French Guns Chassepot Home

The Chassepot 1866 Needle rifle history Officially known as "fusil modele 1866", a military breechloading rifle, famous as the arm of the French forces in the Franco-German War of 1870-71. It has its inventor name, Antoine Alphonse Chassepot (1833-1905), who, from 1857 onwards, had constructed various experimental forms of breechloader. It became the French service weapon in 1866. In the following year it made its first appearance on the battlefield at Mentana (November3rd, 1867), where it inflicted severelosses upon Garibaldis troops. In the war of 1870 it proved very greatly superior to the German needle-gun. The breech was closed by a bolt very similar to those of more modern rifles, and amongst the technical features of interest were the method of obturation, which was similar in principle to the de Bange obturator for heavy guns, and the retention of the paper cartridge. The chassepot was replaced in 1874 by the Gras rifle, which had a metal cartridge, and all rifles of the older model remaining in store were converted to take the same ammunition (fusil modle 1866/74) Country Of Origin: France Length: 6 ft. 2 in Designation: Long Rifle Weight: 9 lb 5 oz Cartridge: .433 in muzzle velocity  1328 f.s Production Date: 1866 weight of bullet (lead)  386 grains Capacity: 1 round weight of charge (black powder) 86~4 grains