Mil-Surplus rifle guys... Saw something odd today...

[DarkRose]

So today I was bored and seeing what I could stumble onto (nothing apparently), but did find something strange at the local pawn shop...

Was seeing what they had in older surplus rifles and the guy handed me a Steyr-Mannlicher in 8x56R... And told me it was not fireable...

For some reason, in front of the receiver in the barrel, probably right around where the case bottleneck would be, someone cut/milled/drilled a slot into the chamber... probably 3/8 to 1/2 wide, little over an inch long... all the way in.
Only speculation we had was to make it a parade/prop gun... wasn't technically de-milled in the normal sense, bore was clear, bolt in working condition, etc...

Any ideas? It wasn't original, as the patina didn't match, and showed rough toolmarks from a grinder or Dremel or something... We were stumped...

Spent a fair amount of time discussing it as it wasn't the moron that's usually in there, this guy seemed to know what he knew, and not make up stuff about what he didn't...

 

[Bfish]

In to find out the reason! Wish I could help!

 

[DarkRose]

In to find out the reason! Wish I could help!

I know right? We were totally stumped... Basically throwing out guesses...

 

[DarkRose]

To attempt to clarify, I doctored up a pic I found on Google Images...

Basically where the white oval is, though more straight sided, MS Paint is quick n dirty, heh...

 

[DoggyDaddy]

My guess is that (for whatever reason) it was an amateur job of de-milling the rifle. De-milling a rifle makes me sad.

 

[mkgr22]

Demilled to be used as a training rifle. Here is a Gunboards thread about them, with pictures:

A couple of interesting M95 Trainers

 

[Fullmag]

Training? To find out if the chamber is loaded? That only reason I can think of why that part of the barrel is opened. They must have the firing pin removed also, very dangerous if not.

 

[mkgr22]

Training? To find out if the chamber is loaded? That only reason I can think of why that part of the barrel is opened. They must have the firing pin removed also, very dangerous if not.

There was more to training than actual range time in the first half of the Twentieth Century, especially for illiterate, conscripted, Eastern European farm boys. The training rifles were used for maneuvers, Manual of Arms practice, etc.

You don't let your front-line weapons get beat to pieces.

 

[indy1919a4]

You don't let your front-line weapons get beat to pieces.

That makes sense, but you would think the barrels would be crap also for those Demills??? But the two photos in the link have stocks that looked like they were trainers..

To Darkrose, how did the stock of the one you saw look??

Has anyone come across anything to Indicate how many of these were made...??

 

[DarkRose]

That makes sense, but you would think the barrels would be crap also for those Demills??? But the two photos in the link have stocks that looked like they were trainers..

To Darkrose, how did the stock of the one you saw look??

Has anyone come across anything in Indicate how many of these were made...??

The stock wasn't in horrible shape, the normal surplus dings and dents, little dark, didn't notice any cracks, but was more looking at the slot and barrel than the stock.

The downside is they had the non-firing trainer priced the same as a functional Steyr-Mannlicher carbine...

Never thought to check if the bolt still had the firing pin... Might have to check back and take another look at it sometime.

 

[indy1919a4]

Never thought to check if the bolt still had the firing pin... Might have to check back and take another look at it sometime.

From what I have read, other m95 training guns will still dry fire, but I have not read anyone verify that the firing pin is still included.. I would be ever in your debt if you looked, the question is starting to bug me