Fusil Gras mle 1874
Encyclopedia
The Fusil Gras Modèle 1874 M80 was a French rifle
of the 19th century. The Gras used by the French Army
was an adaptation to metallic cartridge of the Chassepot
breech-loading rifle by colonel Basile Gras
. This rifle was an 11 mm caliber and used black powder centerfire cartridges that weighed 25 grams. It was a robust and hard-hitting weapon, but could only fire one shot after loading. It also had a triangular-shaped sword bayonet
, known as the Model 1874 "Gras" Sword Bayonet. It was replaced by the Lebel rifle in 1886. In the meantime about 400,000 Gras rifles had been manufactured.
The metallic-cartridge Gras was manufactured in response to the development of the metallic cartridge designed by Colonel Boxer in 1866 (Boxer cartridge), and the British 1870 Martini-Henry
rifle. Those were soon emulated by the Germans with the 1871 Mauser
.
The Greek Army adopted the Gras in 1877, and it was used in all conflicts up until the Second World War
. It became the favourite weapon of guerrilla fighters, from the various revolts against the Ottoman Empire
to the resistance against the Germans
, acquiring legendary status. The name entered the language, and Grades (γκράδες) was a term colloquially applied to all rifles during the first half of the 20th century.
It was mainly manufactured by MAS (an abbreviation of Manufacture d'Armes St. Etienne
- one of several government-owned arms factories in France)
The Gras rifle was partly the inspiration for the development of the Japanese Murata rifle
, Japan's first locally-made service rifle.
It was used by the Greek Army as late as 1941 in the Battle of Crete
.
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
of the 19th century. The Gras used by the French Army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
was an adaptation to metallic cartridge of the Chassepot
Chassepot
The Chassepot, officially known as Fusil modèle 1866, was a bolt action military breechloading rifle, famous as the arm of the French forces in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 and 1871. It replaced an assortment of Minie muzzleloading rifles many of which were converted in 1867 to breech loading...
breech-loading rifle by colonel Basile Gras
Basile Gras
General Basile Gras created the Gras rifle for the French Army in 1874 by converting the Mle 1866 Chassepot rifle to fire metallic cartridges. Gras, who was a colonel at the time, played a very important role in the formulation and industrial production of the Lebel rifle...
. This rifle was an 11 mm caliber and used black powder centerfire cartridges that weighed 25 grams. It was a robust and hard-hitting weapon, but could only fire one shot after loading. It also had a triangular-shaped sword bayonet
Sword bayonet
thumb|300px|right|[[Ishapore 2A1]] Lee-Enfield w/ P1907 sword bayonetA sword bayonet is any long, knife-bladed bayonet designed for mounting on a musket or rifle. Its use is thought to have begun in the 18th century and to have reached its height of popularity throughout the 19th and into the early...
, known as the Model 1874 "Gras" Sword Bayonet. It was replaced by the Lebel rifle in 1886. In the meantime about 400,000 Gras rifles had been manufactured.
The metallic-cartridge Gras was manufactured in response to the development of the metallic cartridge designed by Colonel Boxer in 1866 (Boxer cartridge), and the British 1870 Martini-Henry
Martini-Henry
The Martini-Henry was a breech-loading single-shot lever-actuated rifle adopted by the British, combining an action worked on by Friedrich von Martini , with the rifled barrel designed by Scotsman Alexander Henry...
rifle. Those were soon emulated by the Germans with the 1871 Mauser
Mauser Model 1871
The Mauser Model 1871 adopted as the Gewehr 71 or Infanterie-Gewehr 71 was the first of millions of rifles manufactured to the designs of Paul Mauser and Wilhelm Mauser of the Mauser company.During 1870-71 trials with many different rifles took place, with the "M1869 Bavarian Werder" being the...
.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It became the favourite weapon of guerrilla fighters, from the various revolts against the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
to the resistance against the Germans
Greek Resistance
The Greek Resistance is the blanket term for a number of armed and unarmed groups from across the political spectrum that resisted the Axis Occupation of Greece in the period 1941–1944, during World War II.-Origins:...
, acquiring legendary status. The name entered the language, and Grades (γκράδες) was a term colloquially applied to all rifles during the first half of the 20th century.
It was mainly manufactured by MAS (an abbreviation of Manufacture d'Armes St. Etienne
Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Étienne (MAS)
The Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Étienne was a French state-owned manufacturing company located in the town of Saint-Étienne. It has since been merged into the state-owned Nexter defence conglomerate....
- one of several government-owned arms factories in France)
The Gras rifle was partly the inspiration for the development of the Japanese Murata rifle
Murata rifle
The Murata Rifle was the first indigenously produced Japanese service rifle adopted in 1880 as the Murata Type 13. The 13 referred to the adoption date, the year 13 in the Meiji period according to the Japanese calendar....
, Japan's first locally-made service rifle.
It was used by the Greek Army as late as 1941 in the Battle of Crete
Battle of Crete
The Battle of Crete was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur...
.