Vereinsgewehr 1857

Vereinsgewehr 1857

Vereinsgewehr 1857
Type Rifled musket
Place of origin  Württemberg,  Baden,  Hesse
Service history
In service 1861/2-1867/68
Used by Württemberg, Baden and Hesse
Wars Austro-Prussian War
Production history
Designed 1856
Manufacturer Königlich Württembergische Gewehrfabrik and others in Suhl
Produced 1857–1866
Number built >70,000 (30,000 Württemberg; Baden and Hesse @ 20,000)
Variants Hesse variant
Specifications
Weight 4.6 kilograms (10 lb)
Length 1.39 metres (55 in)
Barrel length 100 centimetres (39 in)
Cartridge .547 inches (13.9 mm) Minié ball
Caliber .54
Action Caplock
Effective firing range 1,000 yards (910 m) (Baden and Württemberg sights), 1,200 yards (1,100 m) (Hesse sights)
Feed system Muzzle-loaded

The Vereinsgewehr 1857 (union rifle, mod. 1857) was the commonly developed rifle of Baden, Hesse and Württemberg for their troops of the 8th Bundesarmee corps as a successor of the Musket Model 1777 corrigé. The rifle for the line infantry was, with minor modifications in the sights, adopted by all three states; pistols and carbines for the cavalry and sharpshooter rifles for the Jäger were, however, developed by each state on its own.

The rifle has a percussion lock construction of Swiss model, i.e. there was no loading position of the hammer.

Hesse and Baden/Württemberg variants

Rifles from Hesse on the one hand and Baden and Württemberg on the other hand can be distinguished by their rear sights.

Württemberg and Baden union rifles and Jäger rifles use a sight with the scale below, from 200 yards (180 m) to 1,000 yards (910 m), constructed by 1st lieutenant Breithaupt.

Hesse instead used a quadrant sight with the scale above, max. 1,200 yards (1,100 m), after Darmstadt armoury colonel Müller.

Literature

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