Fusil Gras Mle 1874
Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Etienne · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1874
Also known as: Fusil Modele 1874, Gras rifle, Mle 1874 M80
Overview
The Fusil Gras Mle 1874 was the standard service rifle of the French Army from 1874, designed by Captain Basile Gras as a metallic-cartridge conversion and improvement of the earlier Chassepot needle-fire rifle. A single-shot bolt-action rifle chambered for the 11x59mmR Gras black-powder centerfire cartridge, it replaced the Chassepot's vulnerable rubber breech seal with a robust brass cartridge case. It served as France's frontline infantry rifle until the introduction of the Lebel Mle 1886 and remained in second-line and colonial use well into the 20th century.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4200 g (148.2 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 | 454 m/s (1490 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2566 J (1893 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 500 m (547 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 1800 m (1968 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 11x59mmR Gras · primary — also known as 11mm Gras, Balle 1874 M, 11x59R
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot Breech Loading
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Notch
- Features: Single Shot, Metallic Cartridge, Cleaning Rod, Bayonet Lug, Ladder Rear Sight
Variants
- Carabine de Cavalerie Mle 1874 — Carbine
- Mousqueton d'Artillerie Mle 1874 — Carbine
Service history
Operators
- French Army · adopted 1874 · as Fusil Mle 1874
- Hellenic Army
Conflicts
- Sino-French War (1884-1885)
- Greco-Turkish War (1897)
- World War I (1914-1918)
Production
Production years: 1874-1886
Included large-scale conversions of existing Chassepot rifles to the Gras pattern
Origin
Country of origin: France
Designer: Basile Gras
Discontinued: 1886
Notes
Many Chassepot rifles were converted to the Gras pattern (designated Mle 1866-74). Produced at the French state arsenals of Saint-Etienne, Chatellerault, and Tulle.
Background
Although obsolete by 1914, hundreds of thousands of Gras rifles were pulled from storage in World War I, rechambered or relegated to rear-area and colonial troops, and even mounted on improvised anti-aircraft tripods to fire at low-flying aircraft.