Steyr Mannlicher Model SL

The History of Steyr

The story of Steyr Mannlicher began in 1821 when Leopold Werndl, a blacksmith, started manufacturing iron parts for firearms in the city of Steyr. His son Josef Werndl took over his business and founded the 'Josef und Franz Werndl & Comp. Waffenfabrik und Sägemühle in Oberletten ' in 1864. In the following years, he played a crucial role in the development of several rifles, including the straight pull-rifles M. 85 and M. 86. At the beginning of the 20th century, the engineers Ferdinand Mannlicher and Otto Schönauer developed the Original Mannlicher Schönauer, a legendary hunting rifle, the production of which took place until 1973. The company grew over the years and reached a production capability of 4.000 firearms per day before World War I. After the War, Steyr was prohibited from firearm manufacturing after the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye was signed. To avoid going bankrupt, they used their knowledge and machinery to manufacture cars, bicycles, motorcycles, tractors, trucks, dynamos, electric motors, and other things (they were not allowed to resume firearm production until 1930). In 1926, the company’s name was changed to Steyr-Werke AG. It merged with Austro-Daimler-Puchwerke AG in 1934 to form Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG. Both Austro-Daimler (previously a subsidiary of Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft) and Puch (founded by the Slovenian inventor and mechanic Janez Puh) were active in the automobile industry, with Puch also manufacturing bicycles, motorcycles, and mopeds.

They even employed Ferdinand Porsche for a time – he made several contributions to the company – one of them was designing an air-cooled 3.5 L V8 engine for the Steyr RSO Raupenschlepper Ost tracked vehicle. Steyr is known for modifying Fiat cars and adding their engines to some of the models (Steyr-Fiat 1100 Mod E and Fiat 1400, for example). In 1972, they cooperated with Mercedes in the design of Puch G, also known as Mercedes Benz G-class.

During World War II, the company focused on firearm, vehicle, aviation engine, and ball-bearing production for the German military. After a short firearm manufacturing ban after the end of the War, Steyr resumed the production of arms in 1950. In the years that followed, they presented many innovative firearms such as StG 77 (also known as Steyr AUG), an assault rifle with a bullpup design; SSG 69, which was ahead of its time after its release in 1969, and many others. In 1989, Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG broke up into different sectors; Steyr Mannlicher AG became independent. The company has strived to be internationally oriented, so it changed its name to Steyr Arms in 2019.

Steyr Mannlicher Model SL Rifle Review

Steyr Mannlicher SL is a bolt-action rifle manufactured from 1967 up until 1996.

The acronyms at the end of the rifle model used by Steyr are adapted to the German language and refer to different caliber groups or action lengths. They differ from most international abbreviations:

SL – Super Leicht (super light)
L – Leicht (light)
M – Medium (same as in English)
S – Schwer (heavy)

However, the usual L, M and S acronyms of various rifle models worldwide most often refer to either the action length or a caliber group for which a certain rifle is chambered. Commonly, L stands for long, M for medium and S for short.

The B distance between the mounting holes on the receiver of Steyr Mannlicher SL is 81.8 mm.

The SL model features two opposing curves for a smooth operating action that houses a bolt with six rear locking lugs. The bolt throw of only 60° allows for low-scope mounting. By turning the bolt handle to a 60° position and pressing the trigger simultaneously, the bolt can be removed without effort which is especially useful for cleaning and maintenance purposes.

The safety catch which is of a two-position type is located at the right end of the receiver and is easily reachable with the index finger. It blocks the firing pin and locks the bolt handle. Additionally, the rifle comes with the cocking indicator pin at the end of the bolt. The drum magazine is made of high-quality synthetic material and can hold up to five rounds. The rear wall of the magazine is transparent to see the number of cartridges left in the magazine.

Users can choose between a single or double trigger with the trigger being adjustable for pull weight by turning a small screw positioned on the top of the trigger guard. Tightening the screw increases the trigger resistance and unscrewing it decreases the pull weight. What is more, Steyr also offers a German-style hair trigger which is optional. The barrel is equipped with a tilted rear sight and a square blade front sight. A left-handed version of the rifle is available as well.

The rifle came in several versions, including Stutzen with a barrel length of 510 mm (21-inch), Varmint, and half-stock versions with the 600 mm (23.6-inch) long barrel.

Steyr Mannlicher SL, chambered for .222 Rem.

Figure 1: Steyr Mannlicher SL, chambered for .222 Rem. (Source: https://simpsonltd.com/styer-mannlicher-model-sl/)

Steyr Mannlicher Model SL Calibers

The SL model is chambered for the following calibers:

.222 Rem.
.223 Rem.
.222 Rem. Mag.
5.6x50 Mag.

All other Steyr Mannlicher action lengths:

There are four holes for mounting purposes on the Steyr Mannlicher SL receiver, two on the front, and two on the rear mounting surface. There is no difference in height between the surfaces.

The receiver of Steyr Mannlicher SL, chambered for .222 Rem.

Figure 2: The receiver of Steyr Mannlicher SL, chambered for .222 Rem. (Source: https://simpsonltd.com/styer-mannlicher-model-sl/)

The mounting surface of Steyr Mannlicher Model SL

A: 10 mm

B: 81.8 mm

C: 10 mm

BHU: 0 mm

Ø: M4x05

R1: R15

R2: R15

Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Steyr Mannlicher Model SL

Rifles That Have One-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Steyr Mannlicher Model SL

The necessary condition for rifles to have one-piece scope mounts interchangeable is that the mounting surfaces of these rifles match in every dimension.

Due to specific receiver dimensions on this rifle, we currently lack information regarding one-piece scope mount interchangeability. Should you have any additional information regarding possible mount matches, please contact us. We will gladly accept your help and expand our database accordingly.

Rifles That Have Two-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Steyr Mannlicher Model SL

For two-piece scope mounts to be interchangeable, the mounting surfaces of the rifles must match in every dimension except the action length which can vary. This is because the distance between the two pieces of the mount is not fixed. Rifles that have two-piece scope mounts interchangeable with Steyr Mannlicher SL are the following:

Steyr Mannlicher Model L

Best Scope Mounts for Steyr Mannlicher Model SL

Fixed Scope Mounts for Steyr Mannlicher Model SL

If you are looking for a fixed mounting solution suitable for Steyr Mannlicher SL, we recommend this two-piece mount manufactured by the German company MAK. It comes with a thirty-year warranty and is made of high-quality steel.

Detachable Repeatable Scope Mounts for Steyr Mannlicher Model SL

If you are looking for a reliable detachable mounting solution, we recommend this two-piece pivot mount manufactured by the German company EAW. It is made of high-quality steel and comes with a thirty-year warranty.

Picatinny Rails for Steyr Mannlicher Model SL

When it comes to variability, Picatinny rails are among the best mounting solutions. They have equidistant slots all over the surface allowing the device to be mounted wherever the user finds it fitting. This durable Picatinny rail manufactured by the German company EAW is made of high-quality steel and is an ideal fit for your Steyr Mannlicher SL.

Help Us Build Our Riflescope Mounts Database

If you happen to own this or any other rifle, we would appreciate it if you could help us expand our database by sending us some photos of the rifle receiver (the bare mounting surface of the rifle without the scope mounts installed). For your help, our company offers a fair return in terms of practical rewards.

Please send us an email for more information. You can contact us here: [email protected]

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ERA-TAC Picatinny rail for Steyr Mannlicher SL 20 MOA

NOK 790.58

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Leupold BackCountry Picatinny Rail for Kimber 84M SA

NOK 519.84

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EGW HD Kimber 84 (84M) Short Action Picatinny Rail

As low as NOK 931.37

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EGW HD Kimber 84 (84M) Short Action Picatinny Rail, 20 MOA

NOK 931.37

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Talley Picatinny Base for Kimber 84M

As low as NOK 725.61

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Warne Mountain Tech Rail for Kimber 84M

As low as NOK 823.07

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Rusan Picatinny rail - Steyr Mannlicher old model (B: 81.8 mm)

NOK 790.58

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VIDEO

Introduction

In recent years we can observe that a trend of Picatinny rail has become widespread and global. It is driven by the NATO standardized rails, more commonly known as the Picatinny rail standard. Picatinny rail being the New Jersey Arsenal that developed it in 1995.

These mounting options are revolutionary. The biggest and best advantage being that the Picatinny rail can be used its entire length and not bordered to a few pre-designed slots like for example the Weaver rail standard was before.

The other main advantage is the ease of use and interchangeability. If a product is meant for a Picatinny rail design it will fit all Picatinny-rails, no matter the manufacturer or date of production.

Picatinny/Weaver Rail

Picatinny Rail and Weaver rail profile

Design

The Picatinny rail is almost exclusively crafted from a single piece of metal (in some cases aluminum). In this manner, the axis of the Picatinny rail is perfectly straight and aligned with the axis of the firearm. Therefore the rifle scope which is mounted onto this kind of configuration is certainly aligned with the rifle / gun and the trajectory of the ammunition.

Weaver rail design on the other hand is usually manufactured in two separate pieces, greatly increasing the possibilities for the axis to be crooked, overlapping, and out of line.

It is always harder to align two separate pieces to a third line than it is to align one piece to another. In this way, the lapping of two mounting rings on a single-piece Picatinny rail is no longer required.

The single-piece rail will assure that both rings are perfectly aligned to each other and that no unwished stress is transferred to the riflescope.

Picatinny compare to Weaver Rail

The Picatinny rail itself is an evolutionary step forward from the older Weaver rail. The main difference between Picatinny rail and Weaver rail is the spacing of the slots. Picatinny rail design has them evenly placed exactly 5.23 mm from one slot to the other, 3 mm deep. For this reason, the mounting options are repeatable and the same as other firearms using the Picatinny rail standard.

Interchangeability was a major driving force in the development of the new standard as different NATO armies need to be compatible with each other.

Weaver rail has 3.8mm wide slots and these slots can be placed anywhere on the Weaver rail and in any number that the producer wished.

Advantages of Picatinny design

A big advantage for using the Picatinny rail design is the ever-present recoil stop. Furthermore, the manufacturing of the rail is not very technically demanding and can be done without the use of state-of-the-art machines which greatly reduces the cost of the finished product, making it very affordable.

The Picatinny rail is easy to mount and usually, this type of configuration does not transfer negative stresses and forces from the fired weapon to the rifle scope.

In addition, the Picatinny rail with its very long useable surface works well for mounting longer rifle scopes or to achieve optimum eye relief.

The durability and toughness are other big pluses for this solution.

Manufacturers of Popular Models

A majority of the Picatinny rings are fixed, but a number of best rated European manufacturers (EAW, MAK,..) have, in recent years, put a lot of effort into the development of detachable ring with100% repeatability, with which it becomes easy to remove the scope from the weapon without the use of tools.

No re-zeroing is needed with such mount options, but these models tend to be expensive.

Weaver and Picatinny Rings

Picatinny rail and weaver rail share one more thing. It is possible to use the Weaver ring and the Picatinny ring on the Picatinny-rails, but it is usually impossible to use the Picatinny ring on the Weaver base. The reason being the above-mentioned positioning and spacing of the slots.

Picatinny mounts have a 5mm recoil stop that goes into the rail slot and since
Weaver rail only has 3.8mm wide slots such rings do not fit on Weaver rails.

Due to this reason, the Picatinny-rails are popular and prevailing on the market in recent years and eventually, these options will completely oust the Weaver rail from the market.

Steyr Mannlicher Model SL

The History of Steyr

Steyr Mannlicher Model SL Rifle Review

Steyr Mannlicher Model SL Calibers

All other Steyr Mannlicher action lengths:

Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Steyr Mannlicher Model SL

Rifles That Have One-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Steyr Mannlicher Model SL

Rifles That Have Two-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Steyr Mannlicher Model SL

Best Scope Mounts for Steyr Mannlicher Model SL

Fixed Scope Mounts for Steyr Mannlicher Model SL

Detachable Repeatable Scope Mounts for Steyr Mannlicher Model SL

Picatinny Rails for Steyr Mannlicher Model SL

Help Us Build Our Riflescope Mounts Database

ERA-TAC Picatinny rail for Steyr Mannlicher SL 20 MOA

Leupold BackCountry Picatinny Rail for Kimber 84M SA

EGW HD Kimber 84 (84M) Short Action Picatinny Rail

EGW HD Kimber 84 (84M) Short Action Picatinny Rail, 20 MOA

Talley Picatinny Base for Kimber 84M

Warne Mountain Tech Rail for Kimber 84M

Rusan Picatinny rail - Steyr Mannlicher old model (B: 81.8 mm)

VIDEO

Introduction

Design

Picatinny compare to Weaver Rail

Advantages of Picatinny design

Manufacturers of Popular Models

Weaver and Picatinny Rings

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Steyr Mannlicher Model SL

The History of Steyr

Steyr Mannlicher Model SL Rifle Review

Steyr Mannlicher Model SL Calibers

All other Steyr Mannlicher action lengths:

Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Steyr Mannlicher Model SL

Rifles That Have One-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Steyr Mannlicher Model SL

Rifles That Have Two-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable With Steyr Mannlicher Model SL

Best Scope Mounts for Steyr Mannlicher Model SL

Fixed Scope Mounts for Steyr Mannlicher Model SL

Detachable Repeatable Scope Mounts for Steyr Mannlicher Model SL

Picatinny Rails for Steyr Mannlicher Model SL

Help Us Build Our Riflescope Mounts Database

VIDEO

Introduction

Design

Picatinny compare to Weaver Rail

Advantages of Picatinny design

Manufacturers of Popular Models

Weaver and Picatinny Rings

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