Wänzl M1867
Vienna Arsenal (k.k. Gewehrfabrik) · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1867
Also known as: Wänzel Rifle, Wänzl Infanteriegewehr M1854/67, Wänzl Infanteriegewehr M1862/67, Wänzl-Lorenz
Overview
The Wänzl M1867 is a single-shot breechloading service rifle created by converting the Austrian muzzle-loading Lorenz M1854 and M1862 rifle muskets. Designed by Viennese gunsmith Franz Wänzl after Austria's 1866 defeat in the Austro-Prussian War, it used a front-hinged trapdoor breechblock comparable to the American Allin/Springfield system, with a cartridge extractor and a hammer-driven locking bolt that held the breech shut until full cock. Chambered for the 14×33mmR Wänzl rimfire cartridge with a roughly 13.9 mm bore, it served as a stopgap to quickly modernise the infantry while the new Werndl-Holub rifles were produced. Around 70,000 Lorenz arms were converted, mainly at the Steyr works.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4300 g (151.7 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1337 mm (52.64") |
| Barrel Length | 883 mm (34.76") |
| Action Type | Trapdoor |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 390 m/s (1280 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2259 J (1666 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 300 m (328 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 10 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
Calibers
- 14×33mmR Wänzl · primary — also known as 14.3×33R Wänzl, 13.9mm Wänzl, .55 Wänzl
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot Breechloader
- Safety mechanisms: Breech Locking Bolt
- Features: Front Hinged Trapdoor, Cartridge Extractor, Leaf Rear Sight, Bayonet Lug, Muzzleloader Conversion
Variants
- Wänzl M1854/67 Infanteriegewehr — Infantry Rifle
- Wänzl M1862/67 — Infantry Rifle
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Austro-Hungarian Empire · adopted 1867 · as Wänzl Infanteriegewehr M1867
Conflicts
- Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901)
- Balkan Wars (1912-1913)
Production
Estimated total produced: 70,000 · Production years: 1867-1869
Approximately 70,000 Lorenz M1854 and M1862 muskets were converted to the Wänzl breechloading system, primarily at the Steyr works near Vienna.
Origin
Country of origin: Austria
Designer: Franz Wänzl
Discontinued: 1873
Notes
The Wänzl was always intended as an interim arm and was rapidly superseded by the purpose-built Werndl-Holub M1867. Surviving examples reportedly turned up in later conflicts, including Balkan fighting and with Qing forces during the Boxer Rebellion. Original cartridges were rimfire, with some later centerfire variants.
Background
Stung by the Prussian Dreyse needle gun in the 1866 Seven Weeks' War, where breechloaders shattered Austria's muzzle-loading line infantry, the Austrians turned to Franz Wänzl's trapdoor conversion as an emergency measure to put a breechloader in soldiers' hands within a year, buying time until the definitive Werndl rifle entered mass production.