| Berdan rifle No. 2 | |
| Origin: | United States Russia |
| Type: | Single-shot rifle |
| Is Ranged: | yes |
| Service: | 1870–1895, later as reserve issue |
| Used By: | Russian Empire Ethiopian Empire Kingdom of Bulgaria Korean Empire Kingdom of Serbia Argentina[1] Finland |
| Wars: | Paraguayan War Argentine Civil Wars Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78 First Italo-Ethiopian War Russo-Japanese War Balkan Wars World War I Russian Revolution Finnish Civil War Second Italo-Ethiopian War Winter War |
| Designer: | Hiram Berdan |
| Design Date: | 1868 (Berdan I) 1870 (Berdan II) |
| Production Date: | 1868–1891 |
| Number: | 3,000,000 |
| Variants: | Berdan I: infantry rifle Berdan II: infantry rifle, dragoon rifle, cossack rifle, cavalry carbine |
| Weight: | 4.2kg (09.3lb) without bayonet 4.6kg (10.1lb) with bayonet |
| Length: | 130cm (50inches) (infantry rifle) |
| Part Length: | 83cm (33inches) (infantry rifle) |
| Cartridge: | 10.75×58 mmR; 24 gram paper-patched round nose lead bullet, 5 gram black powder; cartridge also known as .42 Berdan or 4.2 Line Berdan, 7.62×54mmR |
| Action: | Berdan I trapdoor; Berdan II bolt-action |
| Rate: | 6–8 rounds per minute |
| Velocity: | 437 m/s |
| Range: | 400 arshins (284 m, 310.6 yd) |
| Feed: | Single-shot |
| Sights: | rear sight in arshins 200–1200; front sight is inverted v; some infantry rifles have a long range "volley sight" on the right side of front barrel band, along with a second "V" on the right side of the rear sight slide |
The Berdan rifle (Russian: винтовка Бердана) is a single-shot rifle created by American engineer and inventor Hiram Berdan in 1868. It was the service rifle of the Imperial Russian Army from 1870 to 1891, when replaced by the Mosin–Nagant rifle. The gun was widely used in Russia as a hunting weapon, and sporting variants, including shotguns, were produced until the mid-1930s. The Russian Berdan I (M1868) and Berdan II (M1870) rifles of .42 caliber are distinct from the Spanish Berdan conversion rifles adopted by Spain as the M1857/67 Berdan (and related engineer, artillery & short rifles).
Two different versions of the later single-shot Berdan rifle were adopted as service weapons by Imperial Russia. The first version, manufactured by Colt in the US, is known as model 1868, or Berdan I. It is a hammerless "trapdoor" breechblock design, and was manufactured in limited numbers (the contract stipulated 30,000) as a full-length infantry rifle. Colt also manufactured a few half-stock Berdan I cavalry carbine prototypes, but these were never adopted for Russian service. Colt even produced a few target rifles based on the Berdan I.
The model 1870, or Berdan II, is a single-shot bolt-action with a distinctive short, pear-shaped bolt handle. The bolt handle serves as the only locking lug for the action, and when closed, points upwards at a 30-degree angle, rather than horizontally. The Berdan II was produced in four variants: an infantry rifle, the lighter and slightly shorter dragoon rifle, a Cossack rifle with a button trigger and no trigger guard, and a cavalry carbine. Infantry and dragoon rifles were issued with quadrangular socket bayonets. Initial production of the Berdan II was at Birmingham Small Arms in England. The rifles were later manufactured in large numbers by Russian factories at Tula, Izhevsk, and Sestroretsk. Estimated total production of all models is over 3 million. The rifle was known for its accuracy, simplicity and reliability.
The 10.7×58mmR cartridge used in the Berdan was also invented by Hiram Berdan, with the assistance of Russian colonel . It was the subject of many patents in both the United States and United Kingdom. The bottleneck cartridge case used the Berdan primer, its first use in a small arms cartridge. Cartridges were issued in blue paper packets of six rounds each. In addition to the regular cartridge for rifles, a special cartridge was manufactured for use in the cavalry carbine. It consisted of the same cartridge case and bullet, but with a lighter powder charge of only 4.5 grams, and was issued in six round pink paper packets. At the time of its use, the 10.75×58mmR (4.2 line) cartridge was known for its power and accuracy.
No magazine-fed versions of the Berdan ever progressed beyond the prototype phase. Russian troops, however, did have various cartridge holders, such as the Krnka quick-loader, attached to their rifles to aid in reloading. By the late 1880s Russia began the process of replacing the Berdan with a high velocity and magazine fed rifle, and this resulted in the adoption of the Mosin–Nagant. In 1892, a batch of 3,004 Berdan II rifles were converted to 7.62×54mmR for Russian service by arms makers in Belgium. These rifles have new barrels and sights, and new bolts with a front locking lug and longer bolt handle. Had the conversion been deemed fit for service, an additional 40,000 were to be converted. However this did not go through.
Sporting rifles and shotguns were re-manufactured in Russia from surplus rifles after the Mosin–Nagant was adopted into service.[2] [3]
Markings on the Berdan rifle usually consist of the Imperial Russian double-headed eagle cypher on the top receiver flat. The manufacturer's name in Cyrillic, date of manufacture, and rifle serial number, are on the top of the barrel. Some rifles also show a date of manufacture on the receiver. The serial number was also applied to the bolt. Additional proof marks and property markings are found on the receiver and barrel. There is a factory cartouche on the right side of the buttstock.
The Swiss military bought 8900 in 1869, but these were replaced in favour of the Vetterli soon after.