Berdan II M1870
Tula Arms Plant · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1870
Also known as: Berdana No. 2, Berdan number 2, M1870 Berdan
Overview
The Berdan II (Model 1870) was the standard single-shot bolt-action service rifle of the Imperial Russian Army, replacing the earlier trapdoor-style Berdan I. Designed around improvements by American inventor Hiram Berdan working with Russian officers Alexander Gorlov and Karl Gunius, it featured a distinctive short, pear-shaped bolt handle whose root served as the sole locking lug. Chambered for the 10.75x58mmR black-powder cartridge, it remained Russia's frontline infantry rifle until the adoption of the Mosin-Nagant M1891.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4300 g (151.7 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1350 mm (53.15") |
| Barrel Length | 831 mm (32.72") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 437 m/s (1434 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2292 J (1690 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 500 m (547 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 1069 m (1169 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 6 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 10.75x58mmR Berdan · primary — also known as 10.67x58mmR, 4.2 line Berdan, 10.75 Russian
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot Breech Loading
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Notch
- Features: Single Shot, Metallic Cartridge, Pear Shaped Bolt Handle, Bayonet Lug, Ramp And Leaf Rear Sight
Variants
- Berdan II M1870 Dragoon Rifle — Dragoon
- Berdan II M1870 Cossack Rifle — Cossack
- Berdan II M1870 Carbine — Carbine
Service history
Operators
- Imperial Russian Army · adopted 1870 · as Berdana No. 2
- Principality of Bulgaria
Conflicts
- Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878)
- Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905)
- World War I (1914-1918)
Production
Estimated total produced: 3,000,000 · Production years: 1870-1892
Approximately 3 million produced across all models; figures vary between sources
Origin
Country of origin: Russia
Designer: Hiram Berdan
Discontinued: 1892
Notes
Produced in vast numbers at the Russian arsenals of Tula, Izhevsk, and Sestroryetsk; early production was contracted to Birmingham Small Arms in Britain. Multiple patterns existed: infantry, dragoon, Cossack, and carbine.
Background
Designed by the same American, Hiram Berdan, who lent his name to the Berdan primer, this rifle armed Russia and Bulgaria through the brutal 1877-78 Russo-Turkish War and was still being handed out to militia and rear-area troops as a stopgap during the First World War.