Beautiful Steyr Mannlicher Schönauer rifle — Model « GK » — Cal. 7×64 — Gun proofed in 1963 — German trigger — Good wood — Forend repaired and patched after break but perfectly solid — Excellent mechanics — Very good barrel — Steel turret mount — Zeiss Diavari 1.5 – 6 x 42 — TBE except for patch

This rifle begins with a meeting.

That of Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher, a prolific Austrian engineer, and Otto Schönauer, the very serious technical director at Steyr.

Mannlicher brings him the bolt and a split bridge action — an immediate visual signature. Schönauer brings an excellent rotary magazine — an internal drum that feeds each cartridge with unmatched smoothness, never deforming the bullet. These are features you’ll find on the modern versions of the firearm.

From this union was born, in 1900, the model that would carry their double name forever. The Greek army adopted it in a military version as early as 1903 in 6.5x54.

The military success was rather modest. Soldiers are often resistant to innovations in individual weapons, especially if they increase the number of parts that can be lost or broken. The civilian success, however, would be immense and lasting.

Because this rifle quickly became *the* reference for demanding hunters.

Ernest Hemingway owned one. Walter D.M. Bell — the famous “Karamojo” Bell, legendary elephant hunter in East Africa — took down his pachyderms with a 6.5x54 model (!), relying entirely on shot placement rather than brute power…

With his Mannlicher Schönauer, he would kill up to 44 elephants in one month (and 9 in one day!) and wear out 44 pairs of boots in a single year tracking them!

The firearm earned a worldwide reputation in all hunts for reliability and mechanical smoothness that was never denied. The rifle was offered in about twenty hunting calibers from 6.5x54 to 9.3x62 for European calibers and from .243 Win to .308 for American calibers.

The caliber chosen here is no accident.

The 7x64 Brenneke was born (in 1917!) thanks to the German Wilhelm Brenneke, who sought to surpass the 7x57 Mauser by lengthening the case from 57 to 64mm to gain volume and ballistics. The success was immediate and lasting. The 7x64 became one of the most widespread hunting calibers in Europe, especially in Germany, Austria, France, and for decades.

It’s a cartridge of remarkable versatility. The range of commercially available bullets extends from 120 to 180 grains depending on the manufacturer, with initial velocities between 830 and 950 m/s. Today you’ll find all common bullet types — classic soft point, polymer tip with rapid expansion like SST or Ballistic Tip, or heavy bullets like Brenneke TIG for driven hunts.

Enough to cover all medium to large European game — roe deer, wild boar, red deer, chamois — with always reasonable recoil for more than adequate power. A cartridge still widely available at all good gun dealers today as it will celebrate its 110th anniversary next year.

Our model of the day was born in 1952.

Steyr modernized the stock and introduced a flattened cocking lever oriented to the rear, perfectly in line with the smoothness of the bolt.

This is the famous “butterknife bolt handle” or “butter knife” lever among English speakers.

In German, it’s more soberly called the “Gekrümmter Kammerstengel” — literally “the curved cocking lever,” the “curved” referring to its rearward orientation. Hence the name “GK,” which became the model name until official production ended in 1968. Now at least you know where this strange “GK” name comes from.

The GK doesn’t quite have the luxurious finish of the glorious 1903, 1905, 1908, or 1910 models. Its stock wood is high-quality walnut, and its bluing is very thick, but the wood grain is more subdued than the early century rift-cut models and the bluing is less shiny. It remains excellent craftsmanship truly “Made in Austria” as they still made until around 1970/80.
Purists nevertheless agree to recognise a remarkable mechanism, thanks to its smooth cocking (the result of the combination of the rotary magazine and the bolt steel adjustments), its solidity and reliability.

The firearm is still widely used and sought after worldwide. 120 years of success and exploits by “Karamojo” Bell are undoubtedly part of it.

This rifle bears the number 41317, which is consistent with the proof mark indicating 1963 — right in the heart of the “great” GK period, five years before production stopped. I don’t think Steyr produced more than 10/12,000 rifles annually, which was nothing for the European market at the time and exports outside Europe.

The wood is excellent walnut. The firearm having suffered a fracture, it was repaired with a large central splice in the stock that holds the two parts of the firearm together. It is quite visible when holding the firearm (the old repair is a bit more noticeable). Even though my very close-up photos, as usual, exaggerate this very (too) strongly. It’s a very professional repair. The firearm remains as solid as a rock and will not suffer any stress from shooting. I bet my life on it. It won’t move.

And this will get you a beautiful firearm at an unbeatable price even in less good overall condition…

The firearm also shows signs of handling, sometimes marked but scattered. The wood remains very sound and in very good condition despite the splice.

The bluing is 98% in very good condition. Surface stains are mostly dirt and will come off with a bit of 0000 steel wool and WD 40. A few rare light spots. No oxidation and even less orange peel. VG+/VG

Useful precision: all the defects you may see in the photos are mostly the effect of my macro shots, which greatly exaggerate the slightest flaw. The firearm is actually quite beautiful even if it will need cleaning after years of storage and inactivity.

The mechanism is excellent. The bolt slides with seraphic fluidity — the famous “Schönauer smoothness” is intact after six decades. The springs are firm and without weakness.

The barrel is very good. It has taken on a slightly grey tint but remains perfectly sound. It shines well under the light and the rifling is still very nice and deep right up to the muzzle. A barrel that clearly hasn’t been used much despite its age and has kept all its potential for use and accuracy…

The trigger deserves attention. It’s an excellent German-style Stecher, with a sharpness I would call “Germanic” — dry, crisp, without the slightest fuzziness. A real pleasure to shoot. Even with the Stecher disengaged, it’s a joy.

The scope mount is original. It’s a 100% steel rotating turret. It is equipped with a Zeiss Diavari 1.5 – 6 x 42 scope.

By the way, Diavari, a highly reputed model, is a contraction of Diatal (the fixed reference range at Zeiss) and Variable — precisely designating this family with adjustable magnification, as opposed to fixed magnification scopes “Diatal”. Let’s recall that Zeiss launched the first variable magnification scopes on the market in 1922, well ahead of the generalisation of zoom scopes by competitors.

This scope is in very good condition with very clear optics. Classic 3-branch reticle no. 1. The caps are still there. Zeiss quality.

Rear sight and front sight 100% steel and perfectly functional. With open sights, the sight line is remarkable. Elevation adjustment is very easy. A very beautiful firearm. And one that is starting to have real collector interest as well, since this exceptional rifle is no longer manufactured.

In short, an excellent firearm in very good condition despite its repair. A real opportunity to acquire a rifle of very high manufacturing quality, from a great brand, in a very good caliber, all at an almost symbolic price for this still very sound firearm. A Flingus opportunity
!

Category C firearm: Valid shooting license or a hunting permit with its validation for the current year or the previous year AND valid ID card or passport. SIA ACCOUNT MANDATORY OPENED!!

Reminder: with your license or hunting permit you can possess an unlimited number of category C firearms.

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