Reffye Mitrailleuse
Atelier de Précision de Meudon · Machine Gun · Out Of Production · 1866
Also known as: Canon a balles, Reffye Gun, Mitrailleuse de Reffye
Overview
The Reffye Mitrailleuse ('Canon a balles') was a 25-barrel hand-cranked volley gun designed by Jean-Baptiste Verchere de Reffye and secretly adopted by France in 1866. A removable steel breech block holding twenty-five 13mm centrefire cartridges locked against the barrel cluster, and a crank discharged them in succession at up to roughly 125 rounds per minute out to about 1,800 m. Mounted on an artillery carriage (855 kg complete), it was one of the first standard-issue rapid-fire weapons in a major war, but excessive secrecy left crews without tactics, so it was misused as long-range artillery and out-ranged by Prussian Krupp guns in the Franco-Prussian War.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 340000 g (11993.2 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1750 mm (68.90") |
| Barrel Length | 950 mm (37.40") |
| Action Type | Lever Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Magazine Capacity | 25 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 480 m/s (1575 fps) |
| Effective Range | 1800 m (1968 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 3400 m (3718 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 125 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 10 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
Calibers
- 13mm Reffye · primary — also known as 13mm Gaupillat
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Breech Block Plate
- Features: Multi Barrel, Hand Cranked, Removable Breech Block, Field Carriage Mounted
Variants
- Montigny Mitrailleuse — Predecessor Design
Service history
Operators
- French Army · adopted 1866 · as Canon a balles
Conflicts
- Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871)
Production
Estimated total produced: 200 · Production years: 1866-1871
Built at the French arsenals of Meudon and Nantes; ~190 operational by July 1870, total estimates range 200-400
Origin
Country of origin: France
Designer: Jean-Baptiste Verchere de Reffye
Discontinued: 1908
Notes
Distinct from the 37-barrel Belgian Montigny Mitrailleuse that inspired it. Roughly 190 Reffye guns were operational by July 1870; total production estimates vary ~200-400. Gun weighs ~340 kg; ~855 kg with carriage.
Background
The Reffye was developed under such extreme secrecy that test guns were fired from inside concealing tents to defeat espionage, and crews received almost no tactical doctrine. The secrecy backfired so badly that Marshal MacMahon is said to have never even seen a mitrailleuse until one was wheeled past him at Sedan in September 1870.