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Winning Bid US $1800 First bid $1250 Quantity 1 # of bids 4 Time left Auction has ended   Started 2025-02-11 00:00:00 Ended 2025-02-28 22:59:51

RARE!!! Dreyse-Zundnadel Sommerda, Model: M1862 Dreyse Needlefire (Zundnadelgewehr M/62), Cal: 15.4mm Needlefire, MFG: 1867, S/N: 8784, Bolt action needle fire rifle. 33 1/8'' barrel.

HISTORY: The Dreyse rifle system was the first Breech loading rifle that used a bolt action & a self-contained cartridge that was adopted by a military. Johann Nikolaus von Dreyse, started out making muzzleloading rifles, he would start experimenting with Turing his rifles into breech loaders to improve fire rate. He would improve this & come up with a all contained paper cartridge for the rifle. After successful testing in 1840, the Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm IV ordered 60,000 of the new rifles. Dreyse set up the Dreyse-Zndnadel factory in Sommerda with the help of state loans to ramp up production. It was accepted for service in 1841 as the leichtes Perkussionsgewehr Model 1841. By 1848 only 45,000 rifles were made but it would see combat at this time during the German revolutions & proved its combat superiority over muzzleloaders. Many German states subsequently adopted the weapon after. The Sommerda factory was already struggling to keep up with production & four state arsenals would start producing the rifle, Spandau, Danzig, Assrn, & Erfurt. At this point all the guns were hand made but with the introduction of cast steel barrels in the early 1860s Mass production became possible. This came with the 1862 Model of rifle. With the New M/55 ammo for the guns, The Dreyse started to see widespread adoption in all Prussian units. The M1862 was the Standard infantry rifle for Prussia for the Franco-Prussian war. Most M1862 rifle received the Beck alteration. This was done after the Prussian government started to get examples of the French M1866. & realized their rifle sealed up against leaking gas better improving the range. A new bolt head was installed on the otherwise unaltered gas chamber were it was held in place by a large screw, a new rear sight was installed; & A leather washer was placed between the bolt head and bolt body to help seal up the action. This rifle is one of the few that escaped that update.

CONDITION: The straight wrist wood stock is very good as being sanded & oiled. Stock has small nicks, dings, & scratches. A few faint cartouches remain on the right cheek of stock. The metal on the receiver has been worn/buffed white. The barrel has toned brown. Left side of the receiver is marked with the S/N, a small Prussian eagle on the receiver ring, & ''Soemmerda 1868 MD'', ''B G Mod.62'' at the rear in German script. the top of the receiver ring has a small oval proof. The right side has three small proofs. The rear, right flat of the receiver is marked ''1867''. The left side of the barrel is marked with the S/N, crown over ''FW'' proof, a oval proof, a small Prussian eagle, & ''585''. The top of the barrel is marked ''Stahl'' German for steel. The right side of the barrel is marked with six proofs. Other metal parts have numerous small German proofs. The top tang of the buttplate is stamped with the unit markings ''II.R.'', ''7.211.''. All S/N parts matching. Has intyact needle in bolt. The bore is good to fair. Is bright with roughness & light pitting. The barrel holds a barleycorn front sight with a three leaf, flip up V-notch rear sight. The stock carries a steel buttplate, toned brown. Rifle has both sling loops, & has the cleaning/clearing rod. Antique no FFL Req - Value: 2500 to 5000

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Price

RARE!!! Dreyse-Zundnadel Sommerda, Model: M1862 Dreyse Needlefir... Item # 4377 This auction is over. No new bids can be placed. Price: US $1800

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