Lot 2571
Antique French Model 1866 Chassepot Needle Fire Rifle. The serial number "R 16303" is marked on the left barrel flat, forward of the breech. This same number is also marked and on the top of the bolt handle, side of spur cocking piece, and on the saber bayonet lug. The bayonet is marked "68" inside the slot of the rifle lug and the sheath is marked "M 35968". The R prefix to the serial number indicates that the rifle was manufactured at the Tulle. The armory used the pre-fix letters F through Q was Imperial Armory at St. Etienne. Other armories used other prefixes. Including A-C for Ch’tellerault, D and E for Mutzig, R through T for Tulle and U & V for Cahen-Lyon. The right side of the breech is marked with the date of manufacture, T 1867 - the second year of production. The right side of the breech is also marked with the initials M I, for Manufacture Imperiale, indicating the rifle was manufactured under the rule of NapoL’an III. After 1870 (and the end of Imperial rule), the mark was changed to M A for Manufacture d’Armes. The action of the rifle appears to be complete and correct. This is a very nice and complete example of the French Le Fusil Chassepot Modele 1866, or more simply the Chassepot rifle. The Chassepot was France’s first “modern” bolt action rifle, and was adopted in response the Prussian adoption of the Dreyse “Needle Gun”. Both rifles were in fact “Needle Guns”, with very long, thin firing pins that penetrated a self-contained, combustible paper cartridge to detonate the primer. Both rifles had a reputation for being somewhat fragile, as the needle firing pins were easily broken in service. The Chassepot did have three primary advantages over the Dreyse design. The first was the location of the primer at the rear of the cartridge (allowing for a shorter needle), instead of the in the middle of the cartridge. The second was the use of a smaller diameter bullet that contacted the rifling directly, instead of using a papier-m”ch” sabot as the Dreyse design did. The final improvement was the use of internal obturation. This was in the form of an expandable India rubber gasket that sealed the chamber completely during firing and reduced gas leaks. The obturator was somewhat fragile and needed to be replaced on a regular basis to insure that the breech was securely sealed. The Chassepot was an 11mm rifle (about .44 caliber), making it one of the first nationally adopted military rifles to adopt a modern “small bore” caliber. By contrast the Dreyse Needle Gun used a 13.6mm cartridge (about .535 caliber). The Chassepot was the standard French military long arm from its adoption in 1866, through 1875, when it was replaced by the metallic cartridge M-1874 Gras rifle. The Chassepot served as the premier French military rifle during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871, but there were simply not enough of the rifles available for the French forces and many of them fought the war with obsolete percussion muzzleloaders or breech loading altered percussion muskets. The French eventually produced about 1.5 million of the rifles during its service life. Caliber/ Gauge: 11mm Serial Number: R16303 Working Order: Firearm has not been tested; Background Check: FFL Not Required; Keywords: Firearms, Guns; Ref: BD2024
- Provenance: Includes bayonet but the serial numbers do not match.
- Dimensions: 31.3" barrel
- Circa: 1867
- Notes: ***FFL Required For All Firearms Manufactured After 1898: Out-of-State Buyers Firearms must be shipped through our 3rd Party Shipper Westside Mail Center and ALL Firearms Manufactured After 1898 must be shipped to a valid holder of a Federal Firearms License. BEFORE PLACING BIDS ON FIREARMS, CHECK YOUR STATE AND COUNTY LAWS TO VERIFY THE FIREARM IS LEGAL IN YOUR STATE. It is the Bidders responsibility to know or verify the legality of a specific Firearm or Magazine prior to placing any bids. FIREARMS UNABLE TO BE SHIPPED TO YOUR STATE WILL RESULT IN A REFUND MINUS A 25% RESTOCKING FEE AND SHIPPING COSTS IF APPLICABLE; Local Arizona Buyers MUST have a Valid ARIZONA ID with a Current Physical Address and MUST complete all necessary background and registration forms at Bradford's Auction Gallery Firearms Manufactured After 1898. ANY DENIED BACKGROUND CHECK WILL RESULT IN A REFUND MINUS A 25% RESTOCKING FEE ****
- Condition: This rifle is in good used condition with signs of wear commensurate with age and use. The metal is in ATTIC FINE condition, with the previously mentioned untouched patina, crisp, sharp edges and strong marking throughout. The bore of the rifle is in about FINE condition and remains bright with crisp rifling along its entire length. There is some light frosting scattered across the length of the bore. The bayonet shows signs of wear commensurate with age and use. There are a very nick in the blade edge. Please review the photos for details and condition.
Accepted Forms of Payment:
American Express, COD (cash on delivery), Discover, MasterCard, Visa, Wire Transfer
Shipping
LOCAL PICK-UP INFORMATION:
Monday through Wednesday 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
LOCATION: 15210 N 99th Ave Sun City, AZ 85351
CROSS STREET: (Located at the NW Corner of 99th Ave and Greenway Rd)
LOCAL PICK UP - ARIZONA FIREARMS BUYERS
Arizona residents MUST pick-up in person at Bradford's Auction Gallery with a scheduled date of pick up. Details and information will be included on the winning bidders invoice. Any local Arizona Buyer of Post 1898 firearms MUST complete all necessary registration forms at Bradford's Auction Gallery. Local Buyers MUST have a Valid ARIZONA ID with Current Physical Address. If your Arizona ID does not reflect your current address you MUST provide us with a secondary form of ID that contains your correct address. Arizona Gun Dealers must have a signed copy of their Federal Firearms License in order to accept delivery of modern weapons. ANY DENIED BACKGROUND CHECK WILL RESULT IN A REFUND MINUS A 25% RESTOCKING FEE.
OUT OF TOWN SHIPPING:
For out of town buyers, once we have received your payment your purchase will be turned over to Westside Mail Center our exclusive shipping provider. Westside Mail Center will proactively reach out to you to arrange packing, shipping and insurance.
OUT OF TOWN SHIPPING FIREARMS BUYERS:
Shipping for Out-of-State Buyers must be done through our 3rd Party Shipper Westside Mail Center. All firearms Post 1898 must be shipped to a valid holder of a Federal Firearms License on ALL Modern Weapons. The full cost of shipping and packing will be at the winning bidders / buyers expense. It is your responsibility to provide Westside Mail Center with the FFL dealer of your choice and they are responsible for sending the 3rd party shipper a copy of their FFL information. FIREARMS UNABLE TO BE SHIPPED TO YOUR STATE WILL RESULT IN A REFUND MINUS A 25% RESTOCKING FEE AND SHIPPING COSTS IF APPLICABLE.
We've Partnered with Westside Mail Center for all of your auction shipping needs. They offer FedEx, DHL, UPS and USPS services for most parcels. For those larger items, Packing, Shipping, Crating & Freight services are available. For questions related to shipping please feel free to contact them directly for shipping questions or quotes.
Westside Mail Center
13794 W Waddell Rd Suite 203, Surprise, AZ 85379
Mon-Fri 9am - 6pm, Saturdays 9am - 2pm , Closed Sundays.
Phone: 623-825-6016
Email: [email protected]
www.westsidemailcenter.com
Note: For fastest and best results on shipping, we recommend using Westside Mail Center as your shipper, but are happy to meet with your 3rd party shipper of choice if you prefer to use a shipper other than Westside Mail Center. All packing and shipping from any company besides Westside Mail Center must be arranged and coordinated by the winning bidder / buyer within 5 days from the date of the sale or an additional storage surcharge could apply.
All fees and costs associated with shipping are separate from the hammer price (winning bid), buyer's premium and sales taxes. The winning bidder / buyer is solely responsible for the shipping. Bradford's can assist the winning bidder / buyer by arranging shipping and insurance through our preferred shipper. The winning bidder / buyer has the right to arrange their own shipping with a 3rd party shipper at their own expense. Bradford's Auction Gallery reserves the right to ship parcels via our own in-house shipping methods, based on actual weight or dimensional weight (whichever is greater).
The designated 3rd party shipper will ship to the address provided on the winning bidder / buyers invoice. It is the winning bidder / buyers responsibility to communicate with the shipper and provide any specific shipping requirements, address information or details that will ensure proper delivery.
The winning bidder is responsible for understanding the import fees and import laws of their respective province/state/country. It is also the bidder's responsibility to obtain any and all import documentation (import/export licenses, certificates or other documentation) prior to bidding.
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| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
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| $10,000 + | $200 |