Beaumont-Vitali M1871/88
Geweerfabriek Hembrug · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1888
Also known as: Geweer M1871/88, Beaumont-Vitali, M1871/88, Dutch Beaumont-Vitali
Overview
The Beaumont-Vitali M1871/88 is a Dutch repeating bolt-action service rifle, created from 1888 by retrofitting the single-shot Beaumont M1871 with an Italian Vitali four-round box magazine. Chambered for the 11mm Beaumont black-powder centerfire cartridge, it retained the original Beaumont action with its distinctive V-shaped leaf mainspring hidden inside the hollow bolt handle, but added a fixed magazine loaded from above by an en-bloc clip. The conversion kept the Royal Netherlands Army's existing rifle stock in service as a magazine repeater until the smokeless-powder Mannlicher M1895 replaced it.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4550 g (160.5 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1320 mm (51.97") |
| Barrel Length | 830 mm (32.68") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 4 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 450 m/s (1476 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2126 J (1568 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 600 m (656 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 1000 m (1094 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 14 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 11x52mmR Dutch Beaumont · primary — also known as 11mm Beaumont, 11.3x50mmR, 11x52R
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Fixed Box Magazine Clip Fed
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Notch
- Features: Vitali Box Magazine, En Bloc Clip Loading, Leaf Mainspring In Bolt Handle, Bayonet Lug, Ladder Rear Sight, Magazine Cutoff
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Royal Netherlands Army · adopted 1888 · as Geweer M1871/88
Conflicts
- Aceh War (1873-1914)
Production
Production years: 1888-1895
Conversions of existing M1871 rifles rather than new-build arms; replaced from 1895 by the Mannlicher M1895
Origin
Country of origin: Netherlands
Designer: Edouard de Beaumont
Discontinued: 1895
Notes
The Vitali magazine system was licensed from Italy, where it had been used to convert the Vetterli M1870 into the Vetterli-Vitali M1870/87. Conversions were carried out at the Dutch state arms factory at Hembrug (Zaandam) and by contractors including P. Stevens of Maastricht. A magazine cutoff allowed the rifle to be fired single-shot while holding the magazine in reserve.
Background
The Beaumont-Vitali married two national designs across Europe: a Dutch single-shot rifle whose mainspring lived inside the bolt handle, fitted with an Italian Vitali magazine that had originally been devised to modernize Switzerland's Vetterli rifles. Many examples carry two dates stamped years apart, one for the 1870s rifle and one for the 1888-era magazine conversion.