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Kropatschek/Steyr-Kropatschek | |
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![]() Portuguese Kropatschek (Second from top) | |
Type | Rifle |
Place of origin | Austria-Hungary |
Service history | |
In service | 1886 – Present |
Used by | Austria-Hungary France Chile Brazil [1] Kingdom of Portugal Ethiopian Empire Russian Empire [2] Spanish Republic [3] |
Wars | War of the Pacific [4] Revolta da Armada Federalist Revolution [5] First Italo-Ethiopian War [6] War of Canudos [7] Second Boer War World War I Spanish Civil War World War II (Portuguese colonies) Annexation of Goa Portuguese Colonial War |
Production history | |
Designer | Alfred von Kropatschek |
Designed | 1886 |
Produced | 1886–circa 1898 |
Variants | Long rifle, short rifle |
Specifications | |
Mass | 4.3 kg (9.5 lb) |
Length | 1320 mm (4 ft) |
Barrel length | 820 mm (32.3 in) |
Cartridge | 11×59mmR Gras 8×56mmR Kropatschek Corto [8] 8×60mmR Guedes [9] |
Caliber | 8mm (.329 in) |
Action | Bolt action |
Muzzle velocity | 609 m/s (2,000 ft/s) |
Effective firing range | 2406 yd (2,200 m) |
Feed system | 8-round integral tubular magazine |
A Kropatschek is any variant of a rifle designed by Alfred von Kropatschek. Kropatschek's rifles used a tubular magazine (constructed of nickel-plated steel) of his design, of the same type used in the Japanese Murata Type 22 and the German Mauser Gewehr 1871/84. While designed for black powder, the Kropatschek action proved to be strong enough to handle smokeless powder.
The Kropatschek was the basis for the French Lebel M1886. [10]
France:
Portugal:
The Lebel Model 1886 rifle also known as the "Fusil Mle 1886 M93", after a bolt modification was added in 1893, is an 8 mm bolt-action infantry rifle that entered service in the French Army in 1887. It is a repeating rifle that can hold eight rounds in its fore-stock tube magazine, one round in the elevator plus one round in the chamber; equaling a total of ten rounds held. The Lebel rifle has the distinction of being the first military firearm to use smokeless powder ammunition. The new propellant powder, "Poudre B," was nitrocellulose-based and had been invented in 1884 by French chemist Paul Vieille. Lieutenant Colonel Nicolas Lebel contributed a flat nosed 8 mm full metal jacket bullet. Twelve years later, in 1898, a solid brass pointed (spitzer) and boat-tail bullet called "Balle D" was retained for all 8mm Lebel ammunition. Each case was protected against accidental percussion inside the tube magazine by a primer cover and by a circular groove around the primer cup which caught the tip of the following pointed bullet. Featuring an oversized bolt with front locking lugs and a massive receiver, the Lebel rifle was a durable design capable of long range performance. In spite of early obsolete features, such as its tube magazine and the shape of 8mm Lebel rimmed ammunition, the Lebel rifle remained the basic weapon of French infantry during World War I (1914–1918). Altogether, 3.45 million Lebel rifles were produced by the three French state factories between 1887 and 1916.
The Fusil Modèle 1874 or Gras was the French Army's primary service rifle from 1874 to 1886. Designed by Colonel Basile Gras, the Gras was a metallic cartridge adaptation of the single-shot, breech-loading, black powder Chassepot rifle. It was developed from 1872 to 1874 as a response to the German adoption of the Mauser Model 1871 metallic cartridge rifle.
A service rifle or standard-issue rifle is a rifle or carbine that a military issues to its personnel, typically to its regular infantry. In modern militaries, this is generally a versatile, rugged, and reliable assault rifle or battle rifle, suitable for use in nearly all environments and is effective in most combat situations. Almost all modern militaries are issued service pistols as sidearms to accompany their service rifles. The term can also be used to describe weapons issued by non-military forces, such as law enforcement or paramilitaries.
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Alfred Ritter von Kropatschek was a general in the Austrian Army and a weapons designer of the late 19th century, who was responsible for several rifle and revolver designs in affiliation with the Steyr Mannlicher; these weapons were used by the armed forces of the Austrian Empire and several other nations. His rifles feature a tubular magazine under the barrel similar to a Winchester rifle; the cartridge lifter was the key to the Kropatschek design. One of his designs was sold to the French Navy, and was later adapted by the French Army in the development of the prolific Lebel rifle, which served as France's front-line rifle from 1886 through the First World War. According to historian Roger A Pauly, some people joked that more bullets from Kropatschek-designed rifles were fired at the Austrians, than by them. Kropatschek's tubular magazine design was also adapted to the German Mauser Model 1871 rifle, resulting in the Model 71/84.
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