FEG 35M (Mannlicher M1935)

History of FEG 35M (Mannlicher M1935)

After the end of the First World War, the Austro-Hungarian Empire had expired, which led to the "Kingdom of Hungary" in 1920, where a new military branch was forced out of the remnants (also for Austria). At that time, the National Army was equipped with the Austrian 1895 8mm Mannlicher M1895 straight-pull bolt-action rifle. As a result, the design of a new standard service rifle began in 1928, with the main changes being the conversion to the forthcoming Austrian 8x56R cartridge, and an improved iron sight for reading metric measurements.

However, these modified rifles were simply not designed to fire the more powerful 8x56R rimmed cartridge, which created problems for the extraction system.

A new initiative began to find new rifles that could fire new cartridges. The Romanian Mannlicher - M1893 - design was used as the basis, although the "straight-pull" bolt action system was also abandoned in favor of a conventional rotary bolt action unit. In addition, the front of the rifle has been shortened to make the length more manageable. A new bayonet was also devised that could be routinely mounted on the muzzle end of the weapon for close range work. The magazine in front of the trigger group with the launch clip holds five 8mm rounds.

The weapon can be loaded with individually inserted 8mm rounds or a ready 5-round "magazine". The wooden body is now a two-piece system. The company introduced the 35M (or "35th M") series in 1935.

The 35M is essentially a very traditional bolt action rifle in the traditional sense. The operator manages the firing process by manually operating the bolt handle located on the right side of the gun body in front of the trigger group. This action introduces a new round into the firing chamber while ejecting any used cases inside.

The bolt locks onto a lug on the bolt head and rotates to a "seat" on the receiver. The frame was a durable piece of wood, consistent with the design of the rifle at the time, with metal parts embedded in the wood.

The trigger is a curved assembly under the receiver, protected by an elongated trigger ring. The wooden body also forms a contoured handle that connects the shoulder rest to the main body. The internal magazine is just in front of the trigger group.

Overall length (without bayonet attached) is 43.7 inches and the barrel assembly is 23.6 inches. Total weight without ammo is 8.9 lbs.

In any case, the 35M proved to be a viable weapon - although a large number of Mauser rifles were still in circulation at the time, casting a long shadow over the Hungarian design. As a result, it resulted in a rather short service life, and a notable flaw was the two-piece stock that sometimes came loose from the receiver.

The 35M was produced from 1935 to 1942, with official Hungarian use ending in 1945.

By the end of the 1930s, World War II was coming to Europe again, and Hungary found itself allied with the Axis powers in 1941. As the German war machine was stretched to its limits, the military needed more weapons, forcing it to look beyond national borders for solutions. One such source was Hungary, and the weapon of choice became the 35M series.

Before delivery, however, the weapon underwent several significant modifications to produce a rifle suitable for the needs of the Bundeswehr. The system has been redesigned to accept German borderless 7.9x57mm IS cartridges loaded from a Mauser-style internal magazine with a charger.

The bayonet mount has been redesigned to accommodate standard German infantry bayonets. The new rifle shape was named "G98/40" ("Gewehr 98/40") and they were produced at the Hungarian factory in Budapest. Borrowing from their German supervisors, the Hungarian army itself adopted a similar rifle form to the "43M" (or "43rd M"). Hungarian military style furniture is slightly different in appearance.

Germany finally occupied Hungary in 1944 until it entered communist rule after the war.

Some 35M rifles were used in the inspired Hungarian Revolution of 1956, which was violently suppressed by the Red Army.

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