Bersaglieri 1868
It acts of a model of rifle for Bersaglieri adopted the year 1868.
The weapon of origin is the rifle for Bersaglieri MOD. 1856, of which have maintained all measurements:
Overall length: 1268mm
Length barrel: 880 mm (out of steel, 4 grooves whose hollows have the same width as the "full ones").
Weight: 4,510 kg.
Caliber: 17.5mm
Batteries: idem that snap hooks, 145mm
Accessories: out of iron.
Stick: walnut over the entire length, very similar with rifles and muskets.
Projectile for load by the month: Peeters type, with expansion, of cylindro-ogival form with two grooves for the grease inside concave, in which one finds a small warhead in central position. Thereafter one used the same projectile as the rifle of infantry, standard Minié with 1 groove for grease with the empty part of triangular form where square.
The transformation was studied by Salvatore Carcano, Artillery officer, to modify while returning to loading by the breech all rifles of the Army Italian.
The only operation of war in which the weapon was used is the catch of Rome, September 18, 1870.
A few years later one will adopt rifle with metal cartridge, standard Vetterli, cal 10.4mm, with a shot only (modified with 4 shots the year 1884 with the Vitali system).
Rifle with needle one can say that it keeps about the ballistic characteristics of the load by the front one, on the other hand there were some problems of gas exhaust, also there was, at the bottom of the paper cartridge, a disc of rubber of sealing.
One can meet is the rifles with original wood ex-before-load, in this case there is a small piece of wood to close again the hole of the battery, where weapons with a new stick, in this case, on the stick it wrote there: "Riparato" (repaired).
The rifles and rifles (approximately 600.000) were sold by the Italian Government approximately the year 1896 to certain Mr. Angelo Belotti which was to sell them in China; that did not go. Thus Belotti transformed a part of rifles for hunting, while cutting the stick with the top of the barrel, by transforming the weapon with cartridge with central percussion and unrifled bore cal. 12. (In this moment I have one like that, in restoration). The weapon represented into photo was restored by French where according to the French school, it is too brilliant! A completion as that one was prohibited with the Army Italian, the weapon was to be white polished, but not brilliant, to avoid being visible remote.
Alberto Riccadonna
Many thanks to "OSCAR GROPPO" for the nice pictures
