Kropatschek rifle

A Kropatschek is any variant of a rifle designed by Alfred von Kropatschek. Kropatschek's rifles used a tubular magazine (constructed of nickel-plated steel) of his design, of the same type used in the Japanese Murata Type 22 and the German Mauser Gewehr 1871/84. While designed for black powder, the Kropatschek action proved to be strong enough to handle smokeless powder.

The French Lebel Model 1886 rifle was a modified Kropatschek, which was adopted by the French Navy in 1878.

Variants

Austria-Hungary Gendarmerie Repetier-Karabiner M1881: 11 mm Gendarmerie Carbine (also known as M1874/81); Kropatschek Torpedo Boats Gewehr M1893: 8 mm Navy Rifle for Torpedo boat crews.

France Fusil de Marine Mle 1878: 11 mm Navy Rifle, it was a modified Fusil Gras mle 1874 fitted with a 7-round tubular magazine and shortened to reduce weight. Fusil d'Infanterie Mle 1883: 11 mm Infantry Rifle. Fusil d'Infanterie Mle 1874/85: 11 mm Infantry Rifle—like the Navy M1878, it was a Gras M1874 rifle fitted with a Kropatschek magazine and a two-piece stock, and the gun overall length was shortened .

Portugal Espingarda de Infantaria 8 mm m/1886: 8 mm Infantry Rifle; Carabina de Caçadores 8 mm m/1886: 8 mm Light Infantry Carbine; Carabina de Cavalaria 8 mm m/1886: 8 mm Cavalry Carbine; Carabina da Guarda Fiscal 8 mm m/1886/88: 8 mm Treasury Guard Carbine; Espingarda de Infantaria 8 mm m/1886/89: 8 mm Colonial Infantry Rifle; Carabina de Artilharia 8 mm m/1886/91: 8 mm Artillery Carbine.

Users

– 1878 Kropatschek rifle adopted by the navy in 1884; in 1891 it was replaced by the 1886 Portuguese model. During the second Revolta da Armada the army used a small number of Kropatscheks captured from navy depots. The Kropatschek was phased out in naval service in 1895 after the adoption of the 1894 Brazilian Mauser – 2,000 1878 Kropatschek rifles were delivered for the navy in 1881. The objective of this acquisition was to have a fast-firing weapon to repeal torpedo boats.

– Part of French military aid during World War I.

– Remained in service with colonial troops until 1961

– 150,000 Kropatscheks bought from France in 1915 – taken into Soviet inventory following the Russian Civil War; most were shipped to Republican forces during the Spanish Civil War – 746 M1878 Kropatschek rifles procured from OEWG. – 1,821 surplus 1878 Kropatschek rifles delivered by the Soviet Union – The Wassoulou Empire arms industry created functional copies of the Krophatschek rifle in the 1880s and 90s to use in their struggle against French colonial forces.

Kropatschek rifle

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