Chassepot Model 1866
French State Arsenals · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1866
Also known as: Fusil modèle 1866, Chassepot rifle, Fusil Chassepot
Overview
The Chassepot Model 1866 is a French needle-fire, single-shot bolt-action service rifle designed by Antoine Alphonse Chassepot. Firing an 11mm combustible linen-and-paper cartridge ignited by a long firing pin, it improved on the Prussian Dreyse needle gun chiefly through a rubber obturator ring on the bolt head that sealed the breech against gas leakage. This gave the Chassepot a smaller, higher-velocity round with a flatter trajectory and far greater effective range. It was the standard French infantry rifle of 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 | 1000 m (1094 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 1500 m (1640 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, Combustible Paper Cartridge, Rubber Obturator Breech Seal, Improved Gas Seal Over Dreyse, Rear Ladder Sight
Variants
- Chassepot-Gras Model 1866/74 — Metallic Cartridge Conversion
Service history
Operators
- French Army · adopted 1866 · as Fusil modèle 1866
- Papal States · adopted 1868
Conflicts
- Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871)
- Capture of Rome (1870)
- Paris Commune (1871)
Production
Estimated total produced: 1,037,555 · Production years: 1866-1874
Manufactured at the French state arsenals of Saint-Étienne, Châtellerault, Tulle and Mutzig, plus foreign contractors; large numbers later converted to Chassepot-Gras
Origin
Country of origin: France
Designer: Antoine Alphonse Chassepot
Discontinued: 1874
Notes
Many examples were later rebuilt to the metallic-cartridge Chassepot-Gras Model 1866/74 standard. The rubber breech seal was its decisive technical advantage over the Dreyse but degraded with heat and use.
Background
At the 1870 Battle of Mars-la-Tour the Chassepot's reach let French infantry punish advancing Prussians long before the Dreyse needle gun could reply, a humiliation that helped push Germany toward the metallic-cartridge Mauser Model 1871.