Gasser M1870 Revolver
Leopold Gasser Waffenfabrik · Revolver · Discontinued · 1870
Also known as: M1870 Gasser, Gasser Cavalry Revolver, 11mm Gasser M1870/74
Overview
The Gasser M1870 was a large, robust single-action service revolver chambered for the powerful 11.3x36mmR cartridge, adopted by the Austro-Hungarian cavalry in 1870 and built by the Leopold Gasser Waffenfabrik of Vienna. It used an open-frame design with the barrel attached by a screw beneath the cylinder arbor, a gate-loaded six-shot cylinder fed from the right side, and a rod ejector carried beneath the barrel. A distinctive safety bar on the right of the frame carried pins that engaged the lock mechanism. It remained in production from 1870 until 1919.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 1300 g (45.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 375 mm (14.76") |
| Barrel Length | 235 mm (9.25") |
| Action Type | Single Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 6 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Revolving Cylinder |
| Muzzle Velocity | 326 m/s (1070 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 484 J (357 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 50 m (55 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 200 m (219 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 11mm Gasser · primary — also known as 11.3x36mmR, 11.25x36mm, .44 Montenegrin, Gasser M70/74
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Gate Loaded Cylinder
- Safety mechanisms: Safety Bar
- Features: Open Frame, Gate Loading, Rod Ejector, Screw Attached Barrel
Variants
- Gasser-Kropatschek M1876 — Lightened 9mm
Service history
Operators
- Austro-Hungarian Army (cavalry) · adopted 1870 · as M1870
Conflicts
- World War I (1914-1918)
Production
Production years: 1870-1919
Long production run with very large numbers made for both military and commercial markets.
Origin
Country of origin: Austria
Designer: Leopold Gasser
Discontinued: 1919
Notes
The commercial export 'Montenegrin Gasser' pattern derived from this M1870/74 design, often ornately engraved and inlaid for the Montenegrin market. The lighter 9mm Gasser-Kropatschek M1876 was a later refinement.
Background
The huge 11mm cartridge and oversized frame made Gasser revolvers iconic in the Balkans, where carrying a Montenegrin Gasser was reportedly required by custom for adult men in Montenegro.