Gras model 1874
| Gras model 1874 | |
|---|---|
|
|
| general information | |
| Military designation: | Fusil Gras M80 Modèle 1874 |
| Country of operation: | France, Greece |
| Developer / Manufacturer: | Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Etienne (MAS) |
| Manufacturer country: | France |
| Production time: | 1874 to 1886 |
| Weapon Category: | gun |
| Furnishing | |
| Overall length: | 1310 mm |
| Weight: (unloaded) | 4.15 kg |
| Barrel length : | 820 mm |
| Technical specifications | |
| Caliber : | 11 × 59 mm rows |
| Number of trains : | 4th |
| Visor : | open sights |
| Closure : | Cylinder lock |
| Charging principle: | Single loader |
| Lists on the subject | |
The Gras Model 1874 (French: Fusil Gras ), type designation "Gras MLE 1874", is a French military rifle from the end of the 19th century.
development
The rifle "Gras M le 1874" is an adaptation of the Chassepot rifle to a metal cartridge developed by Basile Gras . Different variants of the grass rifle are known. The type "Mle 1866-74" is based on a converted Chassepot rifle. The type "Gras M le 1874" is the first series production. The type "Mle 1874 M.80" was a further development with an improved lock.
The decision to replace the paper cartridge of the Chassepot rifle with a cartridge with a metal case was a decisive step in development, because cartridges with metal cases have a gas-tight seal or a gas-tight seal, similar to the center fire cartridge developed by US Colonel SV Bénet from 1866 to 1869. ensure a lid on the cartridge chamber, are more secure against external ignition and less sensitive to moisture.
The Werder rifle M / 1869, which was presented in Bavaria in 1867, was a comparable development.
Reasons for the relatively quick replacement of this rifle (in France by the Lebel model 1886 rifle ) lie in the discovery of new types of powder (see also cordite ) that are superior to black powder .
Small caliber cartridge , Chassepot cartridge, Gras cartridge: "11 × 59 mm R"
Construction grass cartridge with Berdanzünder: "11 × 59 mm R"
Bolt of the rifle type "Gras M80 1874"
Rifle type "Gras M80 1874" with magazine
use
The single-shot rifle proved to be a reliable weapon with high penetration. Retrofits for simple additional magazines were developed but rarely used.
France introduced the rifle in 1874. In 1886 it was replaced in the French army by the further development of the Lebel model 1886 (smaller-caliber, multi-shot and above all for low-smoke ammunition) .
Due to the high loss of material, the grass rifle was even used during the First World War and was occasionally used as a replacement by German troops.
The Greek Army introduced the Gras model in 1874 in 1877 and used it in all conflicts up to World War II . It became the preferred weapon of the partisans from the revolts against the Ottoman Empire to the resistance against the German occupation and earned a legendary reputation.
The ammunition of the Gras Mle 1874
The origin of the black powder cartridge 11 × 59 mm R is the paper cartridge of the Chassepot rifle . The cartridge was known for its reliability and penetration.
literature
- General Swiss military newspaper . No. 25 , June 24, 1886, pp. 197–200 ( [1] [accessed May 17, 2018]).
- Wolfgang Finze, Joachim Görtz: Foreign rifles in German service. 1914-1918. Rostock / Munich 2002.
- Chassepot-Gras-Lebel. In: Collected writings on French infantry armament 1866–1886, Zurich 1980.
- New Military Papers Vol. 32, 1888
- Jean-Pierre Sedent: FUSIL D'INFANTERIE GRAS Mle 1874 , (online preview, archive.org)
- Bob Shell: The French Gras Rifle , 2010, (online PDF 74.2 kB, archive.org)
Web links
- Development history of the grass MLE 1874 and other variants
- History of Greek military equipment (1821 to the present day): M1974 grass rifle
Individual evidence
- ^ The M / 69 werder rifle In: zollwaffen.de. Retrieved May 14, 2018 .