Original French Model 1866 Chassepot Needle Fire Rifle Dated 1867 - Matching Serial No 52174 MG 42 Bolt & Barrel Assembly 5” and very heavy at

5” and very heavy at 10 lbs

seven brown large bakelite buttons

5" brass collar around the business end allowing it to pack quite a punch

one notable dent at right wrist

5mm (4 Bore) signal pistols were issued to Luftwaffe aircrews in order to give them a method of communication that did not rely on their radio transmitters

Original French Model 1866 Chassepot Needle Fire Rifle Dated 1867 - Matching Serial No 52174 MG 42 Bolt & Barrel Assembly 5” and very heavy atOriginal Item: Only One Available. Despite the fact that the French needle fire Chassepot rifle was far superior to the needle fire Prussian Dreyse rifle, the French took a swift and decisive beating in the war of 1870 71. In fairness to the French, the defeat was due to Napoleon III's foolhardiness in allowing himself to get captured at the Battle of Sedan and the show was then over. The Chassepot rifle of 1866 was a single shot bolt action rifle and