Original French Modèle 1866-74 M80 Brass Mounted Gras Camel Carbine by Châtellerault – Serial C. 60091 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This lovely little brass mounted CAMEL CARBINE was issued for “Colonial Service”, as indicated by the brass mounts, and it definitely has had a long and interesting history! This carbine was actually originally produced as a Modèle 1866 ‘Chassepot’ Needle Fire rifle, and was then later converted to a Mle 1866-74 ‘Gras’ Rifle. The left side of the receiver is marked MANUFACTURE [D’ARMES] / Châtellerault / M.80 next to MLE 1866-74 indicating manufacture at the government arsenal at St. Étienne. The dated markings on the right side of the barrel have been partly removed, making the dates themselves illegible. All we can see is a relatively clear C for Châtellerault, and to the right an S, indicating it was converted to an Mle 1866-74 Gras Rifle, at St. Étienne. The “M.80” is for a later update to the action that added a channel for gas escape to the bolt and receiver, in the case of a ruptured primer.

The rifle was then later shortened for colonial service and arsenal reworked into a carbine, being shortened by about 12 inches overall, giving it a 20 inch barrel, perfect for a carbine. The bolt was replaced with a mounted trooper’s “turn down” bolt handle, a bolt modification that helped prevent the carbine snagging on the horse or camel’s tack. It would also have been fitted with modified brass bands on the fore stock. The carbine still bears serial number C. 60091 on the left side of the barrel, while the other components are all non-matching, typical of arsenal refitted rifles.

After that however, this carbine was modified further by the locals in North Africa, probably after colonial service. The rear sight was removed and the barrel in that area ground down a bit. The stock was further reduced and carved, with the fore stock forward of the lower band completely removed. There is now a sheet iron barrel band holding the stock in place on that side. The butt stock was also lightened on both sides by removing a wide area of wood, with some accent grooves along the edges of the cut. We can also see numerous areas where metal stud decorations were added, typical decorations one might see from a Berber tribesman. Definitely some great history to this carbine!

Overall condition of the carbine is very good considering the age and what it has been through, with the metalwork overall showing a matte steel patina often achieved by cleaning the exterior with the desert sand. There are dents and some cracks in the stock, as well as the previously mentioned modifications. It also shows the expected dents, scratches, and chips expected on a weapon that was in service for decades. The bore is actually in good condition, with strong lands and grooves and a partly bright finish on the lands. There is definitely oxidation towards the muzzle however, probably from exposure to the elements. The carbine cycles well, with a strong dry fire, however the extractor is missing, so the bolt head can rotate when the breech is closed.

Remember GARY COOPER in “BEAU GESTE” about the French Foreign Legion? In really good condition, fully cleaned and ready to display, all you need is a Camel!

Specifications-

Year of Manufacture: Circa 1870 – Converted circa 1880, and again later
Caliber: 11×59mmR Gras
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 20 Inches
Overall Length: 38 ½ Inches
Action type: Bolt-Action
Feed System: Single Shot

History of the Gras rifle:

A caliber of 11mm and used black powder centerfire cartridges that weighed 25 grams. It was a robust and hard-hitting weapon, but it had no magazine and so could only fire one shot after loading. It also had a triangular-shaped sword bayonet, known as the Model 1874 “Gras” Sword Bayonet. It was replaced by the Lebel rifle in 1886, the first rifle to use smokeless gunpowder. In the meantime, about 400,000 Gras rifles had been manufactured.

The metallic-cartridge Gras was manufactured in response to the development of the metallic cartridge designed by Colonel Boxer in 1866 (Boxer cartridge), and the British 1870 Martini-Henry rifle. Those were soon emulated by the Germans with the 1871 Mauser.

The Hellenic Army adopted the Gras in 1877, and it was used in all conflicts up until the Second World War. It became the favorite weapon of Greek guerrilla fighters, from the various revolts against the Ottoman Empire to the resistance against the Axis, acquiring legendary status. The name entered the Greek language, and Grades (γκράδες) was a term colloquially applied to all rifles during the first half of the 20th century. It was manufactured by Manufacture d’armes de Saint-Étienne, one of several government-owned arms factories in France. However most of the Gras rifles (60,000) used by the Hellenic military were manufactured under license by Steyr in Austria.

The Gras rifle was partly the inspiration for the development of the Japanese Murata rifle, Japan’s first locally-made service rifle.

NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country’s antique gun laws prior to ordering.