8×50mmR Mannlicher

Type

Rifle cartridge

Place of origin

Austria-Hungary

Service history

Used by

Austria-Hungary, Kingdom of Bulgaria, Kingdom of Italy

Wars

World War I, World War II

Production history

Designed

1890 (M. 90)

Specifications

Parent case

8×52mmR Mannlicher

Case type

Rimmed, bottleneck

Bullet diameter

8.15 mm (0.321 in)

Neck diameter

9.03 mm (0.356 in)

Shoulder diameter

12.01 mm (0.473 in)

Base diameter

12.48 mm (0.491 in)

Rim diameter

14.11 mm (0.556 in)

Rim thickness

1.38 mm (0.054 in)

Case length

50.38 mm (1.983 in)

Overall length

76.21 mm (3.000 in)

Ballistic performance

Bullet mass/type	Velocity	Energy
244 gr (16 g) M90 RN	1,950 ft/s (594 m/s)	2,060 ft·lbf (2,793 J)
244 gr (16 g) M93 RN	2,035 ft/s (620 m/s)	2,244 ft·lbf (3,042 J)

Test barrel length: 30

Note: Not to be confused with the French 8×50mmR Lebel cartridge.

The Austro-Hungarian 8×50mmR Mannlicher or 8×50mmR M93 is a cartridge dating back to the days of semi-smokeless powder.

In approximately 1890, the Austro-Hungarian Empire converted the older, black powder filled 8×52mmR Mannlicher round into a semi-smokeless cartridge, following upon the heels of France's 8 mm Lebel cartridge, the first smokeless military round. This new round was designated 8mm M.1890 scharfe Patrone or "nitro-Patrone". It was loaded with the same 244gr bullet but carried a 43gr charge of "Gewehrpulver" ("rifle powder", Austria-Hungary's name for their version of smokeless powder, which was actually a "semi-smokeless" powder). The new semi-smokeless loading pushed the bullet to a velocity of 1,950 ft/s (590 m/s) in the converted M.88/90 and M.86/90 Mannlicher rifles.

In 1893 the loading was once again updated with the perfection of a completely smokeless powder by the Austro-Hungarians. This new loading was designated 8mm M.1893 scharfe Patrone, it was loaded with the same bullet as the two previous loadings but used a 43gr charge of the new Gewehrepulver M.1892. This improved ballistics slightly to 2,035 ft/s (620 m/s) out of the long M.88/90 and later M.95 long rifles, it was about 200 ft/s (61 m/s) less out of the repetier-carabiner M.90 and M.95. It was later replaced by (and many weapons were rechambered for) the 8×56mmR cartridge.

The IOF.315 Sporting Rifle uses this cartridge under the title of .315.

The 8×50mmR Mannlicher cartridge has a long history of sporting use in India, as it was a simple matter to modify the Lee–Enfield action to accommodate the 8×50mmR in place of the .303 inch cartridge, thus providing a solution to the British colonial administration's ban on civilians possessing rifles chambering British military cartridges while offering a cartridge of similar capabilities.

British gunmakers BSA produced sporting versions of the Lee–Enfield military rifle, chambered in "8mm (.315")" from well before World War I until at least the 1930s. The British-founded "Rifle Factory Ishapore" continues to manufacture Lee–Enfield sporting rifles in this chambering.

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Wikipedia