Kropatschek

The French Lebel Model 1886 rifle was a modified Kropatschek, which was adopted by the French Navy in 1878.

• Name — Kropatschek/Steyr-Kropatschek • Type — Rifle • Origin — Austria-Hungary • Design Date — 1886 • Designer — Alfred von Kropatschek • Production Date — 1886–circa 1898 • Service — 1886–1961 (Portugal) • Used By — See Users • Wars — War of the Pacific French conquest of Tunisia Mandingo Wars First Madagascar expedition Tonkin campaign Sino-French War 31 January 1891 revolt Revolta da Armada Federalist Revolution First Italo-Ethiopian War Portuguese conquest of the Gaza Empire War of Canudos Second Boer War World War I Spanish Civil War World War II (Portuguese colonies) 1959 Viqueque rebellion Annexation of Goa Portuguese Colonial War • Caliber — 8mm (.329 in) • Part Length — 820 mm (32.3 in) • Cartridge — 11.15x58mmR 11×.15x36mmR 11×59mmR Gras 8×56mmR Kropatschek Corto 8×60mmR Guedes 8x50mmR Mannlicher • Feed — 8-round integral tubular magazine • Action — Bolt action • Velocity — 609 m/s (2,000 ft/s) • Range — 2406 yd (2,200 m) • Weight — 4.3 kg (9.5 lb) • Length — 1320 mm (4 ft) • Variants — Long rifle, short rifle • Is Ranged — yes

• Gendarmerie Repetier-Karabiner M1881: 11 mm Gendarmerie Carbine (also known as M1874/81); • Kropatschek Torpedo Boats Gewehr M1893: 8 mm Navy Rifle for Torpedo boat crews.

• Fusil de Marine Mle 1878: 11 mm Navy Rifle, it was a modified Fusil Gras mle 1874 fitted with a 7-round tubular magazine and shortened to reduce weight. • Fusil d'Infanterie Mle 1883: 11 mm Infantry Rifle. • Fusil d'Infanterie Mle 1874/85: 11 mm Infantry Rifle—like the Navy M1878, it was a Gras M1874 rifle fitted with a Kropatschek magazine and a two-piece stock, and the gun overall length was shortened.

• Espingarda de Infantaria 8 mm m/1886: 8 mm Infantry Rifle; • Carabina de Caçadores 8 mm m/1886: 8 mm Light Infantry Carbine; • Carabina de Cavalaria 8 mm m/1886: 8 mm Cavalry Carbine; • Carabina da Guarda Fiscal 8 mm m/1886/88: 8 mm Treasury Guard Carbine; • Espingarda de Infantaria 8 mm m/1886/89: 8 mm Colonial Infantry Rifle; • Carabina de Artilharia 8 mm m/1886/91: 8 mm Artillery Carbine.

• Austria-Hungary • – 1878 Kropatschek rifle adopted by the navy in 1884; in 1891 it was replaced by the 1886 Portuguese model. During the second Revolta da Armada the army used a small number of Kropatscheks captured from navy depots. The Kropatschek was phased out in naval service in 1895 after the adoption of the 1894 Brazilian Mauser • – 2,000 1878 Kropatschek rifles were delivered for the navy in 1881. The objective of this acquisition was to have a fast-firing weapon to repeal torpedo boats. • Ethiopian Empire • French Third Republic • – Part of French military aid during World War I. • Kingdom of Portugal • Portugal – Remained in service with colonial troops until 1961 • Qing Empire • Russian Empire – 150,000 Kropatscheks bought from France in 1915 • Soviet Union – taken into Soviet inventory following the Russian Civil War; most were shipped to Republican forces during the Spanish Civil War • Kingdom of Spain – 746 M1878 Kropatschek rifles procured from OEWG. • Spanish Republic – 1,821 surplus 1878 Kropatschek rifles delivered by the Soviet Union • Wassoulou Empire – The Wassoulou Empire arms industry created functional copies of the Krophatschek rifle in the 1880s and 90s to use in their struggle against French colonial forces.