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Work order — Steyr M95

Taking the firearm apart for a job such as refinishing, and putting it back together to specification. Generated from the Pew-Takedown entry last updated 2026-10-29. Confidence: medium.

Shop difficulty: Tier 2 of 3

Few parts, but the straight-pull bolt fights back. The bolt head snaps round under spring force as the bolt comes out, the head assembly holds a strong spring (flying-parts hazard), and the firing pin has to be indexed to the head on reassembly. Wear makes the head detent badly, which makes all of this harder. 33 parts (PARTIAL: action only. Gun Digest exploded drawing 'Steyr Model 1895 Straight-Pull Rifle', 33 keys: bolt (extractor, bolt head, firing pin and spring, spring retainer, bolt body, safety and screw, cock). Pew-Takedown's rating, not the manufacturer's.

Bench time: strip ~40 min, rebuild ~60 min (estimate). Actual: strip ______ rebuild ______

Special tools:

• soft-faced hammer — Snapping a stuck bolt head
• padded vise — Alternative bolt-head method

Watch for:

• As the bolt leaves the receiver, the bolt head snaps back and rotates 90 degrees under spring pressure. A head that will not snap needs tapping, or a vise trick. (disassembly; thinlineweapons.com (text revised by Manowar))
• The bolt-head assembly holds a strong spring that flies apart when its retainer is unscrewed. (both; thinlineweapons.com (text revised by Manowar))
• Two indexing steps on reassembly: the firing pin's flat must face the bolt-head notch, and the retainer's grooves must line up with the head shaft. (reassembly; thinlineweapons.com (text revised by Manowar))
• On worn rifles the bolt head will not detent in the unlocked position, which makes both disassembly and reassembly very hard. (both; Griffin & Howe)

Tools

• Bore guide — Cleaning from the breech without wearing the throat or the crown. On a surplus rifle the crown is often the difference between accuracy and none.

1. Clear and make safe

1. Point the muzzle in a safe direction and keep your finger off the trigger.
2. Press the en-bloc clip release at the front of the trigger guard and let the clip fall clear of the magazine.
3. Pull the bolt straight rearward to extract and eject any chambered round.
4. Inspect the chamber and the magazine well with a light and physically confirm both are empty.
   Warning: The clip and the chamber are two separate checks.
5. Remove all live ammunition and clips from the work area.

2. Disassemble

Field Strip — Bolt Removal

1. Complete the Clear and Make Safe procedure.
2. Pull the bolt straight rearward to its rearmost position.
3. Operate the bolt release and withdraw the bolt straight rearward out of the receiver.
   Warning: Do not attempt to rotate the bolt handle. This is a straight-pull.
4. Clean the bore from the breech using a bore guide, and clean the bolt face, lugs, and chamber.
   Warning: Always use a bore guide on a surplus rifle. Cleaning rod wear at the crown is a permanent accuracy loss and is very common on milsurp.
5. Stop here for routine maintenance. Bolt disassembly is a separate procedure and is not part of normal cleaning.

3. Refinish

The components the procedures above separate. Coating, masking and cure are outside this database; follow your coating system's instructions. A part the manufacturer marks "factory fit" should not be swapped or reworked.

No manufacturer statement of materials or finish is recorded. Identify each part's material before choosing prep and cure.

4. Reassemble

Reassembly

1. Align the bolt with the receiver raceway.
2. Slide the bolt straight forward into the receiver until it passes the release.
3. Cycle the bolt several times to confirm smooth travel and positive locking.
4. Perform the function check.

5. Torque

No manufacturer torque values are recorded for this firearm.

Fit or check on rebuild

• Bolt-head retainer grooves aligned — The retainer is backed off until its grooves line up.
• Headspace / chambering (8x50R vs 8x56R) — Converted rifles vary.
• Re-zero sights or scope — Sights and optics come off for coating, and point of impact must be re-confirmed. This is a standard check, so no source.

6. Function check

• Verify the rifle is unloaded — chamber and magazine — before each check.
• Cycle the bolt and confirm it cocks and closes fully into battery.
• With the action cocked, engage the safety and press the trigger. The striker must not release.
• Disengage the safety without touching the trigger. The striker must not release.
• Press the trigger and confirm the striker releases with a firm snap.
• Load dummy rounds and confirm they feed and eject cleanly.
• If you have any doubt about the rifle’s history, have headspace gauged by a gunsmith before firing live ammunition.
• Confirm the bolt locks positively at the end of its forward stroke.
• Load an empty en-bloc clip and confirm it latches and that the clip release drops it cleanly.

If any check fails, the firearm is not safe to fire. Stop and see a licensed gunsmith.

Sources

1. Repetier-Karabiner M.95 Handbook — Austro-Hungarian Army primary
2. Steyr Mannlicher M95 Bolt Disassembly/Assembly — thinlineweapons.com (text revised by Manowar) secondary
   https://thinlineweapons.com/Hungariae/M95bolt.htm
3. Steyr M95 carbine (restoration project write-up) — Griffin & Howe secondary
   https://griffinhowe.com/?p=542045
4. The Gun Digest Book of Exploded Gun Drawings (975 isometric views) — Steyr 'Model 1895 Straight-Pull Rifle' — Gun Digest Books / Krause Publications (scan on archive.org) secondary
   https://archive.org/download/the-book-of-exploded-gun-drawings-975-isometric-views/The%20Book%20of%20Exploded%20Gun%20Drawings%20-%20975%20Isometric%20Views.pdf

Educational guide only. Some information comes from non-authoritative sources. Always consult your manufacturer's manual and a licensed gunsmith. Verify your firearm is unloaded before every procedure. Full disclaimer: https://github.com/Fundamental-build-LLC/Pew-Takedown

Legal notice: this material is third-party information compiled from sources of varying reliability and is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not gunsmithing, technical, safety or legal advice, it is not verified or endorsed by any manufacturer, and it must not be taken as fact. Any work on a firearm beyond the routine field stripping described in its own owner's manual should be performed only by a licensed and insured gunsmith. You use this material entirely at your own risk. Fundamental Build LLC and the project's contributors make no warranty of any kind and accept no liability for death, injury, damage or loss arising from its use. Full terms: LEGAL.md.