9.5×57mm Mannlicher–Schönauer

Type

Rifle, hunting

Place of origin

United Kingdom

Production history

Designer

Westley-Richards

Designed

1908

Manufacturer

Kynoch
Other specialist dealers

Produced

1910 to 1939

Specifications

Case type

Rimless, bottleneck

Ballistic performance

Bullet mass/type	Velocity	Energy
270 gr (17 g) Round nose	2,150 ft/s (660 m/s)	2,768 ft·lbf (3,753 J)

Test barrel length: 25"
Source(s): Kynoch

The 9.5×57mm Mannlicher–Schönauer (MS) cartridge was adopted for the M-1910 MS rifle and carbine in 1910. (Note: The word Schoenauer is often spelled Schönauer with an “umlaut” over the “o”). The 9.5×57mm MS is also known as the 9.5×56mm MS, the 9.5×56.7mm MS, and the .375 Rimless Nitro Express (RNE) × 2¼ (primarily in England). The cartridge may have been created by Westley-Richards and Eley in 1908 (rather than by the Oestereichischer Waffenfabrik-Gessellschaft, Steyr (OWS) (Austrian Arms Manufacturer-Association, Steyr)), but no production rifles in this caliber have been found prior to the M-1910. This development by or on behalf of Steyr was probably an answer to the development by the noted British gunmaking firm of Holland & Holland in 1905 of their .400/.375 Rimless Belted Nitro Express, designed for their specially modified Mannlicher–Schoenauer rifle (they imported the actions from Austria, but built the rifles in house). Whether the development of the 9.5×57mm Mannlicher–Schoenauer cartridge originated with OWS or with Holland's British competitor, Westley Richards certainly was the principal promoter of the new 1910 Model Mannlicher–Schoenauer rifle as evidenced by catalogs of the time. The 9.5×57mm MS is the last pre-war proprietary cartridge by Steyr and their most powerful until the recent advent of the .376 Steyr, which has its antecedents in the 9.5×57mm.

Factory loads were manufactured with a 270-grain (17 g) round-nose bullet at from 2,150 ft/s (660 m/s) (from the carbine) to 2,250 ft/s (690 m/s) (from the rifle). This performance ranks the 9.5×57mm on par with or superior to similar medium-bore cartridges such as the 9×56mm Mannlicher–Schoenauer, 9×57mm Mauser, .35 Winchester, .348 Winchester, .358 Winchester and 9.3×57mm. It was superior to the well-established British .375 Flanged Nitro Express, which only developed about 1950 to 2000 fps with the same weight of bullet, and tread closely on the heels of the well-regarded .400/350 Nitro Express and .400/360 Westley Richards cartridges, howbeit these benefitted from a bullet weight of significantly greater sectional density. Since this is normally shot from a 6.5 pounds (2.9 kg) rifle, the recoil is quite vigorous. The recoil energy of 30 ft·lbf (41 J) from this combination is about 50% more than an average American .30-06 rifle, but light by the standards of other African game cartridges such as the .375 H&H Magnum.

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