W+F Bern Swiss Cavalry Vetterli 1878 - sn 4xxx
Excellent, original 95% blue, 5/5 bore. Slight frosting on the bolt handle. All S/N numbers matching. Beautiful wood. Small handling marks on the stock.
This 1878 model was manufactured by Waffenfabrik Bern for the Swiss Army cavalry troops (dragoons). Approx. 1,700 manufactured.
The Vetterli is a Swiss army service rifle, in service from 1869 to 1889. Swiss Vetterli rifles combined the American Winchester Model 1866's tubular magazine with a regular bolt featuring, for the first time, two opposed rear locking lugs. This novel type of bolt made the Vetterli the first repeating bolt-action rifle to feature a self-cocking action and a small caliber bore. Vetterli rifles were the most advanced military rifles in Europe, at the time of their introduction.