Carle rifle
| Carle rifle | |
|---|---|
The Carle rifle in a Chilean museum. The Carle rifle has a distinctive bolt mechanism in the end of the breech. | |
| Type | Needle-gun |
| Place of origin | Kingdom of Prussia Russian Empire |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1867-1886 |
| Used by | Russian Empire |
| Wars | Russian conquest of Central Asia Russo-Turkish War |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Johannes Friedrich Christian Carle |
| Designed | 1865 |
| Developed from | M1856 muzzle-loading rifled musket |
| Produced | 1867-1869 |
| No. built | 213 000~215 000 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 1845 mm (with bayonet) 1320 mm (without bayonet) |
| Cartridge | 15,24 mm integrated paper cartridge |
| Caliber | 15,24 mm |
| Action | Breechloading bolt action |
| Rate of fire | 8-12 rounds per minute |
| Muzzle velocity | 305 m/s |
| Feed system | Single-shot |
The Carle rifle, also known as Carle's rifle or Carl's rifle, is a Russian breech-loading needle rifle that was developed in 1867.
The rifle was designed by Johannes Friedrich Christian Carle in 1865. The Carle rifle was designed to reuse and recycle old muzzle-loading rifled muskets in the arsenal and convert them into breechloaders. This rifle, among other rifles, was a part of the Russian modernization process that took place following the defeat in the Crimean War.
Although the Carle rifle was quickly replaced with more advanced rifles such as the Krnka rifle and eventually the Berdan rifle, more than 200 000 Carle rifles were produced. The Carle rifle saw military action on various frontiers including Russian conquest of Central Asia and the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878.