Antique M1860 Kammerlader Rifle

Antique Norwegian Military Kongsberg Production 11.77 Calibre Kammerlader Rifle, in fair, original cosmetic, very good mechanical condition with full working action. 1867 dated and full matching numbers. The Kammerlader, or "chamber loader", was the first breech-loading rifle adopted by Norway, and among the very first breech loaders adopted for use by an armed force anywhere in the world. A single-shot black-powder rifle, the first models used a wax paper cartridge and a percussion cap. This made it much quicker and easier to load than the weapons previously used. Later models, from the M1860 onwards adopted a rimfire 11.77mm brass cartridge, and the guns were converted to hexagonal Whitworth-style rifling. They quickly gained a reputation for being fast and accurate rifles and would have been a deadly weapon against massed ranks of infantry. They were also adopted by the Swedes and the Belgians and were popular with civilians for hunting. Obsolete Calibre Antique, no licence required.