My New (to me) Steyr M95 & First Shots Report

Parrothead · 04-07-2008, 01:05 AM

So I was looking around at the local Big 5 a couple of weeks ago just contemplating the purchase of a Mosin Nagant after shooting a friend's M44 a couple of weeks before. Honestly, I was just innocently browsing without any intentions of purchasing anything

Really!!!

And then I saw the sale sign on a milsurp up on the display rack - $79.95... Hmm... I might have to investigate further... Steyr M95 you say? I'd read about these before - enough to know ammo ain't the cheapest on the planet, but that it's available. Also enough to know how to take the bolt out of it to look down the bore easily

And then there was the $10 off coupon

The rest, as they say, is history. It followed me home. Of course I read up on the care and feeding of the M95 and made sure to get it some nice Austrian (Nazi marked) ammo on clips after I cleaned all the cosmoline out of it

I considered taking it to a gunsmith for a once over, but even without a head space gauge, they wanted $65 to look at it

So today I took it out to a nice part of the desert between Jean and Goodsprings and put my faith in Austro-Hungarian rifle making and Nazi ammunition

I loaded the clip full of five rounds, shoved the bolt forward, took aim, squeezed the trigger, and it went BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM !!!

I was wearing big shooting muffs and I still heard the echo off of mountains for a good second or so

I saw the round impact right about where I was aiming (using the little notch in the bottom of the flip-up sight) and fired a couple of more rounds before placing a gallon jug of water out about 50 yards away. It looked about like the one I hit with my friend's M44 - nice entrance hole and a big tear in the back with a discernable exit hole

All told I shot 10 rounds just for fun and kept 10 rounds in reserve. The recoil isn't much worse than the M44, but I think the M95 might be a bit louder which works for me

!

I know everyone will want pics, so here ya go

Sorry I didn't have the camera with me today so you'll have to wait for good pics in the sunlight and these will have to do for now

Thanks go out to everyone who's helped me on this forum so far and also to everyone who took the time to read this

!

rondog · 04-07-2008, 01:21 AM

Glad you like it! I was seriously lusting after one, but talked myself out of it because of the ammo thing. I want guns I can shoot until I'm sore, 10 rounds here and 10 there ain't gonna cut it. And there's no way I could shoot that old Nazi ammo, that would have to go in the collection of old goodies. Now, if you could get 300 round spam cans of ammo for it for $47.95 like the Mosin stuff.....

Parrothead · 04-07-2008, 01:50 AM

Rondog,

Thanks for the reply! I've actually found ammo for $30 for 50 rounds, but I'll probably pay a bit more a few times to collect the clips even though I know where to get 'em for $5 a pair. The good thing is that Hornady is making new ammo for it, only it costs about $25 for 20 rounds. I've read about a time when there was cheap ammo for the M95 just like there is for the Mosin, but I missed out - which is why I have an AK and am going to buy a couple of Mosins

! Of course, you can reload for it - Lee and others have dies, Lee has the proper case length gauge for it, Graf has brass and correct bullets...

About that Nazi ammo - there's Bulgarian out there, too. I just have to shoot what I have, but even though they can't be reloaded (Berdan primed) I'm keeping the brass!

My advice is to get one and have some fun, even if the ammo's a bit expensive

It's a quirky rifle (straight pull bolt, en-bloc clip etc) and fun to play with. I just can't wait until I can shoot it either indoors or when it gets a bit darker out - the muzzle flash should be nice

Big Dog · 04-07-2008, 05:22 AM

You can get the dies and supplies to roll your own too. I have a range buddy who reloads to 2000FPS with hard-cast lead bullets - keeps recoil down and uses less powder.
Brass is available now, but you can reform 7.62X54R brass to work - there is reloadable brass out there!

I have an M95 Stutzen on order now. Can't wait to try the little fire-breather!

Parrothead · 04-07-2008, 09:17 AM

Big Dog,

Thanks for the reply!

Yep, I've got the Stutzen - not the cut-down version. I don't reload (yet) and might not be able to due to living arrangements, but it's something I'm interested in down the road

And you're going to absolutely LOVE that little fire-breather

!

04-07-2008, 01:21 AM	#2
rondog Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Parker, CO Posts: 1,028	Glad you like it! I was seriously lusting after one, but talked myself out of it because of the ammo thing. I want guns I can shoot until I'm sore, 10 rounds here and 10 there ain't gonna cut it. And there's no way I could shoot that old Nazi ammo, that would have to go in the collection of old goodies. Now, if you could get 300 round spam cans of ammo for it for $47.95 like the Mosin stuff..... __________________ What she doesn't know about, doesn't piss her off.....

04-07-2008, 05:22 AM	#4
Big Dog Moderator Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Tallahassee, Florida Posts: 9,843	You can get the dies and supplies to roll your own too. I have a range buddy who reloads to 2000FPS with hard-cast lead bullets - keeps recoil down and uses less powder. Brass is available now, but you can reform 7.62X54R brass to work - there is reloadable brass out there! I have an M95 Stutzen on order now. Can't wait to try the little fire-breather! __________________ Moderator of: AR15/M16, M14/M1A, New/Beginning Shooters and Militaria/Collectables.

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04-07-2008, 01:50 AM	#3
Parrothead Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 104	Rondog, Thanks for the reply! I've actually found ammo for $30 for 50 rounds, but I'll probably pay a bit more a few times to collect the clips even though I know where to get 'em for $5 a pair. The good thing is that Hornady is making new ammo for it, only it costs about $25 for 20 rounds. I've read about a time when there was cheap ammo for the M95 just like there is for the Mosin, but I missed out - which is why I have an AK and am going to buy a couple of Mosins ! Of course, you can reload for it - Lee and others have dies, Lee has the proper case length gauge for it, Graf has brass and correct bullets... About that Nazi ammo - there's Bulgarian out there, too. I just have to shoot what I have, but even though they can't be reloaded (Berdan primed) I'm keeping the brass! My advice is to get one and have some fun, even if the ammo's a bit expensive It's a quirky rifle (straight pull bolt, en-bloc clip etc) and fun to play with. I just can't wait until I can shoot it either indoors or when it gets a bit darker out - the muzzle flash should be nice

04-07-2008, 09:17 AM	#5
Parrothead Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 104	Big Dog, Thanks for the reply! Yep, I've got the Stutzen - not the cut-down version. I don't reload (yet) and might not be able to due to living arrangements, but it's something I'm interested in down the road And you're going to absolutely LOVE that little fire-breather !