1866/74 Chassepot/Gras Rifle
Prior to sending the Republican Spanish forces the more modern M91/30 rifles, the Soviets were shipping mostly very outdated and ill conditioned weapons to Spain. These included various rifles acquired during the First World War, when Czarist Russia was in a desperate bid to get as many weapons as they could to outfit their enormous, but under equipped armies. Among these weapons was the almost ancient, even by 1936 terms, 1866/74 Chassepot/Gras rifle.
Some 450,000 of these rifles, both converted 1866 Chassepot’s and original 1874 Gras rifles, were sent to Russia during World War I by their French allies sometime in 1915 and 1916.[1] At the time Russia was desperate for weapons as both their own Mosin Nagant M91 production, and that of US firms Remington and New England Westinghouse, couldn’t meet Russian army requirements. This desperation is evident by their use of a single shot, black powder rifle that had long been obsolete by any modern army’s standard.
After the war the newly formed Soviet Union kept remaining quantities of these rifles within their own inventory. When the Republican Spanish forces began paying the Soviets for weapons in 1936, these remaining Chassepot/Gras rifles were among the first rifles sent to “aid” the Spanish. In total some 10,000 of these Gras rifles were sent by the Soviets to Spain.[2] Each rifle sent to Spain was only issued some 395 rounds of ammunition.[3] Once this ammunition was gone it would be literally impossible for a solider to acquire more of these 11mm black powder cartridges.
At the end of the war the victorious Nationalist Spanish forces captured many of these weapons and stored them away in various arsenals across Spain. In the 1950’s when US arms importers purchased the vast surplus weapons arsenals of Spain, the remaining Gras rifles ended up among the imports.
The rifle pictured is an 1866 Chassepot that was upgraded to 1874 Gras specs sometime after the new 1874 model was adopted. It appears to be in remarkable condition for a rifle that has been in service since the 1860’s. This rifle is marked “Made in France” on the top of the barrel in the same font and style as the “Made in USSR” mark found on many Spanish Civil War Mosin Nagants. This would certainly seem to indicate the pictured rifle is an example of one of the 450,000 Gras rifles sent to Russia during World War I.
A special thanks goes out to "nwellons" of the 7.62x54r.net forum for providing the pictures of this interesting rifle!
[1] Sheehan, John. Arming Ivan Part II: The Bear Begs, Borrows, and Buys Guns to Stay in the Fight. Guns Magazine. April 2005
[2] Howson, Gerald. Arms for Spain: The Untold Story of the Spanish Civil War. New York: John Murray Publishers Ltd, 1999., 138
[3] Ibid 139
Some 450,000 of these rifles, both converted 1866 Chassepot’s and original 1874 Gras rifles, were sent to Russia during World War I by their French allies sometime in 1915 and 1916.[1] At the time Russia was desperate for weapons as both their own Mosin Nagant M91 production, and that of US firms Remington and New England Westinghouse, couldn’t meet Russian army requirements. This desperation is evident by their use of a single shot, black powder rifle that had long been obsolete by any modern army’s standard.
After the war the newly formed Soviet Union kept remaining quantities of these rifles within their own inventory. When the Republican Spanish forces began paying the Soviets for weapons in 1936, these remaining Chassepot/Gras rifles were among the first rifles sent to “aid” the Spanish. In total some 10,000 of these Gras rifles were sent by the Soviets to Spain.[2] Each rifle sent to Spain was only issued some 395 rounds of ammunition.[3] Once this ammunition was gone it would be literally impossible for a solider to acquire more of these 11mm black powder cartridges.
At the end of the war the victorious Nationalist Spanish forces captured many of these weapons and stored them away in various arsenals across Spain. In the 1950’s when US arms importers purchased the vast surplus weapons arsenals of Spain, the remaining Gras rifles ended up among the imports.
The rifle pictured is an 1866 Chassepot that was upgraded to 1874 Gras specs sometime after the new 1874 model was adopted. It appears to be in remarkable condition for a rifle that has been in service since the 1860’s. This rifle is marked “Made in France” on the top of the barrel in the same font and style as the “Made in USSR” mark found on many Spanish Civil War Mosin Nagants. This would certainly seem to indicate the pictured rifle is an example of one of the 450,000 Gras rifles sent to Russia during World War I.
A special thanks goes out to "nwellons" of the 7.62x54r.net forum for providing the pictures of this interesting rifle!
[1] Sheehan, John. Arming Ivan Part II: The Bear Begs, Borrows, and Buys Guns to Stay in the Fight. Guns Magazine. April 2005
[2] Howson, Gerald. Arms for Spain: The Untold Story of the Spanish Civil War. New York: John Murray Publishers Ltd, 1999., 138
[3] Ibid 139