Kropatschek rifle

Kropatschek/Steyr-Kropatschek
Portuguese Kropatschek (Second from top)
Type	Rifle
Place of origin	Austria-Hungary
Service history
In service	1886 – Present
Used by	Austria-Hungary France Chile Brazil Kingdom of Portugal Ethiopian Empire Russian Empire Spanish Republic Wassoulou Empire
Wars	War of the Pacific French conquest of Tunisia Mandingo Wars First Madagascar expedition Tonkin campaign Sino-French War Revolta da Armada Federalist Revolution First Italo-Ethiopian War War of Canudos Second Boer War World War I Spanish Civil War World War II (Portuguese colonies) Annexation of Goa Portuguese Colonial War
Production history
Designer	Alfred von Kropatschek
Designed	1886
Produced	1886–circa 1898
Variants	Long rifle, short rifle
Specifications
Mass	4.3 kg (9.5 lb)
Length	1320 mm (4 ft)
Barrel length	820 mm (32.3 in)
Cartridge	11×59mmR Gras 8×56mmR Kropatschek Corto 8×60mmR Guedes
Caliber	8mm (.329 in)
Action	Bolt action
Muzzle velocity	609 m/s (2,000 ft/s)
Effective firing range	2406 yd (2,200 m)
Feed system	8-round integral tubular magazine

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 Kropatschek was the basis for the French Lebel M1886.

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;
• Fusil d'Infanterie Mle 1884: 11 mm Infantry Rifle;
• Fusil d'Infanterie Mle 1885: 11 mm Infantry Rifle.

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.

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.

See also

• Antique firearms

External links

• French 1878 Marine Kropatschek Forgotten Weapons