This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations .(September 2014) |
Vetterli Model 1870 | |
---|---|
Type | Bolt-action rifle |
Place of origin | Switzerland |
Service history | |
In service | 1871–1950s |
Used by | See Users |
Wars | Mahdist War Macedonian Struggle First Italo-Ethiopian War Boxer Rebellion Irish revolutionary period World War I Russian Civil War Turkish Revolution Second Italo-Ethiopian War Chaco War Spanish Civil War World War II |
Production history | |
No. built | 1,500,000 |
Variants | M1870/87 and M1870/87/15 |
Specifications | |
Mass | M1870/87: 10.19 lb (4.62 kg) M1870/87/15: 10.19 lb (4.62 kg) |
Length | 52.95 in (134.5 cm) |
Barrel length | 33.85 in (86.0 cm) |
Cartridge | M1870/87: 10.4×47mmR M1870/87/15: 6.5×52mm Carcano |
Action | Bolt-action |
Muzzle velocity | M1870/87: 1,410 ft/s (430 m/s) M1870/87/15: 2,395 ft/s (730 m/s) |
Effective firing range | M1870/87: 2,000 m (2,200 yd) M1870/87/15: 2,000 m (2,200 yd) |
Feed system | M1870: single shot M1870/87: 4 round magazine M1870/87/15: 6 round magazine |
The M1870 Vetterli was the Italian military's service rifle from 1870 to 1891. In 1887, it would be modified into the repeating M1870/87 Italian Vetterli-Vitali variant. The Vetterli rifle used the 10.4mm Vetterli centrefire cartridge, at first loaded with black powder and later with smokeless powder. Some Vetterli rifles would later be converted into 6.5×52mm Carcano during World War I. Despite being supplanted by the Carcano rifle, it continued to see use in Italian service and abroad.
In the aftermath of the Risorgimento, the Italian Army's service rifles were muzzleloaders converted to needle rifles through a method developed by Salvatore Carcano. From 1869 to 1870, four infantry regiments and five Bersaglieri battalions trialed various bolt-action designs which used metallic cartridges. Among these was the Swiss Vetterli M1868, which the Italian government ultimately selected. However, the decision was made to make the rifles single-shot instead of retaining the tubular magazine of the original design. Some experimental examples were created by SIG before production began in Italy. [1] : 21–24
Italian state arsenals began producing the Vetterli from 1871. Rifles with varying differences were produced until the design was standardized in 1874. Five versions of the single-shot Vetterli were produced. The first of these were the infantry rifle and the cavalry carbine. A short rifle for special troops was introduced at some point before 1875. In the 1880s, variants of the carbine would be specially made for the Carabinieri and Corazzieri. In 1881, the rear sight would be replaced with the Vecchi sight. [1] : 24–36
From 1887 until 1896, the Italian Army converted M1870s into a four-shot repeating rifle, based on the system designed by Italian artillery captain, G. Vitali. This conversion added a box magazine fed from a steel and wood charger holding four cartridges, in the same caliber (10.4x47R mm) as before. The clip is pressed into the magazine, until the last round catches under the Cartridge retainer, and then the clip is withdrawn using the "pull string" in the top wooden frame of the clip. Clips of cartridges were supplied in a soldered sheet steel box, holding six clips. In 1890, the rear sight would again be modified to account for the smokeless version of the 10.4mm ammunition. [1] : 59
The conversion to the Vitali magazine was done on the long rifle, the TS (special troops musketoon) and possibly some of the Carabinieri carbines; No Vitali conversions were done to the Moschetto da Cavalleria for metropolitan Italian troops. In 1888, the Fondo Coloniale (Eritrea) requested 500 Vitali-converted Vetterli cavalry carbines for the Eritrean Native Cavalry ("spahi"—Swahili for "horse-soldier"). There are currently five known examples still in existence ( one in Australia, two in the US, two in Italy). Collectors refer to it as the M1870/88 V.V.Eritrean cav carbine. The Regio Esercito (Royal Army) Cavalry units maintained the M1870 single shot Moschetto da cavalleria until replaced by the M1891 Moschetto da cavalleria in 1893.
The conversion is indicted by a cartouche "Artig. Fab. D'armi Terni 1888" (dates vary), on the butt stock. The center of the cartouche displays a Crest of Savoy and the word, Riparazione (Italian for repair) is directly below the cartouche. Shortages of small arms appeared from the very beginning of Italy's entrance into World War I on the side of the Allies.
During the Home Rule Crisis, Frederick H. Crawford arranged the Larne gun-running operation. The Ulster Volunteer Force would acquire thousands of M1870/87 rifles from German arms dealers. The Irish Volunteers also acquired Vetterli rifles from similar German sources, albeit in much smaller numbers. By the 1920s, many of these Vetterlis had been brought to Britain. They would later furnish Officers' Training Corps to free up Lee-Enfield rifles during WWII, most notably at Shrewsbury School's OTC. [1] : 121–127
As more of the population mobilized for the first total war in European history, the supply of modern small arms fell short before the end of 1915 and a large number of obsolete Modello 1870/87 Vetterli-Vital were issued to newly formed regiments that were not expected to be in combat, however, troops carried these antiquated rifles into battle on several occasions.
As well, in 1916, Italy sent a large number of Vetterli-Vitali rifles to Russia; ammunition and components were contracted for by Britain to the Remington Armory. These "tsarist" rifles eventually ended up in Republican hands in the Spanish Civil War, as the Soviet Union emptied its depots of all the old black powder and early smokeless rifles it had inherited after the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917.
During World War I, many M1870/87 rifles were converted to share the same 6.5mm round as the primary service rifle, the M1891 Carcano, by adding a 6.5mm barrel lining and a modified M91 Carcano magazine. This barrel sleeving was called the "Salerno method"; The bolt face was also machined to accept the smaller diameter 6.5 mm cartridge head, and the firing pin shortened. These conversions were used for rear echelon troops (guards, training, etc.) and were rarely, if at all, fired with standard 6.5 mm military ball ammunition. After WWI, many of these rifles were assigned to Italy's colonies. These rifles were used in the Second Italo-Ethiopian War and World War II, mostly by native African soldiers. [2] This version would also be used by the Nationalist faction during the Spanish Civil War. [3] During World War II, they were used by fascist Blackshirts paramilitaries. [4]
Calibre | System | Country | Velocity | Height of trajectory | Ammunition | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Muzzle | 500 yd (460 m) | 1,000 yd (910 m) | 1,500 yd (1,400 m) | 2,000 yd (1,800 m) | 500 yd (460 m) | 1,000 yd (910 m) | 1,500 yd (1,400 m) | 2,000 yd (1,800 m) | Propellant | Bullet | |||
.433 in (11.0 mm) | Werndl–Holub rifle | Austria-Hungary | 1,439 ft/s (439 m/s) | 854 ft/s (260 m/s) | 620 ft/s (190 m/s) | 449 ft/s (137 m/s) | 328 ft/s (100 m/s) | 8.252 ft (2.515 m) | 49.41 ft (15.06 m) | 162.6 ft (49.6 m) | 426.0 ft (129.8 m) | 77 gr (5.0 g) | 370 gr (24 g) |
.45 in (11.43 mm) | Martini–Henry | United Kingdom | 1,315 ft/s (401 m/s) | 869 ft/s (265 m/s) | 664 ft/s (202 m/s) | 508 ft/s (155 m/s) | 389 ft/s (119 m/s) | 9.594 ft (2.924 m) | 47.90 ft (14.60 m) | 147.1 ft (44.8 m) | 357.85 ft (109.07 m) | 85 gr (5.5 g) | 480 gr (31 g) |
.433 in (11.0 mm) | Fusil Gras mle 1874 | France | 1,489 ft/s (454 m/s) | 878 ft/s (268 m/s) | 643 ft/s (196 m/s) | 471 ft/s (144 m/s) | 348 ft/s (106 m/s) | 7.769 ft (2.368 m) | 46.6 ft (14.2 m) | 151.8 ft (46.3 m) | 389.9 ft (118.8 m) | 80 gr (5.2 g) | 386 gr (25.0 g) |
.433 in (11.0 mm) | Mauser Model 1871 | Germany | 1,430 ft/s (440 m/s) | 859 ft/s (262 m/s) | 629 ft/s (192 m/s) | 459 ft/s (140 m/s) | 388 ft/s (118 m/s) | 8.249 ft (2.514 m) | 48.68 ft (14.84 m) | 159.2 ft (48.5 m) | 411.1 ft (125.3 m) | 75 gr (4.9 g) | 380 gr (25 g) |
.408 in (10.4 mm) | M1870 Italian Vetterli | Italy | 1,430 ft/s (440 m/s) | 835 ft/s (255 m/s) | 595 ft/s (181 m/s) | 422 ft/s (129 m/s) | 304 ft/s (93 m/s) | 8.527 ft (2.599 m) | 52.17 ft (15.90 m) | 176.3 ft (53.7 m) | 469.9 ft (143.2 m) | 62 gr (4.0 g) | 310 gr (20 g) |
.397 in (10.08 mm) | Jarmann M1884 | Norway and Sweden | 1,536 ft/s (468 m/s) | 908 ft/s (277 m/s) | 675 ft/s (206 m/s) | 504 ft/s (154 m/s) | 377 ft/s (115 m/s) | 7.235 ft (2.205 m) | 42.97 ft (13.10 m) | 137.6 ft (41.9 m) | 348.5 ft (106.2 m) | 77 gr (5.0 g) | 337 gr (21.8 g) |
.42 in (10.67 mm) | Berdan rifle | Russia | 1,444 ft/s (440 m/s) | 873 ft/s (266 m/s) | 645 ft/s (197 m/s) | 476 ft/s (145 m/s) | 353 ft/s (108 m/s) | 7.995 ft (2.437 m) | 47.01 ft (14.33 m) | 151.7 ft (46.2 m) | 388.7 ft (118.5 m) | 77 gr (5.0 g) | 370 gr (24 g) |
.45 in (11.43 mm) | Springfield model 1884 | United States | 1,301 ft/s (397 m/s) | 875 ft/s (267 m/s) | 676 ft/s (206 m/s) | 523 ft/s (159 m/s) | 404 ft/s (123 m/s) | 8.574 ft (2.613 m) | 46.88 ft (14.29 m) | 142.3 ft (43.4 m) | 343.0 ft (104.5 m) | 70 gr (4.5 g) | 500 gr (32 g) |
.40 in (10.16 mm) | Enfield-Martini | United Kingdom | 1,570 ft/s (480 m/s) | 947 ft/s (289 m/s) | 719 ft/s (219 m/s) | 553 ft/s (169 m/s) | 424 ft/s (129 m/s) | 6.704 ft (2.043 m) | 39.00 ft (11.89 m) | 122.0 ft (37.2 m) | 298.47 ft (90.97 m) | 85 gr (5.5 g) | 384 gr (24.9 g) |
For the specifications and the service history of the Italian Vetterli-Vitali rifles. M1870/87 and the M1870/87/15: ,
For amendments and additions (July 2, 2015) Typographical, Vitali clip design and function, Eritrean Cav.Carbine, Salerno method, Safety of Ball 6,5 ammunition: Personal examination and research by Dr. Astrid M.Vallati MD, JD. (DocAV) AV Ballistics Technical and Forensic Services, Brisbane, Australia. Rifles examined: M1870/87 Long Rifle, ex-Tsarist Russia, ex SCW; Moschetto TS M1870/87 AOI marked; Moschetto Cavalleria Eritrea M1870/88: Provenance Confirmed, Bringback to Australia, in 1928, by Surveyor-Gen. of Sudan; Acquired from grandson of same in 1990s, with Certificate of Sudan Service. Fucile M70/87/15 Cal. 6,5mm.
The Krag–Jørgensen is a repeating bolt-action rifle designed by the Norwegians Ole Herman Johannes Krag and Erik Jørgensen in the late 19th century. It was adopted as a standard arm by Norway, Denmark, and the United States. About 300 were delivered to Boer forces of the South African Republic.
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.
Carcano is the frequently used name for a series of Italian bolt-action, internal box magazine fed, repeating military rifles and carbines. Introduced in 1891, the rifle was chambered for the rimless 6.5×52mm Carcano round. It was developed by the chief technician Salvatore Carcano at the Turin Army Arsenal in 1890, and was originally called the Modello (model) 91 or simply M91. Successively replacing the previous Vetterli-Vitali rifles and carbines in 10.35×47mmR, it was produced from 1891 to 1945. The M91 was used in both rifle (fucile) and shorter-barreled carbine (moschetto) form by most Italian troops during World War I and by Italian and some German forces during World War II. The rifle was also used during the Winter War by Finland, and again by regular and irregular forces in Syria, Libya, Tunisia, and Algeria during various postwar conflicts in those countries.
A clip is a device that is used to store multiple rounds of ammunition together as a unit for insertion into the magazine or cylinder of a firearm. This speeds up the process by loading the firearm with several rounds at once, rather than one at a time. There are several types, most made of inexpensive stamped sheet metal, intended to be disposable, though they are often re-used.
The Mannlicher M1895 is an Austro-Hungarian straight pull bolt-action rifle, designed by Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher that used a refined version of his revolutionary straight-pull action bolt, much like the Mannlicher M1890 carbine. It was nicknamed the Ruck-Zuck-[Gewehr] by Austrian troops and "Ta-Pum" by Italian troops who wrote a song (it) about it during World War I. The primary producers were the ŒWG in Steyr, and FÉG in Budapest.
A stripper clip is a speedloader that holds several cartridges together in a single unit for easier and faster loading of a firearm magazine.
The Berdan rifle is a single-shot rifle created by American engineer and inventor Hiram Berdan in 1868. It was the service rifle of the Imperial Russian Army from 1870 to 1891, when replaced by the Mosin–Nagant rifle. The gun was widely used in Russia as a hunting weapon, and sporting variants, including shotguns, were produced until the mid-1930s. The Russian Berdan I (M1868) and Berdan II (M1870) rifles of .42 caliber are distinct from the Spanish Berdan 15 mm (0.591 in) conversion rifles adopted by Spain as the M1857/67 Berdan.
The Gewehr 88 was a late 19th-century German bolt-action rifle, adopted in 1888.
The Mauser Model 1871 adopted as the Gewehr 71 or Infanterie-Gewehr 71, or "Infantry Rifle 71" was the first rifle model in a distinguished line designed and manufactured by Paul Mauser and Wilhelm Mauser of the Mauser company and later mass-produced at Spandau arsenal.
The 6.5×50mmSR Arisaka is a semi-rimmed rifle cartridge with a 6.705 mm diameter bullet. It was the standard Japanese military cartridge from 1897 until the late 1930s for service rifles and machine guns when it was gradually replaced by the 7.7×58mm Arisaka.
The 8×50mmR Lebel rifle cartridge was the first smokeless powder cartridge to be made and adopted by any country. It was introduced by France in 1886. Formed by necking down the 11×59mmR Gras black powder cartridge, the smokeless 8mm Lebel cartridge started a revolution in military rifle ammunition. Standard 8mm Lebel military ammunition was also the first rifle ammunition to feature a spitzer boat tail bullet, which was adopted in 1898. The long-range ballistic performance of the 8mm Lebel bullet itself was exceptional for its time. For use in the magazine tube-fed early Lebel rifle, the 8 mm case was designed to protect against accidental percussion inside the tube magazine by a circular groove around the primer cup which caught the tip of the following pointed bullet. However, the shape of its rimmed bottle-necked case, having been designed for the Lebel rifle's tube magazine, also precluded truly efficient vertical stacking inside a vertical magazine. The bolt thrust of the 8mm Lebel is relatively high compared to many other service rounds used in the early 20th century. Although it was once revolutionary, the 8mm Lebel was declared obsolete after World War I and was soon after replaced with the 7.5×54mm French round.
An intermediate cartridge is a rifle/carbine cartridge that has significantly greater power than a pistol cartridge but still has a reduced muzzle energy compared to fully powered cartridges, and therefore is regarded as being "intermediate" between traditional rifle and handgun cartridges.
The evolution of German military rifles is a history of common and diverse paths followed by the separate German states, until the mid-19th century when Prussia emerged as the dominant state within Germany and the nation was unified. This article discusses rifled shoulder arms developed in or for the military of the states that later became Germany; it excludes firearms of the Austrian Empire, except where they were used substantially by German troops.
The Vetterli rifles were a series of Swiss army service rifles in use from 1869 to 1889, when they were replaced with Schmidt–Rubin rifles. Modified Vetterlis were also used by the Italian Army.
The Berthier rifles and carbines were a family of bolt-action small arms in 8mm Lebel, used in the French Army, and French Colonial Forces, from the 1890s to the beginning of World War II (1940). After the introduction of the Lebel rifle in 1886, the French Army wanted a repeating carbine using the same ammunition as the Lebel to replace their single shot carbine based on the Gras rifle. At the time, many armies based their carbines on their standard rifle model, however the Lebel rifle's tube magazine made it difficult to follow this approach. The Modele 1890 Berthier Cavalry Carbine addressed this issue by combining a modified Lebel action with an en-bloc clip magazine. With its successful cavalry introduction, the Berthier would go on to be produced in many different carbine and full-length rifle versions.
The Geweer M. 95, also known to collectors as the Dutch Mannlicher, was the service rifle of the armed forces of the Netherlands between 1895 and 1940 which replaced the obsolete Beaumont-Vitali M1871/88. At first it was produced by Steyr for the Dutch, but after 1904, production took place under license at a Dutch state weapon factory in Zaandam known by the name of close by Hembrug bridge. Although often regarded as being based on the earlier Mannlicher 1893 Model, the rifle is in fact a modification of the Mannlicher rifle by August Schriever and the Dutch rifle commission. The Dutch issued about 470,000 M.95s.
The Cacciatori d'Africa were Italian light infantry and mounted infantry units raised for colonial service in Africa. Cacciatori units later served in Somalia, Eritrea, Tripolitania and Cyrenaica for the Italian colonial empire. Partially mechanised in the early 1920s, the Cacciatori d'Africa remained part of the Regio Corpo Truppe Coloniali until 1942.
Within military 8 mm firearms, the Repeating Rifle Mannlicher 1888, better known as the Mannlicher M1888, was a bolt-action rifle used by several armies from 1888 to 1945. Derived from the M1885 and later M1886 models, it was Ferdinand Mannlicher's third rifle that utilized the "en bloc clip".