Year: 1870




The tire-arm which has been adopted
by the French army is the celebrated
ChassepOt rifle, which is probably tn,
most efficient weapon ever put into thu
hands of an army of infantry. It re
sembles the Prussian needle-gun, bu
! possesses several improvements. Dur
| ing the late war between Prussia anC
Austria, the effective work of the new.
/ ly invented needle-gun attracted the
notice of all fighting nations; and the
French, anticipating that they would
sometimes be called upon to punish
Prussia for her alleged arrogance and
want of honor, Immediately set -tC
work to invent weapon that should
surpass the needle-gun in its power as
an engine of war. The result was the
invention by NJ. Chassepot, after long
and careful study, having the Prussian
gun to aid him and to improve upon.
After the new rifle had been tested
over and over again, the attention OF
the Emperor was invited to it, and il
was not long before he was convinced
of its superiority, and ordered its adop-
ton in the army.


One of the principal improvements
which the Chassepot has over the nee
dle-guu- of Prussia, is that its move
ment is simpler, and instead of being
tightly enclosed in the breach by a cyl
inder, it IS a1Rasst fully exposed, and
the employm Rf the India rubber as
an obturatoI is argued that the
Prussian gun, alter it has been dis
charged several times in quick success
ion, becomes hot and damp in the
chamber, owing to the inabilityOf the
gas which comes back after the eXplos-
ion of the cartridge to escape. The
inside soon becomes dirty, and the SOL
dier is required to take his piece apart
and clean it. The French gun is al
ways open, and while there is no gas
shut up in a chamber to corrode the
metal, it can in moment be cleaned
from dirt or rust, and the soldier is able
to quickly discover any accident to his
rifle.


An opening on the right hand side
of the chamber is for the insertion of
the cartridge. The chamber is filled
by the movable cylinder, which may
be moved back or forward by the han
die. The cylinder surrounds the shaft
and the car revOlves around the ran-
It contains the spring by whicl he
needle is propelled. The rear eI of
the shaft is made in the shape of a nam
die. The spring is compressed when
the handle is drawn back. The Shout
der on the shaft comes in contact with
the cylinder when the arm is at rest.
When loaded and ready for firing the
two parts are drawn asunder. The
shafts also serves to protect the needle,
which is surrounded by the same, and
is forced out of the front end of the
shaft as soon as the trigger is pulled.
After the cartridge has been inserted
the knob is pressed forward and is then
laid over the right hand side. The ap-
erture is now closed By the first of
these two moven S the cylinder is
moved forward, thereby forcing the
cartridge into the breech; the second
movement secures the cylinder so that
it can be thrown. back by the force of
the explosion. EThe pulling the trigger
releases theNspira1 spring, which then
forces the needle. through-the percusz
sion wafer.


1t is claimed that this gun issslot so
easily clOgged as the Prussian needle
gun, and is more substantially built


The ChassepOt is handled in the. fol-
lowing manner: While loading, hc3d
the gun in the left hand with the butt
end resting on the left hip. TheIeyer
is then turned with butt one e-
ment, from right to left, and w l-
other pulled back, after WhiCn the
cartridge is inserted into fthe opening
thus eftected. By q thIrla movement
pushing back the lever into its original
position-the gun becomes ready to be
fired off. The prOjectile is q rather
lOngSlug with the end rounded and
pointed like our rifle ball. The charge,
which is attached to it in a paper COW
ering, is composed of a peculiar pow
der, especially manufactured for the
purpose. The distance at which this
gun CARRIES with certainty is very con-
siderable-Over 1000 metres. Both the
infantry and chasseurs have only the
one model, in so far as those of the
chasseurs are sword bayonets.