Chassepot

The Chassepot, officially known as Fusil modèle 1866, was a bolt

Chassepot
action military breechloading rifle, famous as the arm of the French
forces in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870/1871. It replaced an
assortment of Minié muzzleloading rifles many of which were
converted in 1867 to breech loading (the Tabatière rifles). A great
improvement to existing military rifles in 1866, the Chassepot marked
the commencement of the era of modern bolt action, breech-loading,
military rifles. Beginning in 1874, the rifle was easily converted to fire
metallic cartridges (under the name of Gras rifle), a step which would
have been impossible to achieve with theDreyse needle rifle.[2]

It was manufactured by MAS (Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Étienne),

Manufacture d'Armes de Châtellerault (MAC), Manufacture d'Armes
de Tulle (MAT) and, until 1870, in the Manufacture d'Armes de
Mutzig in the former Château des Rohan. Many were also
manufactured under contract in England (the "Potts et Hunts"
Chassepots delivered to the French Navy), in Belgium (Liege), and in
Chassepot rifle with bayonet
Italy at Brescia (by "Glisenti"). The approximate number of Chassepot
Type Needle gun
rifles available to the French Army in July 1870 was 1,037,555
units.[3] Additionally, State manufactories could deliver 30,000 new Place of origin France
rifles monthly. Gun manufacturers in England and Austria also Service history
produced Chassepot rifles to support the French war effort. The Steyr
In service 1866–1874
armory in Austria delivered 12,000 Chassepot carbines and 100,000
Used by France
parts to France in 1871.[4] Manufacturing of the Chassepot rifle ended
Monaco
in February 1875, four years after the end of the Franco-Prussian War,
Qajar Dynasty
with approximately 700,000 more Chassepot rifles made between
Greece
September 1871 and July 1874.[5]
Ethiopian Empire
Wars French colonial
conflicts,
Contents Franco-Prussian War,
History other conflicts
Technology Production history
Bolt mechanism
Designer Antoine Alphonse
Cartridge
Chassepot
Gallery
Designed 1858–1866
See also
Produced 1866–1875
Notes
References No. built ~2,000,000
External links Specifications
Mass 4.635 kilograms (10 lb
3.5 oz)
History Length 1.31 m (without
bayonet)
The Chassepot was named after its inventor, Antoine Alphonse 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) (with
Chassepot (1833–1905), who, from the mid-1850s onwards, had bayonet)
constructed various experimental forms of breechloaders.[6][7] The Barrel length 795 mm (31.3 in)
first two models of the Chassepot still used percussion cap ignition.
The third model, using a similar system to the Prussian Dreyse needle
Cartridge Lead bullet 25 g (386
gun, became the French service weapon in 1866. In the following year
grains) in paper
it made its first appearance on the battlefield at Mentana on 3
cartridge
November 1867, where it inflicted severe losses upon Giuseppe
charge 5.6g (86.4
Garibaldi's troops. It was reported at the French Parliament that "Les
grains) black powder
Chassepots ont fait merveille!", or loosely translated: "The Chassepots
have done wonderfully!" The heavy cylindrical lead bullets fired at Caliber 11 mm (.433 inches)
high velocity by the Chassepot rifle inflicted wounds that were even Action Bolt action
worse than those of the earlier Minié rifle. By 1868, the entire French Rate of fire 8–15 rounds per
active army had been re-armed with the Chassepot. minute

In the Franco-Prussian War (1870/1871), the Chassepot met its Muzzle velocity 410 m/s (1345 ft/s)[1]
Prussian counterpart, the Dreyse needle-fire rifle. The Chassepot had Effective firing range 1,200 m (1,300 yd)
several advantages over the Dreyse. It featured a rubber obturator on Feed system Single-shot
its bolt head to provide a more efficient gas-seal. Although it fired a
Sights Ladder
smaller caliber (11 mm vs. 15.4 for the Dreyse), the Chassepot
ammunition had more gunpowder (5.68 grams vs 4.85 grams), resulting in higher muzzle velocity (436 meters per second, 33% over
the Dreyse), a flatter trajectory and a longer range. Thus the sights on the Chassepot could be elevated up to 1,600 meters, while the
maximum sight setting of the Dreyse was only 600 meters.[8] The Chassepots were responsible for most of the Prussian and other
German casualties during the conflict. After the war, 20,000 captured Chassepot rifles were sold to the Shah of the Persian Qajar
Dynasty.

Some of the warriors of theEthiopian Empire were equipped with Chassepot rifles during thefirst Italo-Ethiopian War of 1898.[9]

Technology

Bolt mechanism
The breech was closed by a bolt similar to those of more modern rifles to follow.
Amongst the technical features of interest introduced in 1866 on the Chassepot rifle
was the method of obturation of the bolt by a segmented rubber ring which expanded
under gas pressure and thus sealed the breech when the shot was fired. This simple
yet effective technology was successfully adapted to artillery in 1877 by Colonel de
Bange, who invented grease-impregnated asbestos pads to seal the breech of his new
cannons (the De Bange system).

Chassepot bolt mechanism

Cartridge
The Chassepot used a paper cartridge, that many refer to as being 'combustible', whereas in reality it was quite the opposite. It held an
11mm (.43 inch) round-headed cylindro-conoidal lead bullet that was wax paper patched. An inverted standard percussion cap was at
the rear of the paper cartridge and hidden inside. It was fired by the Chassepot's needle (a sharply pointed firing pin) upon pressing
the trigger.

While the Chassepot's ballistic performance and firing rates were excellent for the time, burnt paper residues as well as black powder
fouling accumulated in the chamber and bolt mechanism after continuous firing. Also, the bolt's rubber obturator eroded in action,
although it was easily replaced in the field by infantrymen. The older Dreyse needle gun and its cartridge had been deliberately
constructed in a way to minimize those problems but to the detriment of its ballistic properties.

In order to correct this problem the Chassepot was replaced in 1874 by the Gras rifle which used a centerfire drawn brass metallic
cartridge. Otherwise, the Gras rifle was basically identical in outward appearance to the Chassepot rifle. Nearly all rifles of the older
Chassepot model (Mle 1866) remaining in store were eventually converted to take the 11mm Gras metallic cartridge ammunition
(fusil Modèle 1866/74). About 665.327[5][10] Chassepot rifles had been captured by the German coalition that defeated France in
1871. Large numbers of these captured Chassepot rifles were converted to 11 mm Mauser metallic cartridge and shortened to carbine
size in order to serve with German cavalry and artillery until the early 1880s. Others were disposed of "as is" with British surplus
dealers. In most but not allcases, the French receiver markings on these German-captured Chassepot rifles had been erased.

Gallery

Chassepot paper French soldier with From left: .22 Long Rifle; Close-up, with cartridge
cartridge and boxes. Chassepot rifle. 11mm paper cartridge for
Chassepot/Fusil modèle
1866;
11mm×59.5R metallic
cartridge for Fusil Gras
mle 1874

Bayonet assembly 1867 newspaper Chassepot gun, model

illustration including a 1866, Mutzig, 1869.
cross-section

See also
Antique gun

Notes
1. Ford, p. 23
2. New International Encyclopedia
 3. Walter, John (2006). "Rifles of the World" (https://books.google.com/books?id=Eq2Dnj4sDZIC&pg=P
A87). Krause
Publications. p. 87. ISBN 978-0-89689-241-5.
4. "Zuendnadelgewehr Chassepot"(http://www.schmids-zuendnadelseite.de/chassepot.html). Schmids-
zuendnadelseite.de. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
5. "Bladstadt" (http://www.bibliotekacyfrowa.pl/Content/66492/GSL_P_31148_IV_1873_043.pdf)(PDF).
Bibliotekacyfrowa.pl (in Polish). 1873. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
6. "mousqueton" (http://www.alienor.org/collections-des-musees/fiche-objet-5465-mousqueton)
. Alienor.org. Retrieved
8 July 2018.
7. "CMPC Dossiers : De la bouche à la culasse"(http://www.alienor.org/publications/fusils/essai04.htm). Alienor.org.
Retrieved 8 July 2018.
8. Flatnes, Oyvind (2013).From Musket to Metallic Cartridge: A Practical History of Black Powder Firearms
(https://boo
ks.google.com/books?id=U4p8AwAAQBAJ&pg=PT368). Crowood. p. 368. ISBN 978-1-84797-594-2.
9. McLachlan, Sean (20 September 2011).Armies of the Adowa Campaign 1896: The Italian Disaster in Ethiopia
. Men-
at-Arms 471. Osprey Publishing. p. 35. ISBN 9781849084574.
10. Walter, John (2006). Rifles of the World (https://books.google.com/books?id=Eq2Dnj4sDZIC&pg=P
A88). Krause
Publications. p. 88. ISBN 978-0-89689-241-5.

References
Ford, Roger. The World's Great RiflesLondon: Brown Books, 1998.ISBN 1-897884-33-8.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Gilman, D. C.; Peck, H. T.; Colby, F. M.,
eds. (1905). "Chassepot".New International Encyclopedia(1st ed.). New York: Dodd, Mead.

External links
The French Army 1600–1900
Forgotten Weapons – Chassepot Needle Rifle

Preceded by French Army rifle Succeeded by

Tabatière rifle 1866–1874 Fusil Gras Modèle 1874

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