Rast-Gasser M1898
Encyclopedia
The Rast & Gasser Model 1898 was a service revolver used by the Austro-Hungarian Army
during World War I
and various armies in World War II
.
The cylinder could be removed by pulling down on the trigger guard and withdrawing the axis pin/ejector rod.
To unload the M1898, the hammer is rotated back slightly until it is in the half-cock position. The loading-gate is opened and the ejector rod is pulled back to eject either spent casings or unused cartridges.
To remove the cylinder, the trigger guard is pulled down and the ejector rod/cylinder axis can then be withdrawn and the cylinder removed.
from 1898 to 1912. The M1898 was planned to be replaced in the Austro-Hungarian cavalry by the Roth-Steyr M1907
, and in the infantry by the Steyr M1912
, prior to the outbreak of the First World War
. However production of newer pistols was not sufficient and the weapon continued in service, especially issued to NCOs and officers. In some armies it was used up through Second World War
, including Italy
and Yugoslavia
. The quality manufacture and the strength of the solid-frame design make it a reliable and consistent military weapon.
The M1898 was copied in Belgium
by Manufacture d'Armes Liégeoise in 7.62mm Nagant
caliber.
Austro-Hungarian Army
The Austro-Hungarian Army was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy from 1867 to 1918. It was composed of three parts: the joint army , the Austrian Landwehr , and the Hungarian Honvédség .In the wake of fighting between the...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and various armies in World War II
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...
Operation
The Rast-Gasser's featured some new elements of revolver design, as well as older elements already obsolete at the time of its manufacture. A solid-frame double-action revolver, it had a loading-gate through which individual cartridges are loaded, and extracted individually by an extractor rod. The firing pin was located on a transfer piece on the frame of the revolver rather than the hammer, an advancement at the time. Its ammunition is similar to but not interchangeable with that of the 8 mm French Ord8 mm caliber
This article lists firearm cartridges which have a bullet in the to caliber range.*Length refers to the empty cartridge case length.*OAL refers to the overall length of the loaded cartridge.All measurements are in mm .-Pistol cartridges:...
.
The cylinder could be removed by pulling down on the trigger guard and withdrawing the axis pin/ejector rod.
Loading
To load the M1898, the hammer is rotated back slightly until it is in the half-cock position. This will safeguard against the hammer accidentally striking a cartridge while the user is loading the weapon. The loading-gate is then rotated back, exposing the rear of the cylinder. Doing this will disengage the hammer from the trigger, but the cylinder will still rotate if the trigger is squeezed. This feature makes loading much easier and faster. Cartridges are then inserted into the cylinder and the trigger squeezed to rotate the cylinder for the next empty slot. After all the slots have been loaded, close the loading-gate by pushing it forward. The hammer is then rotated all the way back to the full-cocked position ready for firing.To unload the M1898, the hammer is rotated back slightly until it is in the half-cock position. The loading-gate is opened and the ejector rod is pulled back to eject either spent casings or unused cartridges.
To remove the cylinder, the trigger guard is pulled down and the ejector rod/cylinder axis can then be withdrawn and the cylinder removed.
History
180,000 copies were produced by the firm Leopold Gasser Waffenfabrik in ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
from 1898 to 1912. The M1898 was planned to be replaced in the Austro-Hungarian cavalry by the Roth-Steyr M1907
Roth-Steyr M1907
The Roth-Steyr M1907, or, more accurately Roth-Krnka M.7 was a semi-automatic pistol issued to the Austro-Hungarian Kaiserliche und Koenigliche Armee cavalry during World War I. It was the first adoption of semi-automatic service pistol by a land army of major power.-Mechanism :The Roth-Steyr...
, and in the infantry by the Steyr M1912
Steyr M1912
The Steyr M1912 was developed in 1911 by the Austrian firm Steyr Mannlicher by Karl Krnka, based on the basic operating system of the Roth-Steyr M1907. It was developed for the Austro-Hungarian Army and adopted in 1912 as the M1912...
, prior to the outbreak of the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. However production of newer pistols was not sufficient and the weapon continued in service, especially issued to NCOs and officers. In some armies it was used up through Second World War
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...
, including Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
. The quality manufacture and the strength of the solid-frame design make it a reliable and consistent military weapon.
The M1898 was copied in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
by Manufacture d'Armes Liégeoise in 7.62mm Nagant
7.62x38mmR
7.62×38mmR is a unique ammunition cartridge designed for use in the Russian Nagant M1895 revolver....
caliber.
Specifications
- Ammunition: 8mm Gasser8mm GasserThe 8mm Gasser is a rimmed cartridge used only in the Rast-Gasser M1898 revolver. Its bullet is cylindro-ogival and is of the jacketed type....
- Length: 22.3 cm
- Rifling: 4-groove right-hand twist
- Empty weight: 935 g
- Capacity: 8 rounds
Sources
- D. VENNER, Le Grand Livre des Armes, J. Grancher, 1979
- COLLECTIF (spécialistes tchèques), Encyclopédie illustrée des Armes des 1ère et 2e Guerres mondiales, Gründ,2001