Over on Auction Arms (
Guns For Sale : Antiques - Swiss 1893 Mannlicher Carbine - Auction: 9633761 (Ends 08/03/2010, 08:30:43 PST)), there's a nice Swiss Model 1893 Mannlicher in 7.5x53 (the OLD cartridge) going for $800. These are fairly rare, with only 7,750 made by two Swiss factories -- SIG, Neuhausen, and Eidgenössische Waffenfabrik, Bern. It should be noted that the 1893's were never chambered to fire the modern GP11 7.5x55 ammunition, and should never be fired using modern loads.
These are almost identical to the Austro-Hungarian Model 95s, but Swiss-built in a carbine length and almost-full stock. They were not fitted for a bayonet. Reportedly, the Swiss were not happy with these because of accuracy issues, ease of breakage on the drill pad, and a more complicated assembly/disassembly procedure, and replaced it with the 1905 cavalry carbine. Reportedly, many of these were simply destroyed by ham-handed soldiers banging the carbines against the ground during drill, although I wonder at that statement...
Here's a better photo of the M1893 from a different source:
So, just for the record: The Swiss Army
did use a turn-bolt rifle in the Schmidt-Rubin rifle era - just not many of them and not for long...
