Extremely Fine French Military Chassepot Model 1866 Needle-Fire Bolt Action Rifle

Description:
This is one of the finest surviving examples of an untouched completely original French Chassepot Model 1866 rifle one may ever witness. The Chassepot Model 1866 was adopted by the French army in 1866 to replace the earlier muzzle-loading rifles, and played a pivotal role in the evolution of infantry weapons.

The Chassepot features a bolt action needle-fire mechanism for use with a paper cartridge containing a lead bullet and a charge of black powder, ignited by a long needle firing pin that pierces through the paper to strike a primer at the base of the bullet. A rubber obturator in the bolt provides a seal at the breech to reduce gas leakage. The Chassepot had superior accuracy and an effective range of up to 1,200 meters, outperforming most rifles of the time.

It became widely recognized for its superior performance during the Franco-Prussian War where French troops equipped with Chassepots demonstrated their effectiveness against opposing troops armed with the Prussian Dreyse needle gun. Surviving examples of Chassepot needle-fire rifles are scarce in general, and many were updated for use with metallic cartridges when the Model 1874 Gras rifle was introduced in French military service.

This 1872 dated Chassepot has matching numbers showing throughout and nice bright surfaces in the metal. The rear sight retains nearly all of its original blue finish. There are various crisply stamped original inspection markings showing in the stock. The firing needle is missing it’s tip (a common occurrence on these rifles), and what looks to be the original rubber obturator/gas sealing ring is still remaining complete, which is incredible considering its age. The bore has nice sharp rifling.

I have only ever offered one other comparable example of a Chassepot, and this specimen offered ranks slightly better. Look no further, this Chassepot would be nearly impossible to improve upon, and whoever ends up with it is going to be one happy collector.

Price includes shipping in the 48 states. As a pre-1898 antique, this can ship directly to your doorstep in most states!

Antique: Yes

Price: $1,500.00
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