66:. When fired, the bullet accompanied the rifling and spun. This was an early attempt to work around one of the greatest hindrances to the use of military rifles; in order for a rifle to impart the proper spin to a projectile, the projectile must fit snugly inside the barrel to engage the rifling grooves. The problem, however, was that the black powder used at that time would quickly produce a thick layer residue of fouling. After only three or four shots, a typical rifle would be impossible to reload without using a mallet to force the bullet down the fouled barrel. Delvigne's design addressed this problem by introducing a projectile that was smaller than the bore of the barrel (so more easily bypassing the accumulation of fouling) which after loading could then be struck with a ramrod. With three strokes of the ramrod, the bullet would become deformed and flatten, so as to expand in diameter against the inside of the bore, allowing the bullet to press against the
405:
419:
412:
398:
28:
320:
20:
62:. Delvigne had developed chambered carbines and rampart rifle-muskets so that when forced against the chamber rim by ramming (with three strokes of a heavy ram), the bullet would become deformed and flatten, so as to expand in diameter against the inside of the bore, allowing the bullet to press against the
78:
Thouvenin's improvement involved a steel stem inside and at the center of the powder chamber, around which powder was inserted, and on top of which the bullet was dropped. When hit by the ram, the bullet expanded radially against the rifling grooves and at the same time wrapped around the stem,
82:
This system, although an improvement over
Delvigne's method, still did not allow for a perfect engagement in the rifle, rendering the ball's trajectory rather erratic. The French Army, however, adopted the improvement in 1846. The
70:. When fired, the bullet would accompany the rifling and spin. This improvement preserved accuracy while reducing the time required for reloading which would otherwise have been necessitated by the heavy fouling.
308:
102:
rifles ("carabines à tige
Thouvenin"). The weapons used a 600 yards sight and a hair trigger. The barrels were rifled with eight grooves, making a turn every 36 inches.
301:
294:
739:
734:
714:
286:
729:
404:
121:, as Thouvenin had already suggested that a bullet with a hollowed base would be most efficient. Minié further developed his iron
589:
141:"), simply by the making of rifling grooves and use of the appropriate Minié bullet available to all the troops of the line.
681:
544:
418:
598:
453:
719:
580:
526:
224:
209:
187:
118:
55:
411:
105:
The
Thouvenin rifles had the inconvenience of being very difficult to clean, especially the area around the stem.
775:
571:
397:
262:
244:
686:
671:
382:
129:
against the inertia of the lead ball, in the same way as the
Thouvenin stem, before even making without the
785:
676:
562:
506:
377:
338:
149:
59:
780:
516:
511:
630:
625:
553:
744:
501:
496:
486:
372:
88:
635:
125:, with the objective of forcing the bullet outwards towards the groove through the impact of the
362:
79:
giving it a more efficient and aerodynamic shape. Thouvenin published his invention in 1844.
352:
754:
749:
709:
491:
481:
471:
357:
164:
769:
645:
443:
137:
gun, even allowing the transformation of any smoothbore into a powerful rifled gun ("
114:
476:
438:
48:
27:
16:
Type of white-powder, muzzle-loading rifle invented by Louis-Etienne de
Thouvenin
724:
666:
620:
448:
430:
19:
612:
521:
330:
650:
367:
84:
44:
691:
640:
92:
536:
67:
63:
58:. The method was an improvement of the invention of another Frenchman,
463:
32:
51:
26:
290:
23:
The
Thouvenin system used a central stem in the powder chamber.
35:
was necessary to force the ball without damaging its shape.
113:
This development was a precursor to the invention of the
700:
659:
611:
535:
462:
429:
329:
133:. The much simpler system superseded the Thouvenin
651:8 mm Lebel smokeless powder cartridge (1886)
87:adopted the system in 1853, as did the Prussian
43:(sometimes called a "stem rifle") was a type of
682:Du Temple high-circulation steam engine (1876)
226:Military Commission to Europe in 1855 and 1856
302:
257:
255:
8:
239:
237:
235:
449:Mitrailleuse Gatling modèle APX 1895 (1895)
204:
202:
200:
198:
309:
295:
287:
143:
740:French weapons in the American Civil War
626:Pauly-Prélat integrated cartridge (1808)
18:
687:Krebs naval electric gyrocompass (1880)
179:
454:Mle 1897 Hotchkiss Machine gun (1897)
7:
98:The rifles were known as Thouvenin
730:Second Italian War of Independence
324:French weapons of the 19th century
14:
672:Marié-Davy naval periscope (1854)
444:Hotchkiss "Canon-Revolver" (1872)
692:Smokeless powder Poudre B (1886)
677:De Bange breech obturator (1872)
417:
410:
403:
396:
318:
667:Lepage percussion system (1807)
1:
735:French Intervention in Mexico
572:Mechanical powered submarine
715:French Intervention in Spain
631:Prélat percussion cap (1818)
636:Lefaucheux cartridge (1836)
507:Lahitolle 95 mm (1873)
802:
720:French conquest of Algeria
621:Lepage fulminate (1807–10)
554:Ironclad floating battery
487:Canon obusier de 12 (1853)
439:Reffye mitrailleuse (1866)
56:Louis-Etienne de Thouvenin
389:
353:Lefaucheux M1858 revolver
161:
154:
146:
522:Canet 320 mm (1880)
278:The Artillerist's Manual
223:United States Military,
211:The Artillerist's Manual
189:The Artillerist's Manual
95:skills were essential.
492:La Hitte system (1858)
368:Chassepot rifle (1866)
363:Tabatière rifle (1864)
60:Henri-Gustave Delvigne
36:
24:
599:Electrical submarine
517:de Bange 90 mm (1877)
512:de Bange 80 mm (1877)
472:Year XI system (1803)
339:Delvigne rifle (1826)
30:
22:
641:Tamisier ball (1841)
383:Modèle 1892 revolver
119:Claude-Étienne Minié
745:Franco-Prussian War
502:Reffye 75 mm (1873)
497:Reffye 85 mm (1870)
482:Valée system (1828)
477:Paixhans gun (1823)
527:Canon de 75 (1897)
378:Lebel rifle (1886)
358:Minié rifle (1849)
156:French Army rifle
37:
25:
763:
762:
646:Minié ball (1847)
590:Armoured cruiser
581:Steel battleship
545:Steam battleship
373:Gras rifle (1874)
171:
170:
162:Succeeded by
793:
776:Rifles of France
421:
414:
407:
400:
323:
322:
321:
311:
304:
297:
288:
281:
274:
268:
261:David Westwood,
259:
250:
243:David Westwood,
241:
230:
221:
215:
206:
193:
184:
147:Preceded by
144:
801:
800:
796:
795:
794:
792:
791:
790:
766:
765:
764:
759:
755:Sino-French War
750:Tonkin Campaign
710:Napoleonic Wars
702:
696:
655:
607:
531:
458:
425:
424:
387:
346:Carabine à tige
325:
319:
317:
315:
285:
284:
275:
271:
260:
253:
242:
233:
222:
218:
207:
196:
185:
181:
176:
167:
158:
152:
111:
76:
74:Carabine à tige
68:rifling grooves
64:rifling grooves
41:carabine à tige
17:
12:
11:
5:
799:
797:
789:
788:
783:
778:
768:
767:
761:
760:
758:
757:
752:
747:
742:
737:
732:
727:
722:
717:
712:
706:
704:
698:
697:
695:
694:
689:
684:
679:
674:
669:
663:
661:
657:
656:
654:
653:
648:
643:
638:
633:
628:
623:
617:
615:
609:
608:
606:
605:
596:
587:
578:
569:
560:
551:
541:
539:
533:
532:
530:
529:
524:
519:
514:
509:
504:
499:
494:
489:
484:
479:
474:
468:
466:
460:
459:
457:
456:
451:
446:
441:
435:
433:
427:
426:
423:
422:
415:
408:
401:
394:
391:
390:
388:
386:
385:
380:
375:
370:
365:
360:
355:
350:
341:
335:
333:
327:
326:
316:
314:
313:
306:
299:
291:
283:
282:
269:
251:
231:
216:
194:
178:
177:
175:
172:
169:
168:
163:
160:
153:
150:Delvigne rifle
148:
110:
107:
75:
72:
49:muzzle-loading
31:A countersunk
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
798:
787:
786:Muzzleloaders
784:
782:
779:
777:
774:
773:
771:
756:
753:
751:
748:
746:
743:
741:
738:
736:
733:
731:
728:
726:
723:
721:
718:
716:
713:
711:
708:
707:
705:
699:
693:
690:
688:
685:
683:
680:
678:
675:
673:
670:
668:
665:
664:
662:
658:
652:
649:
647:
644:
642:
639:
637:
634:
632:
629:
627:
624:
622:
619:
618:
616:
614:
610:
604:
602:
597:
595:
593:
592:Dupuy de Lôme
588:
586:
584:
579:
577:
575:
570:
568:
566:
561:
559:
557:
552:
550:
548:
543:
542:
540:
538:
534:
528:
525:
523:
520:
518:
515:
513:
510:
508:
505:
503:
500:
498:
495:
493:
490:
488:
485:
483:
480:
478:
475:
473:
470:
469:
467:
465:
461:
455:
452:
450:
447:
445:
442:
440:
437:
436:
434:
432:
428:
420:
416:
413:
409:
406:
402:
399:
395:
393:
392:
384:
381:
379:
376:
374:
371:
369:
366:
364:
361:
359:
356:
354:
351:
349:
347:
342:
340:
337:
336:
334:
332:
328:
312:
307:
305:
300:
298:
293:
292:
289:
279:
276:John Gibbon,
273:
270:
266:
265:
258:
256:
252:
248:
247:
240:
238:
236:
232:
228:
227:
220:
217:
214:, 1860, p.135
213:
212:
208:John Gibbon,
205:
203:
201:
199:
195:
191:
190:
186:John Gibbon,
183:
180:
173:
166:
157:
151:
145:
142:
140:
136:
132:
128:
124:
120:
116:
108:
106:
103:
101:
96:
94:
91:corps, where
90:
86:
80:
73:
71:
69:
65:
61:
57:
53:
50:
46:
42:
34:
29:
21:
781:Early rifles
600:
591:
582:
573:
564:
555:
546:
431:Machine guns
345:
343:
277:
272:
263:
245:
225:
219:
210:
188:
182:
155:
138:
134:
130:
126:
122:
112:
104:
99:
97:
81:
77:
54:invented by
45:black-powder
40:
38:
725:Crimean War
701:Operational
165:Minié rifle
770:Categories
613:Ammunition
583:Redoutable
344:Thouvenin
331:Small arms
159:1846–1851
139:fusil rayé
115:Minié ball
563:Ironclad
85:Chasseurs
574:Plongeur
547:Napoléon
537:Warships
93:marksmen
660:Systems
601:Gymnote
464:Cannons
280:, p.136
229:, p.221
192:, p.125
603:(1888)
594:(1890)
585:(1876)
576:(1863)
567:(1858)
565:Gloire
558:(1854)
549:(1850)
348:(1846)
267:, p.81
264:Rifles
249:, p.23
246:Rifles
109:Legacy
89:Jägers
33:ramrod
703:usage
174:Notes
131:culot
127:culot
123:culot
52:rifle
556:Lave
135:tige
100:tige
39:The
117:by
772::
254:^
234:^
197:^
47:,
310:e
303:t
296:v
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
