Needle Rifles

[Surplus_lad]

Since there is little activity on this forum, I figured I’ll go ahead and start doing posting some rifles from my collection to see is if I can’t get some more activity though the C&R forum.

So here are my three needle rifles.
From top to bottom,
Prussian Dreyse m57 Carbine
Italian Carcano m1844/67
French Chassepot mle1866

 

[Lobo2087]

Nice

 

[clarencel]

Do you shoot them often?

 

[xerts1191]

Cool

 

[needsmostuff]

Please do some "splainin".
What makes a "needle" rifle.

 

[Surplus_lad]

Do you shoot them often?

Never shot them, 2 of them need replacement needles, and those can be very hard to track down

 

[Surplus_lad]

Please do some "splainin".
What makes a "needle" rifle.

Instead of a typical firing pin they use a very long firing pin/needle. These all use paper cartridges, so in order to reach the percussion cap they must punch through the paper and powder. The Dreyse is where the name comes from, the “zündnadelgewehr” or the needle gun.