Johann Nikolaus von Dreyse
Encyclopedia
Johann Nicolaus von Dreyse (November 20, 1787 – December 9, 1867) was a German
firearms inventor and manufacturer. He is most famous for submitting the "Dreyse needle gun" in 1836 to the Prussian army
, which was adopted for for service in December 1840 as the Leichte Perscussions-Gewehr M 1841—a name deliberately chosen to mislead about the rifle's mechanism— later renamed to in 1855 as Zündnadelgewehr M 1841.
Dreyse was born in Sömmerda
(then ruled by the Archbishopric of Mainz
), the son of a locksmith. Dreyse worked from 1809 to 1814 in the Paris
ian gun factory of Jean-Samuel Pauly, a Swiss
who designed several experimental breech-loading
military rifles. Returning to Sömmerda, he in 1824 founded a company to manufacture percussion cap
s. It was there that he designed the needle rifle.
While the gun is thought of by some to be the first bolt-action
rifle
, in reality this rifle bears little resemblance to modern bolt-action rifles, except for the bolt principle itself which was applied to close the breech. Ammunition for the Dreyse rifle was made up of paper cartridge
s holding the bullet into a sabot
. The gun's needle penetrated through the black powder charge in the paper cartridge before igniting the round. The Dreyse simple construction made it relatively easy to keep clean and in operation. For instance, worn needles could be quickly replaced without dismantling the bolt mechanism. The Dreyse rifle was a significant ordnance improvement for its time, since it permitted a much faster rate of fire than the muzzle-loading rifled muskets which were the standard of world's armies until the mid 1860's.
The Dreyse rifle was used by the Prussians during the Austro-Prussian War
, at the Battle of Koniggratz
, and the Franco-Prussian War
. By that time, the gun was fast becoming obsolete, and was outclassed by the French bolt action Mle 1866 Chassepot
rifle. Other bolt action rifle designs had emerged in other countries. For example, in 1869 Switzerland adopted the bolt action Vetterli rifle
which was a tube magazine rimfire metallic cartridge repeater. The French transformed the 11mm Chassepot into a metallic cartridge bolt action rifle, the Mle 1874 Gras. Germany had also switched earlier to an 11mm metallic cartridge with the entirely new Mauser Model 1871
bolt action rifle. Great Britain and the U.S. evolved from muzzle loaders to metallic cartridge breech loaders, but with systems other than bolt action, during that same period.
There remains some ambiguity about the activities of von Dreyse after he created the needle-gun, as he seems to have dropped the "Johann" part of his name and was known as Nikolaus von Dreyse.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
firearms inventor and manufacturer. He is most famous for submitting the "Dreyse needle gun" in 1836 to the Prussian army
Prussian Army
The Royal Prussian Army was the army of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was vital to the development of Brandenburg-Prussia as a European power.The Prussian Army had its roots in the meager mercenary forces of Brandenburg during the Thirty Years' War...
, which was adopted for for service in December 1840 as the Leichte Perscussions-Gewehr M 1841—a name deliberately chosen to mislead about the rifle's mechanism— later renamed to in 1855 as Zündnadelgewehr M 1841.
Dreyse was born in Sömmerda
Sömmerda
Sömmerda is a town near Erfurt in Thuringia, Germany, on the Unstrut river. It is the capital of the district of Sömmerda.-History:Archeological digs in the area that is now Sömmerda, formerly Leubingen, have uncovered prominently buried human remains dating to around 2000 BCE...
(then ruled by the Archbishopric of Mainz
Archbishopric of Mainz
The Archbishopric of Mainz or Electorate of Mainz was an influential ecclesiastic and secular prince-bishopric in the Holy Roman Empire between 780–82 and 1802. In the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy, the Archbishop of Mainz was the primas Germaniae, the substitute of the Pope north of the Alps...
), the son of a locksmith. Dreyse worked from 1809 to 1814 in the Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
ian gun factory of Jean-Samuel Pauly, a Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
who designed several experimental breech-loading
Breech-loading weapon
A breech-loading weapon is a firearm in which the cartridge or shell is inserted or loaded into a chamber integral to the rear portion of a barrel....
military rifles. Returning to Sömmerda, he in 1824 founded a company to manufacture percussion cap
Percussion cap
The percussion cap, introduced around 1830, was the crucial invention that enabled muzzleloading firearms to fire reliably in any weather.Before this development, firearms used flintlock ignition systems which produced flint-on-steel sparks to ignite a pan of priming powder and thereby fire the...
s. It was there that he designed the needle rifle.
While the gun is thought of by some to be the first bolt-action
Bolt-action
Bolt action is a type of firearm action in which the weapon's bolt is operated manually by the opening and closing of the breech with a small handle, most commonly placed on the right-hand side of the weapon...
rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
, in reality this rifle bears little resemblance to modern bolt-action rifles, except for the bolt principle itself which was applied to close the breech. Ammunition for the Dreyse rifle was made up of paper cartridge
Paper cartridge
Paper cartridge refers to one of various types of small arms ammunition used before the advent of the metallic cartridge. These cartridges consisted of a paper cylinder or cone containing the bullet, gunpowder, and, in some cases, a primer or a lubricating and anti-fouling agent...
s holding the bullet into a sabot
Sabot
A sabot is a device used in a firearm or cannon to fire a projectile, such as a bullet, that is smaller than the bore diameter, or which must be held in a precise position. The term is also applied to a battery stub case, a device used similarly to make a small electrical battery usable in a...
. The gun's needle penetrated through the black powder charge in the paper cartridge before igniting the round. The Dreyse simple construction made it relatively easy to keep clean and in operation. For instance, worn needles could be quickly replaced without dismantling the bolt mechanism. The Dreyse rifle was a significant ordnance improvement for its time, since it permitted a much faster rate of fire than the muzzle-loading rifled muskets which were the standard of world's armies until the mid 1860's.
Austro-Prussian War
The Austro-Prussian War was a war fought in 1866 between the German Confederation under the leadership of the Austrian Empire and its German allies on one side and the Kingdom of Prussia with its German allies and Italy on the...
, at the Battle of Koniggratz
Battle of Königgrätz
The Battle of Königgrätz , also known as the Battle of Sadowa, Sadová, or Hradec Králové, was the decisive battle of the Austro-Prussian War, in which the Kingdom of Prussia defeated the Austrian Empire...
, and the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
. By that time, the gun was fast becoming obsolete, and was outclassed by the French bolt action Mle 1866 Chassepot
Chassepot
The Chassepot, officially known as Fusil modèle 1866, was a bolt action military breechloading rifle, famous as the arm of the French forces in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 and 1871. It replaced an assortment of Minie muzzleloading rifles many of which were converted in 1867 to breech loading...
rifle. Other bolt action rifle designs had emerged in other countries. For example, in 1869 Switzerland adopted the bolt action Vetterli rifle
Vetterli rifle
The Vetterli rifles were a series of Swiss army service rifles in use from 1869 to circa 1890, when they were replaced with the Schmidt-Rubin rifles. Modified Vetterli rifles were also used by the Italian Army....
which was a tube magazine rimfire metallic cartridge repeater. The French transformed the 11mm Chassepot into a metallic cartridge bolt action rifle, the Mle 1874 Gras. Germany had also switched earlier to an 11mm metallic cartridge with the entirely new Mauser Model 1871
Mauser Model 1871
The Mauser Model 1871 adopted as the Gewehr 71 or Infanterie-Gewehr 71 was the first of millions of rifles manufactured to the designs of Paul Mauser and Wilhelm Mauser of the Mauser company.During 1870-71 trials with many different rifles took place, with the "M1869 Bavarian Werder" being the...
bolt action rifle. Great Britain and the U.S. evolved from muzzle loaders to metallic cartridge breech loaders, but with systems other than bolt action, during that same period.