Steyr M85 Olympic Rifle

This week for Firearm Friday we are bringing you a Steyr M85 but what we like to call the “Olympic” version which was used by Miklós Kocsis from Hungary in the Summer 1956 Olympics in Melbourne Australia.

The Steyr M-85 is a sporter version of the Mannlicher M1895 and it is chambered in 7.62x53, it is an Austro-Hungarian straight pull bolt-action rifle, designed by Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher that used a refined version of his revolutionary straight-pull action bolt. The primary producers were the ŒWG in Steyr, and FÉG in Budapest originally they were chambered for the round nosed 8×50mmR cartridge.

The M1895 is unusual in employing a straight-pull bolt action, as opposed to the more common rotating bolt-handle of other rifles. It combines a two lug rotating bolt head, similar in construction to that found on a Mauser rifle with a pair of helical grooves cut in the bolt body to turn the back and forth movement of the bolt handle and body into the rotational movement of the bolt head.

The M1895 was initially adopted and employed by the Austro-Hungarian Army throughout World War I, and retained post-war by both the Austrian and Hungarian armies. The main foreign user was Bulgaria, which, starting in 1903, acquired large numbers and continued using them throughout both Balkan and World Wars. After Austria-Hungary's defeat in World War I, many were given to other Balkan states as war reparations. A number of these rifles also saw use in World War II, particularly by second line, reservist, and partisan units in Romania, Yugoslavia, Italy, and to a lesser degree, Germany.

1956 Summer Olympics:

In the Men's 100 meter running deer, single and double shot, Miklós placed 5th with a score of 416, The gold medal place was taken by Vitali Petrovych Romanenko from Ukraine which was part of the Soviet Union.

The 100 meter running deer is a discontinued ISSF shooting event that was part of the Olympic program from 1908 to 1924, in 1952 and 1956. It was shot with centerfire rifles from a distance of 100 meters, with the target moving sideways across a 20-meter-wide opening. There were two versions: single shot and double shot.

The 1956 Summer Olympics was the last time running deer was arranged as a part of the Olympics.

The USSR team at the olympics used a specially developed high velocity, lightweight projectile with light recoil as the targets were moving 23 meters in 4.4 seconds and fast recovery was required for the second shot due to recoil. The Hungarian team which Miklós was a part of used the standard weight projectiles so had to compensate for the recoil while also taking the weight of his 17 pound rifle.

As stated the rifle receiver was a modified Steyr Mannlicher Model from 1895 and re-barreled, re-stocked and re-designed for this competition. The bolt has an extra locking lug with a lever fixed to the top of the grasping handle.

After the Olympics Miklós defected with 45 members of his team and did not return and did not return to Hungary.