Guns I Want To Buy: Steyr Mannlicher 95/34

This is the inaugural Guns I Want To Buy post.  And man, it was tough deciding on what gun to feature first.  I mean, there are LOTS of guns I want to buy.  I still don't own a 1911, an M1 Carbine, a Ruger Mini 14, a Browning Hi-Power...and the list goes on.  So I decided to go with something off the beaten path, something a little weird, a little different (after all, Kentucky Fried Firearms is a little different too).  So without further ado, let's give a warm welcome to the Steyr Mannlicher 95/34.

The picture (if you couldn't tell) is from J&G Sales, located in AZ but they do internet business as well.  The rifle is chambered in 8x56R, which is an oddball round.  The rifle has a straight pull bolt, which I'm assuming is just like the Schmidt Rubin.  Most other bolt actions like the Mosin Nagant and the K98 use a rotary bolt (turn the bolt up, then back).  The rifle is loaded with a 5 round clip.  At the last round, the clip automatically falls to the ground.  Without the clip, the rifle can only be loaded one at a time.  It's an old rifle.  The 95 stands for 1895 and the 34 for 1934.  And yeah, one last thing.  The Steyr Mannlicher has some SERIOUSLY STOUT RECOIL.  How stout?  Shooting it is the one time it is okay for a man to cry.

Alright.  Three things got me interested in the Steyr 95/34.  One of them was buying my friend's Mosin Nagant 91/30.  Man, the Mosin Nagant is a fun fun gun to shoot!  Lots of power, pretty accurate, and affordable surplus ammo.  Since I enjoyed the Mosin so much, I thought I should look into other bolt action rifles.  About a month later, my FFL 03 Curio & Relic license finally came in the mail.  And with that license in hand, I started looking for C&R guns to buy.  Which led me to J&G's website where I found the Steyr Mannlicher for sale.  Price: $100.  And a hundred bucks is always a great price to pay for a firearm that eats thunder and craps lightening.  So to recap:
1.) My Mosin Nagant love
2.) My C&R license
3.) El cheapo price   

But the reason I ultimately didn't get the Steyr Mannlicher back then was the scarcity and high price of 8x56R ammo.  And even though the Mosin Nagant's recoil never bothered me, I was a little worried the Steyr's recoil might get the best of me.  So I didn't buy it.  And guess what?  Due to the Gun Scare of early 2013 (when everyone freaked out about possible gun control legislation), J&G is sold out.  My other web sources for C&R guns like Classic Firearms, Wideners, and Aim Surplus don't have in in stock either.  So it looks like I missed the boat, right?  But wait.  I have a secret source for C&R guns.  Their website is only for FFL licensees (both FFL01/gun dealers and FFL03/Curio Relic Collectors).  And they still have Steyr Mannlichers in stock for $109.  I've been feeling non-buyers remorse for a while now.  Think I'm going to have to jump the gun on this one before they are gone for good.

Lastly, enjoy these Youtube videos of fine folks shooting their Steyr Mannlichers.  Aurora91sl shoots watermelons in his video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD3NAuKCmuU.  Watermelon action starts around 2:40.  And Iraqveteran8888 shoots his Steyr 95 carbine in his video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gd0kcuy7LPw.  He uses the 5 round clips and his video shows the system nicely.

Well, I think this is just about done.  I'll update when I buy one.  Order up.