The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Berdan Rifle

a single-shot rifle that served as armament in the Russian Army in the 1870–90’s (caliber, 10.67 mm; weight with bayonet, 4.9 kg; range of fire, up to 4,000 ft). It was designed by the American colonel H. Berdan, but was subsequently considerably improved by the Russian military engineers A. P. Gorlov and K. I. Gunius, after which it received the name “Russian rifle” in the USA. In 1868 it was adopted as armament in the Russian Army with the name Berdan small-caliber infantry rifle no. 1. After the substitution of the turning bolt for the swinging bolt it became known as Berdan rifle no. 2. In the 1890’s the Berdan rifles were gradually replaced by an 1890 model (S. I. Mosin).

Mentioned in

Military Reforms of the 1860's and 1870s

References in periodicals archive

From the very beginning of the war, the Russians had issued large numbers of obsolete Berdan rifles. Designed by the famous Union army officer Hiram Berdan, the Vintovka Berdana obr.

Russian rifles of the great war, revolution & civil war--part I: Russian troops were brave, and there were a lot of them, but shortcomings in supply and leadership squandered their personal sacrifices

The Three-Line Berdan rifles received new barrels, with a beefed-up breech section to handle the higher-pressure smokeless cartridge.

Arming ivan: Russian small arms of WWI part 1: during the Great War, the Russians violated the first rule of a gunfight--have a gun

A new small- bore Mosin-Nagant replaced their Berdan rifles, and then they sought a modem revolver.

Komrade Nagant's revolver: no wonder the Soviet Union fell apart

* Metak Berdan M1870g--the Berdan rifles used a 10.66mm (.42 cal.) cartridge with a rimmed, bottlenecked case measuring 58mm containing a 77-grain charge of blackpowder and a 370-grain lead bullet with a muzzle velocity of 1450 fps.

The military rifle cartridges of Serbia/Yugoslavia

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