CHASSEPOT LOADING INFO.

Q: The recent reply from Garry James regarding the French Chassepot needle fire rifle was very interesting. My son obtained one of these a few years ago, and boy was it a learning experience! Here are some additional oddities of the Chassepot:

1. It uses tapered paper cartridges. My son uses brown craft paper to fabricate his.

2. The needle in the bolt pierces the bottom of the paper cartridge and ignites an upside-down musket cap glued to the bottom.

3. Bore and groove diameters are almost perfect for .45-caliber rifle bullets. My son uses .45-70 round-nose lead bullets.

4. Head spacing is on the bullet ogive; you must assemble the paper cartridge to exactly the right length for your particular action.

5. Reduced loads using cream-of-wheat filler can substantially lessen the recoil and make the Chassepot comfortable to shoot.

6. The front sight is integral with the barrel and immovable. The rear sight was originally silver soldered onto the barrel.

7. New needles and new rubber gas seals are available on the internet to bring back to life one of these ancient oddities.

E. O.

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A: Thanks for the info. I've loaded for my Chassepot (and Dreyse Zundnadelgewehr) for years and have had a great time shooting them. I must admit, though, that putting together the cartridges is a bit of a chore, as your Chassepot load recipe verifies.

GARRY JAMES

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