Chassepot Modèle 1866
French State Arsenals · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1866
Also known as: Fusil modèle 1866, Chassepot rifle
Overview
The Chassepot Fusil Modèle 1866 was the French Army's needle-fire bolt-action rifle, designed by Antoine Alphonse Chassepot. A direct rival to the Prussian Dreyse, it fired a smaller, higher-velocity 11mm paper cartridge and used a rubber obturator ring to seal the breech far better than the Dreyse, giving it a flatter trajectory and substantially longer effective range. It armed French infantry during the Franco-Prussian War, where it consistently outranged the German needle gun.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4635 g (163.5 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1310 mm (51.57") |
| Barrel Length | 795 mm (31.30") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 410 m/s (1345 fps) |
| Effective Range | 600 m (656 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 1200 m (1312 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 12 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 11mm Chassepot · primary — also known as 11x59mm Chassepot, .433 Chassepot needle cartridge
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot Breech Loaded
- Features: Needle Fire Ignition, Breech Loading, Paper Cartridge, Rubber Obturator Breech Seal, Improved Gas Seal Over Dreyse
Variants
- Chassepot-Gras Modèle 1866/74 — Metallic Cartridge Conversion
Service history
Operators
- French Army · adopted 1866 · as Fusil modèle 1866
Conflicts
- Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871)
- Capture of Rome (1870)
Production
Estimated total produced: 1,037,555 · Production years: 1866-1874
Produced at French state arsenals (Châtellerault, Saint-Étienne, Tulle, Mutzig) and by foreign contractors; many later converted to Chassepot-Gras
Origin
Country of origin: France
Designer: Antoine Alphonse Chassepot
Discontinued: 1874
Notes
Many were later converted to the metallic-cartridge Chassepot-Gras Modèle 1866/74 standard. The superior breech seal was its key technical advantage over the Dreyse.
Background
At the 1870 Battle of Mars-la-Tour the Chassepot's 1,200-meter reach let French infantry punish advancing Prussians long before the Dreyse needle gun could reply, a humiliation that pushed Germany to develop the Mauser Model 1871.