FUSIL MODELE 1866 FRENCH INFANTRY RIFLE, KNOWN AS THE "CHASSEPOT"-THE NEXT STEP IN WEAPONS AFTER THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR

FUSIL MODELE 1866, KNOWN AS THE “CHASSEPOT”  FRENCH INFANTRY RIFLE.  HERE’S A BEAUTY THAT I WAS ABLE TO ADD TO THE TIME SEARCHER ARCHIVES.  IT’S A NICE CONDITION EXAMPLE WITH NO MODIFICATIONS.  THIS RIFLE WAS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST BOLT ACTION WEAPONS USED IN THE MODERN AGE OF WARFARE.   IT USED A PAPER CARTRIDGE.  THE CHASSEPOT BECAME FAMOUS AS THE RIFLE OF THE FRENCH ARMY IN THE FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR OF 1870-1871.  THIS RIFLE WAS MANUFACTURED BETWEEN 1866 TO 1875.  THIS PARTICULAR EXAMPLE WAS MANUFACTURED IN 1873 AS INDICATED ON ITS STAMPINGS ON THE STOCK OF THE RIFLE.  ALL SERIAL NUMBERS MATCH.  MOST OF THESE RIFLES WERE CONVERTED TO FIRE METALLIC CARTRIDGES.  THIS ONE LOOKS UNTOUCHED.  A NICE RIFLE TO SHOW THE NEXT STEP IN INFANTRY WEAPONS FROM THE MUZZLE LOADER OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR TO THE BOLT ACTION RIFLE THAT DOMINATED EUROPEAN RIFLE MAKING UP THROUGH WORLD WAR TWO.-THE TIME SEARCHER.