Österreichische · Carbine

Fruwirth M1872

Name: Fruwirth M1872
Brand: Österreichische

Bolt action · 11.15×36mmR Fruwirth · introduced 1872

Also known as Früwirth M1872, Gendarmerie-Repetiergewehr System Fruwirth

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About the Fruwirth M1872

The Fruwirth M1872 was a bolt-action repeating carbine designed by Viennese gunsmith Ferdinand Fruwirth and adopted by the Austro-Hungarian Gendarmerie. Combining a Chassepot-derived turn-bolt action with an 8-round Vetterli-style tubular magazine in the forend and a magazine cut-off, it was one of the earliest bolt-action magazine repeaters adopted by a European force. Production was split between Fruwirth's Vienna workshop and ŒWG Steyr.

Often cited as the second bolt-action magazine cartridge rifle ever adopted by a nation (after the Swiss Vetterli), the Fruwirth bundled a Chassepot bolt, a Vetterli tube magazine and a Werndl-class 11mm cartridge into Austria's first repeater, a key evolutionary step toward the later Kropatschek and Mannlicher rifles.

Fruwirth M1872 specifications

General

Type: Carbine
Action: Bolt action
Firing mechanism: Striker-fired
Trigger: Single stage
Calibres: 11.15×36mmR Fruwirth
Magazine capacity: 8 rounds
Magazine: Tubular magazine

Dimensions

Barrel length: 570 mm (22.4 in)
Overall length: 1037 mm (40.8 in)
Weight (empty): 3.69 kg (8.14 lb)

Barrel

Rifling: Right hand

Materials

Barrel: Steel
Receiver / frame: Steel
Stock: Wood

History

Introduced: 1872
Discontinued: 1888
Production status: Out of production
Country of origin: AT
Designer: Ferdinand Fruwirth

Features

Tubular magazine
Magazine cutoff
Offset firing pin
Chassepot derived bolt

Safety

Magazine cutoff

The Austro-Hungarian Army trialed the design but rejected it as too fragile for hard general service, restricting it to gendarmerie, border-guard and mountain-troop use. Its eccentric offset firing pin is a well-known collector quirk.