The firing chamber in this design is part of the receiver proper. While this is a cartridge of considerable power to use in a blow-back action, the pistol design itself is so sturdy that the arm has given satisfaction through the years. The powder charge varies with the type of powder used, the European standard being about 3.5 grains (227 mg) of DWM standard powder, producing a muzzle velocity in the neighborhood of 1070 ft/s (326 m/s). 85 grains (5.5 g) which may be steel or cupro-nickel jacketed. The cartridge has a bullet weighing approx. The cartridge for this pistol was manufactured in Europe until the beginning of WWII. The Mannlicher 'straight sided' cartridge actually has a straight taper to help in extraction. When introduced commercially in 1901 it was chambered for a special straight-case cartridge listed in Austria as '7.63 mm Mannlicher', designated in Germany as ' 7.65mm Mannlicher' (Note: There is also another 7.65 mm Mannlincher cartridge, M.1903, similar to 7.65 mm Borchardt), and described in the U.S. Īccording to the Steyr factory records this arm, patented in 1898, was originally introduced as the 'Model 1900' and used a special 8 mm cartridge. While technically listed as a 'hesitation' lock because of a delaying cam which has some theoretical tendency to slow down the opening of the breech, in actual practice it functions as an unlocked pistol. The lockwork is essentially that of an elementary single action revolver.

This pistol is one of the most simple of blow-back semi-automatic pistols ever designed.

Steyr mannlicher schoenauer 1952