Dreyse Zündnadelgewehr M1841
Dreyse · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1841
Also known as: Needle Gun, Zundnadelgewehr, Dreyse M1841, Leichtes Perkussionsgewehr M1841
Overview
The Dreyse Zündnadelgewehr ('needle-ignition rifle') was the world's first military bolt-action breech-loading rifle, designed by Johann Nikolaus von Dreyse and adopted by Prussia in 1841. Its long firing needle pierced a self-contained paper cartridge to strike a percussion pellet at the base of the bullet. Breech loading let a Prussian soldier fire from the prone position and reload several times faster than muzzle-loading opponents, a decisive advantage at the 1866 Battle of Koniggratz.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4700 g (165.8 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1420 mm (55.91") |
| Barrel Length | 910 mm (35.83") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 305 m/s (1001 fps) |
| Effective Range | 600 m (656 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 10 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 15.4mm Dreyse Needle-Fire · primary — also known as 15.4x40mm Dreyse, .61 caliber needle cartridge
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot Breech Loaded
- Features: Needle Fire Ignition, Breech Loading, Paper Cartridge, Self Contained Cartridge, First Military Bolt Action
Service history
Operators
- Prussian Army · adopted 1848 · as Zündnadelgewehr M1841
Conflicts
- Second Schleswig War (1864)
- Austro-Prussian War (1866)
- Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871)
Production
Estimated total produced: 1,500,000 · Production years: 1841-1873
Produced in large numbers for the Prussian and allied German armies before replacement by the Mauser Model 1871
Origin
Country of origin: Germany
Designer: Johann Nikolaus von Dreyse
Discontinued: 1876
Notes
Adopted in 1841 under the deliberately bland name 'leichtes Perkussionsgewehr Model 1841' to conceal its revolutionary breech-loading mechanism. Gas leakage at the breech and needle corrosion were chronic weaknesses.
Background
The Dreyse needle gun gave Prussia such a decisive edge over Austria's muzzle-loaders at the 1866 Battle of Koniggratz that it helped tip the balance of power in Europe and accelerate German unification under Prussian leadership.