Jun 25, 2016 4 min read

It’s a safe bet almost every reader of my writing know what “03” means. Of course, it is the designation for the 1903 Springfield used by our troops in the first and second world wars. Today, this military rifle chambered for the equally famous .39-06 cartridge is sought after by many shooters and will bring premium prices. Everyone thinks the rifle of World War II was the Garand, but many soldiers used the Springfield in the early parts of the war.

I had a brother-in-law who carried one throughout the Guadalcanal Campaign and respected the Springfield. While the rifle was a good design and this country tried to avoid it, they ended up paying patent infringements to Germany for copying Mauser patents. So much for the 03, but in central Europe there was another 03.

It seems Austria was on the decline and being bullied a bit by its neighbors. Ferdinand Von Mannlicher wanted to do something about it.

Mannlicher was born in 1848 and, from that point until the turn of the century, there were many changes in firearms and ammunition. Rifling made inroads and breech loaders were being accepted. Smokeless powder appeared on the scene, as did the self-contained cartridge. While Paul Mauser in Germany and John Moses Browning in the United States were known for their firearms designs, Mannlicher was probably on the same level designing a machine gun well before Browning.

Most firearms historians give Mannlicher credit for preceding Browning and Mauser in working with bolt-action rifles. His first successful one was the 1903 model used by the Greek military. More to the interest of sport shooters, however, is the sporting spinoff of the 1903 military that used the same design. Chambered for the little 6.5×54 cartridge, the 03 was a perfect mountain rifle. Of course, the most distinguishing feature of the Mannlicher carbine was the full length stock that ran all the way out to the muzzle of the 16½-inch barrel, but there were other distinguishing features of Mannlichers. The rotary magazine worked to perfection with each round being fed straight into the chamber. This is probably where Savage got the idea for their famous 99. On top of that, the Mannlicher mag was easily detached by turning the floor plate 45 degrees. The trigger mechanism was built as a unit and could also be removed to be cleaned.

I have been around firearms my whole life and if there is a better smooth finished rifle than the Mannlicher, I have yet to see one. Parts are fitted like a fine watch, but it was Hemingway that brought my attention to this rifle. He carried one briefly in Islands in the Stream. Mrs. Macomber carried one in the story about her husbands’ brief life and who can picture the old traditional safari without the Mannlicher rifle?

But what about that tiny round the 6.5×54? Over the years, the rifle was chambered for many more potent rounds but that little 6.5 round was used by Bell to down quite a few elephants. A famous Alaskan guide Charles Sheldon used one on sheep and grizzly bears.

So here is to that forgotten designer, Ferdinand Mannlicher, and his 1903 design. The rifle that is as precisely put together as the finest watch the other 03.

• I know a few people who were awarded the triple trophy by the game commission. This award is given to the hunter who bags a turkey, bear and buck during the same license year. But here’s one to beat: a young lady from Scenery Hill, Hunter Weber, did it twice before she graduated from high school. Now that is something for her dad, Mike, to be proud of. She is aptly named.

George Block writes a weekly outdoors column for the Observer-Reporter.