Original French Fusil Modèle 1866 Chassepot Needle Fire Rifle by Châtellerault dated 1872 - Matching Serial C 75249 Feed Block Assembly with full factory crossgrain visible

with full factory crossgrain visible

This a good representative example of the many interesting European cast-off weapons that crossed the ocean to serve during the American Civil War

but that has since faded

9m of it static line

Probably dating from the very early days after the Revolutionary war

Original French Fusil Modèle 1866 Chassepot Needle Fire Rifle by Châtellerault dated 1872 - Matching Serial C 75249 Feed Block Assembly with full factory crossgrain visibleOriginal 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