For the full episode with the hand loading instructional section, click here:
https://forgottenweapons.vhx.tv/videos/ep-9-swiss-vetterli-app
Black powder military rifles of the 1860s-1880s are a really enjoyable group of guns. A lot of them are relatively reasonably priced, and they are actually pretty easy to reload for. The unavailability of factory ammunition (for most, although not so much for the Trapdoor) makes them seem like a daunting prospect, but for a pretty simple investment in tools and time one can make up ammunition and have a lot of fun with rifles like this.
That’s the idea behind a new series here on black powder military rifles. Each month, my friend – and handloader – Tom and I will take out a different model to have some fun at the range and compare how they handle. And then we will show you how to make the ammunition for them. So grab your pith helmet, pause “Zulu” and join us! Today is Episode Nine: 1869 Swiss Vetterli!
No magazine cut-off?
Not needed, I presume.
I don’t think there is a way to add a magazine cut-off to the Henry elevator system. All the moving parts are linked together. The only way that might work is to have a way to block the rear end of the magazine tube, so that the next round does not get on the elevator. But I think this would end up as a very clunky mechanism.
I know magazine cut-offs were a big deal with the early multi-shot rifles. But they went away because I have to guess that there really was not a practical need for them. Another idea that looked great on paper, but really did not add anything useful.
Hi Bart, The Swiss acknowledged that the lack of a mag cut off was a problem for the Vetterli. As early as 1872 the Swiss were seriously considering replacing the Vetterli with a radical redesign of the rifle by weapons controller Thury that allowed for single loading.
I would love to see a Finnish-Swiss collaboration on a service rifle. I’ll lay you long odds that such a creation would probably be either utterly amazing or the biggest POS that was ever inflicted on the world.
“(…)Finnish-Swiss collaboration on a service rifle(…)”
I bet that would require… timeline very different from our one own. Nonetheless there exist weapon combining Swiss design elements and Finnish design elements, namely KH9 https://modernfirearms.net/en/civilian-rifles/switzerland-civilian-rifles/bt-kh9-eng/ which is made in Switzerland but natively feeds from quad-stack SUOMI magazines.
Pretty slick weapon. Looks good, probably works well too.
“When you start the fight with this much firepower …” you have a great advantage. SMLE in 1914, anybody?
When you stay out of WW1 you have a great advantage. The wisdom of Zurich’s gnomes
About the same energy as 44 magnum or 223.