The rifle was a close copy of the Gewehr 98. It had a pistol grip stock. The rifle featured an "H"-type upper band.[1] The sight was tangent-leaf, graduated to 1,800 metres (2,000 yd) or 2,000 metres (2,200 yd).[2][3] The upper hand guard was shorter.[4]
The carbine and short rifle versions had a turned-town bolt handle and were shorter,[3] with sights graduated until 1,400 metres (1,500 yd).[2]
The version pressed into Austrian service in 1914 was only modified by using a bigger sling swivel.[5]
Service
It was ordered by Mexico,[3]Colombia,[4]Chile,[6]China,[7] Mexican Model 1912 were used from 1913 by the Federal Army that fought during the Mexican Revolution.[8]
In 1914, 66,979 Mexican-contract rifles, 5,000 Colombian rifles and 43,100 Chilean rifles and carbines were pressed into Austria-Hungarian service as Repetiergewehr M.14.[5]
The Czech vz. 98/22 was a close-copy of the Steyr M1912 and the vz. 12/33 carbine derives from the M1912 carbine.[9] Some of the non-delivered Mexican Model 1912 rifles were modernized as 7.92×57mm MauserModel 24B in Yugoslavia.[10] In 1929, 5,000 M1912 short rifles, with a 560 millimetres (22 in) barrel, were manufactured by Československá zbrojovkaBrno from Steyr spare parts.[11] In 1961, Chilean M1912 were upgraded with a 7.62×51mm NATO 600 millimetres (24 in) barrel, as Modelo 12/61.[12]