 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (August 2007) |
| Kammerlader | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Kammerlader m/1857 | |
| Type | Breech-loading rifle |
| Place of origin | Sweden-Norway |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1842–1870 |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Unknown |
| Designed | 1842 |
| No. built | More than 40,000 |
| Variants | Norwegian Army:
|
| Specifications | |
| Mass | M1849/55: 5 kg (11 lb), other models likely differed from this |
| Length | M1849/55: 126 cm (50 in), other models likely differed from this |
| Barrel length | M1849/55: 78 cm (31 in), other models likely differed from this |
| Cartridge | Minié ball in paper cartridge |
| Action | See text |
| Rate of fire | Depended on how quickly the shooter could reload. |
| Muzzle velocity | Sources vary; between 265 m/s to 350 m/s |
| Effective firing range | Accurate to 1,100 m, see text. |
| Feed system | single-shot |
| Sights | V-notch and front post |
The Kammerlader, or "chamber loader", was the first Norwegian breech-loading rifle, and among the first breech loaders adopted for use by an armed force anywhere in the world. A single-shot black-powder rifle, the kammerlader was operated with a crank mounted on the side of the receiver. This made it much quicker and easier to load than the weapons previously used. Kammerladers quickly gained a reputation for being fast and accurate rifles, and would have been a deadly weapon against massed ranks of infantry.
The kammerlader was introduced in 1842, and it is thought that about 40,000 were manufactured until about 1870. While the first flintlock breech-loading rifles, such as the Ferguson, were launched decades before 1842, Norway was among the first European countries to introduce breech loaders on a large scale throughout its army and navy. The kammerladers were manufactured in several different models, and most models were at some point modified in some way or other.
The kammerladers were phased out as more modern rifles were approved for use. They were either modified for rimfire cartridges, sold off to civilians or melted for scrap. Rifles sold to civilians were often modified for use as shotguns or hunting firearms. Today it is hard to find an unmodified kammerlader, and collectors often pay high prices for them.