Yesterday's Weapons Forums

...to stay off gunborker. But I forgot. So I grabbed this unusual 6,5 Vetterli with attachment points for the experimental Krnka loading device.

Long story short, when this was a single shot in 10.4 caliber, the Italian army wanted a repeating rifle, and a few rifles were altered like this. The device was essentially a wire cage into which a paper box of cartridges was placed. In theory, they would feed reliably. Field testing proved otherwise. The device was no good for combat or any vigorous use. So they went with the Vitali magazine system which was more expensive but it worked every time.

I see unusual marks I badly want to inspect and research. It has a nice piece of lumber, too! I think I'll be steaming a few dents and doing stuff to bring the stripes out.

Now that I have it, NO MORE gunborker!!! Today. SW


Krnka1.jpg [ 69.77 KiB | Viewed 2492 times ]



Krnka2.jpg [ 76.5 KiB | Viewed 2492 times ]

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Slava Ukraini!!

You gotta love wikipedia... An article I found there described a "wire frame arrangement" as mentioned above. Then there were pics as shown here - ammo was attached to the sides of a rifle ( Russian Berdan?) for 'quicker' loading.

Which would be great for the range but not so great in close combat. A little parrying and thrusting with bayonets would quickly have your ammo scattered over half an acre. If it was your last ammo.... well, you can see the problem emerging.

So Italy went with the Vitali magazine system. Confused? I am getting that way & I try to have a handle on this stuff. SW


loader1.jpg [ 101.22 KiB | Viewed 2487 times ]

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Slava Ukraini!!

wow , very nice looking rifle , and very interesting bit of historical trivia , i had never heard of that device before

Wow....that stuff amazes me! I trust you'll post more pics after the steam?

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"Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading" ~unknown~

Now that I have it, there are just too many dents to steam. It's rough like a partisan in the Balkans carried it. But I've another I steamed - and hand-rubbed with BLO until the pores filled... SW


zVett1.jpg [ 74.83 KiB | Viewed 2468 times ]

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Slava Ukraini!!