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 French Lebel Model 1886 rifle was a modified Kropatschek, which was adopted by the French Navy in 1878.
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, it was a modified Fusil Gras mle 1874 fitted with a 7-round tubular magazine and shortened 60 mm (2.4 in) to reduce weight. Fusil d'Infanterie Mle 1883: 11 mm Infantry Rifle. Fusil d'Infanterie Mle 1874/85: 11 mm Infantry Rifle—like the Navy M1878, it was a Gras M1874 rifle fitted with a Kropatschek magazine and a two-piece stock, and the gun overall length was shortened 60 mm (2.4 in).
=== 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.
== Users == Austria-Hungary Brazil – 1878 Kropatschek rifle adopted by the navy in 1884; in 1891 it was replaced by the 1886 Portuguese model. During the second Revolta da Armada the army used a small number of Kropatscheks captured from navy depots. The Kropatschek was phased out in naval service in 1895 after the adoption of the 1894 Brazilian Mauser Chile – 2,000 1878 Kropatschek rifles were delivered for the navy in 1881. The objective of this acquisition was to have a fast-firing weapon to repeal torpedo boats. Ethiopian Empire French Third Republic Kingdom of Greece – Part of French military aid during World War I. Kingdom of Portugal Portugal – Remained in service with colonial troops until 1961 Qing Empire Russian Empire – 150,000 Kropatscheks bought from France in 1915 Soviet Union – taken into Soviet inventory following the Russian Civil War; most were shipped to Republican forces during the Spanish Civil War Kingdom of Spain – 746 M1878 Kropatschek rifles procured from OEWG. Spanish Republic – 1,821 surplus 1878 Kropatschek rifles delivered by the Soviet Union Wassoulou Empire – 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
References
=== Bibliography === Hicks, James Ernest; Jandot, Andre (1938). Notes on French Ordnance, 1717 to 1936. Mount Vernon, New York: James E. Hicks. Jowett, Philip (2016). Imperial Chinese Armies 1840–1911 (PDF eBook ed.). Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4728-1428-9. Reade, Philip (1890). "Military Rifles". Appletons' American Annual Cyclopædia and Register of Important Events of the Year 1899. Vol. 29. New York City: D. Appleton & Company. Walter, John (2006). Rifles of the world (3rd ed.). Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications. ISBN 978-0-89689-241-5 – via Internet Archive.
== External links == French 1878 Marine Kropatschek Forgotten Weapons
