectionately as the Bob. It has been described as the best compromise between the low recoil and flat trajectory of smaller calibers such as the .22 and 6mm, and the strong energy but not the strong recoil of larger popular hunting...
also demonstrates many of the virtues of the 6.5 x 54 mm. The .257 Roberts was originally designed as a wildcat cartridge by Ned Roberts, and is based on the 7 x 57 mm cartridge. Note that the 6.5 x 54 mm shoots a .264" bullet.
The 6.5 x 54 mm was referred to by the writer Ernest Hemingway as the .256 Mannlicher. Though it never replaced his favorite 30-06 Springfield, he did speak highly of it as a lion cartridge, and it was the favorite of his African guide and professional hunter Phillip Percival. The Kenya game warden and naturalist A. Blaney Percival also favored the 6.5 x 54 mm.
In part, the 6.5 x 54 mm's reputation stems from its use of a 160 gr bullet, giving the projectile very high sectional density and therefore penetrating ability. It requires a fast rate-of-twist rifling (about 1 in 9") to stabilize such a long bullet.
Military Use
The 6.5x54 Mannlicher-Schönauer cartridge was adopted by the Greek Army, along with the Mannlicher-SchönauerMannlicher-Schönauer
The Mannlicher-Schönauer is a type of rotary magazine bolt action rifle produced by Steyr-Mannlicher for the Greek Army in 1903 and later was also used in small numbers by the Austro-Hungarian Armies.-Design Characteristics:In the late 19th century, the...
rifle in 1903. From 1906 till the German invasion and capitulation of Greece in April 1941, was the standard military cartridge of the Greek Army. During the German occupation was used by Greek resistance fighters and during the Greek Civil War
Greek Civil War
The Greek Civil War was fought from 1946 to 1949 between the Greek governmental army, backed by the United Kingdom and United States, and the Democratic Army of Greece , the military branch of the Greek Communist Party , backed by Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Albania...
(1946 - 1949) by the Greek Gendarmerie, militia units and even Communist fighters of the Democratic Army of Greece
Democratic Army of Greece
This article is based on a translation of an article from the Greek Wikipedia.The Democratic Army of Greece , often simply abbreviated to its initials DSE , was the army founded by the Communist Party of Greece during the Greek Civil War, 1946–1949...
The Austrian Army used the 6.5x54 Mannlicher-Schönauer cartridge during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Some Austrian Army regiments and the Polish Legion, were armed with confiscated Mannlicher-Schönauer
Mannlicher-Schönauer
The Mannlicher-Schönauer is a type of rotary magazine bolt action rifle produced by Steyr-Mannlicher for the Greek Army in 1903 and later was also used in small numbers by the Austro-Hungarian Armies.-Design Characteristics:In the late 19th century, the...
rifles produced for the Greek Army. Also the Austrian Army used the 6.5x54 Mannlicher-Schönauer cartridge in converted Arisaka
Arisaka
Arisaka is a family of Japanese military bolt action rifles, in production from approximately 1898, when it replaced the Murata rifle, until the end of World War II in 1945...
6.50x50 rifles captured from the Russian Army.