Fruwirth M1872
Österreichische Waffenfabriks-Gesellschaft (Steyr) · Carbine · Out Of Production · 1872
Also known as: Früwirth M1872, Gendarmerie-Repetiergewehr System Fruwirth
Overview
The Fruwirth M1872 was a bolt-action repeating carbine designed by Viennese gunsmith Ferdinand Fruwirth and adopted by the Austro-Hungarian Gendarmerie. Combining a Chassepot-derived turn-bolt action with an 8-round Vetterli-style tubular magazine in the forend and a magazine cut-off, it was one of the earliest bolt-action magazine repeaters adopted by a European force. Production was split between Fruwirth's Vienna workshop and ŒWG Steyr.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3690 g (130.2 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1037 mm (40.83") |
| Barrel Length | 570 mm (22.44") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 8 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Tube |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
Calibers
- 11.15×36mmR Fruwirth · primary — also known as 11.3×36mmR, 11mm Fruwirth
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Tubular Magazine, Single Shot
- Safety mechanisms: Magazine Cutoff
- Features: Tubular Magazine, Magazine Cutoff, Offset Firing Pin, Chassepot Derived Bolt
Service history
Operators
- Austro-Hungarian Gendarmerie · adopted 1872 · as M1872
- Tirolean Landesschützen
Production
Estimated total produced: 12,000 · Production years: 1872-1888
Roughly 80% built by Fruwirth's Vienna shop and 20% by ŒWG Steyr
Origin
Country of origin: Austria
Designer: Ferdinand Fruwirth
Discontinued: 1888
Notes
The Austro-Hungarian Army trialed the design but rejected it as too fragile for hard general service, restricting it to gendarmerie, border-guard and mountain-troop use. Its eccentric offset firing pin is a well-known collector quirk.
Background
Often cited as the second bolt-action magazine cartridge rifle ever adopted by a nation (after the Swiss Vetterli), the Fruwirth bundled a Chassepot bolt, a Vetterli tube magazine and a Werndl-class 11mm cartridge into Austria's first repeater, a key evolutionary step toward the later Kropatschek and Mannlicher rifles.