Weapons of the Colonial Wars Go Back To Weapons Home Autocannon1-inch Pom-Pom MaximAn early autocannon developed by Hiram Maxim, firing 1-inch explosive projectiles. It was used in naval and land defense roles, offering rapid firepower against small vessels and aircraft.Heavy CannonBL 12-pounder 6 cwt gunA British field gun used in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the BL 12-pounder was known for its reliability and effectiveness. It saw action in colonial conflicts and World War I in secondary roles. Its design influenced later field artillery developments.QF 12-pounder 8 cwt gunA British naval and coastal defense gun used in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was also mounted on vehicles for use in desert warfare during World War I. The gun was valued for its accuracy and versatility.Muzzleloading Cannon6 pounder CarronadeA short-barreled naval cannon developed in the late 18th century by the Carron Company in Scotland. Known for its powerful close-range fire, it was widely used on warships for broadsides and coastal defense.Coehorn MortarA small, portable mortar used in the 17th to 19th centuries for siege warfare. It was lightweight and capable of lobbing explosive shells over short distances to breach fortifications.Hand-Cranked Machine GunNordenfelt GunA manually operated, rapid-firing gun with multiple barrels that fired in succession. Invented in the late 19th century, it was used by various navies for anti-torpedo boat defense and could fire rifle-caliber rounds at a high rate.Bira GunA hand-cranked multi-barrel machine gun developed in Nepal in the late 19th century. Similar to the Gardner gun, it was unique to Nepal and used for local defense, demonstrating the spread of machine gun technology beyond Europe.M1903 Gatling GunAn early type of hand-cranked machine gun, the Gatling gun was one of the first to solve the problem of providing sustained rapid fire. The M1903 version featured ten barrels and was used by the U.S. military during the early 20th century.1874 Gardner GunAn early American machine gun designed by William Gardner in 1874. The Gardner gun was manually operated, with a crank that fired rounds through two barrels alternately. It was adopted by several armies, including the British, and was an important step in the development of fully automatic weapons.Heavy Machine GunBrowning M1895"A machine gun designed by John Browning, known as the ""potato digger"" due to its unique lever action. It was used by various nations during the early 20th century, including in World War I."Salvator-Dormus M1893The Salvator-Dormus M1893 is an early Austro-Hungarian machine gun chambered in 8x50mmR. Its unique design was ahead of its time but limited by reliability issues.Muzzle-Loading PistolPattern 1759 Elliot Light Dragoon pistolA British flintlock pistol issued to light dragoon cavalry units. Known for its ruggedness, it was used during the late 18th century.RevolverLefaucheux M1858A French-designed revolver, one of the first to use self-contained pinfire cartridges. Widely used in Europe and America, it was a popular sidearm in the mid-19th century. It featured a six-round cylinder and single-action mechanism.Smith & Wesson Safety HammerlessA pocket revolver designed for concealed carry, introduced in the late 19th century. It featured an internal hammer for snag-free operation and a grip safety for added security. Chambered in .32 or .38 S&W, it became a popular civilian firearm.Beaumont-Adams RevolverA British double-action revolver used in the mid-19th century. It was popular with both military and police forces due to its robust construction and reliability in .442 and .450 calibers.Smith & Wesson Model 3 Russian RevolverA top-break revolver developed by Smith & Wesson and used by the Russian military in the late 19th century. Chambered in a proprietary .44 Russian cartridge, it was known for its durability and accuracy.M1873 Colt Single Action Army"A legendary American revolver, often called the ""Peacemaker."" It was widely used in the American West and became an iconic symbol of frontier life and law enforcement."M1892 Colt An American double-action revolver, the first in U.S. service to use a swing-out cylinder. It was adopted by the U.S. military and saw service during the Spanish-American War.Chamelot-Delvigne 1873 RevolverA service revolver used by the French military, chambered in 11mm French Ordnance. It was known for its rugged design and served as the standard sidearm in the late 19th century.M1879 ReichsrevolverA single-action revolver used by the German Empire's military in the late 19th century, chambered in 10.6mm. It was durable but outdated by the time of World War I.Cavalry LanceM1890 StahlrohrlanzeA steel lance used by German cavalry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was designed as a thrusting weapon for mounted soldiers during the last era of traditional cavalry charges.Pattern 1868 Cavalry LanceA British cavalry lance used during the 19th century, designed for mounted charges and close combat. It featured a metal spearhead and reinforced shaft.CarbineMauser Kar71The cavalry carbine version of the Mauser M1871, known as the Mauser M1871 Carbine or Karabiner 71, was a shortened and lighter variant of the original Mauser M1871 infantry rifle. The M1871 itself was a single-shot, bolt-action rifle, the first of its kind adopted by the German Empire.Karabiner 88"The cavalry carbine version of the 1888 Commission Rifle, known as the Karabiner 88 or Kar88, was a shortened and lighter variant of the German Gewehr 1888 (also known as the ""Commission Rifle""). The Gewehr 1888 was a bolt-action rifle adopted by the German Empire as its standard service rifle, but the Kar88 was specifically designed for cavalry and other mounted troops."Karabiner 88/90The artillery carbine version of the 1888 Commission Rifle, known as the Karabiner 88/90 or Kar88/90, was a variant of the German Gewehr 1888 (Commission Rifle) specifically designed for use by artillery troops and other non-infantry units. These troops required a shorter and more maneuverable weapon than the standard infantry rifle, yet still capable of delivering accurate fire.Infantry RifleM1895 Lee NavyA bolt-action rifle used by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, chambered in the unique 6mm Lee Navy cartridge. It was innovative for its time but had a short service life due to issues with the cartridge and rifle design.Lee-Metford RifleA British bolt-action rifle that combined the Lee bolt-action system with the Metford rifling pattern. It was chambered in .303 British and served as a precursor to the more famous Lee-Enfield series.Long Lee-EnfieldAn early model of the Lee-Enfield rifle, also known as the Lee-Enfield Mk I and Mk I*. It was chambered in .303 British and featured a long barrel, making it suitable for both infantry and cavalry use.1871/88 Beaumont-VitaliA Dutch bolt-action rifle originally designed as a single-shot but later modified to use a Vitali magazine, which increased its firepower.Remington No. 5 Rolling BlockA single-shot rifle designed by Remington and known for its rolling block action, which provided strong breech locking. It was used by various militaries and in civilian use, chambered in a variety of calibers.Mauser M1871/84A German bolt-action rifle that was an improvement over the earlier Mauser Model 1871. It featured a tubular magazine, which allowed for multiple rounds to be loaded.M1867 Egyptian Rolling BlockA single-shot rifle designed by Remington and adopted by the Egyptian military in the late 19th century. It used a rolling block mechanism, which was known for its strength and simplicity.Martini-Henry RifleA British single-shot lever-actuated rifle, famous for its use by the British Army during the late 19th century, particularly in colonial conflicts like the Anglo-Zulu War. It was known for its reliability and powerful cartridge.M1874 GrasA French bolt-action rifle that was the standard service rifle of the French Army during the late 19th century. It was the first French rifle to use a metallic cartridge.M1870/87/16 VetterliAn Italian bolt-action rifle that began as a single-shot and was later modified to a repeater with the addition of a Vitali magazine. It served as a standard rifle for Italian forces in the late 19th century.Swiss VetterliA Swiss bolt-action rifle introduced in the late 19th century. It was one of the first repeating rifles to use a tubular magazine and was known for its accuracy and reliability.M1866 ChassepotA French bolt-action rifle that was the standard infantry weapon during the Franco-Prussian War. It was notable for its use of a paper cartridge and needle-firing mechanism, which gave it a significant range and rate of fire advantage over earlier muzzle-loading rifles.M1888 Commission RifleAlso known as the Gewehr 88, this German rifle was developed by the German Rifle Commission. It was one of the first rifles to use a small-bore, smokeless powder cartridge and featured a Mannlicher-style magazine. It was the standard German infantry rifle until replaced by the Gewehr 98.Kammerlader m1857A Norwegian breech-loading rifle, using a "chamber loader" mechanism. It was one of the earliest European breech-loaders and was issued to Norwegian forces in the mid-19th century.Springfield M1873"Also known as the ""Trapdoor Springfield,"" the M1873 was a breech-loading rifle used by the United States Army. It was chambered in .45-70 Government and was the first standard-issue breech-loading rifle for the U.S. military. The M1873 saw action in the Indian Wars and other conflicts in the late 19th century."Snider-Enfield M1867A British breech-loading rifle, the Snider-Enfield was a conversion of the earlier muzzle-loading Enfield Pattern 1853 rifle. The Snider system involved a hinged breechblock, allowing for faster loading and firing. The M1867 was widely used by British and colonial forces in the late 19th century.M1867 KrnkaA Russian breech-loading rifle developed by Sylvester Krnka, based on the earlier muzzle-loading rifle designs. The M1867 Krnka was chambered in 15.24mm and used a hinged breechblock system similar to the Snider-Enfield. It was adopted by the Russian Empire and saw use in various conflicts during the late 19th century.M1870 Berdan IIA Russian bolt-action rifle designed by American firearms designer Hiram Berdan. The Berdan II, chambered in 10.75x58mmR, was the standard rifle of the Russian Empire from 1870 until it was replaced by the Mosin-Nagant in the 1890s. It was known for its simplicity, ruggedness, and reliability in harsh conditions.M1867 Albini-BraendlinA Belgian single-shot, breech-loading rifle, adopted by several European armies. It featured a falling block action and was chambered in various calibers, representing a step towards more modern firearms technology.M1870 ComblainAnother Belgian single-shot, breech-loading rifle, designed by Hubert-Joseph Comblain. It was adopted by several countries and is known for its robust and simple design, using a falling block mechanism for reliable operation.M1892 Krag-JorgensenA Norwegian bolt-action rifle, adopted by the U.S. Army in 1892. It features a unique side-loading magazine and was used during the Spanish-American War and the Philippine-American War.M89 Danish Krag-JorgensenThe M89 Krag-Jorgensen is an early version of the Danish bolt-action rifle featuring an innovative side-loading magazine. It served as Denmark's standard service rifle in the late 19th century and saw limited combat use.M1894 Norwegian Krag-JorgensenThe M1894 is a Norwegian version of the Krag-Jorgensen rifle chambered in 6.5x55mm, noted for its smooth action and durability. It served as Norway's primary military rifle through World War II.Kropatschek rifleThe Kropatschek rifle is a bolt-action rifle featuring a tubular magazine, adopted by Portugal and France in the late 19th century. Its innovative magazine design influenced subsequent military rifles.Mannlicher M1888The Mannlicher M1888 is an Austrian straight-pull bolt-action rifle chambered in 8x50mmR, featuring a clip-loading system. It served as the standard Austro-Hungarian service rifle leading up to World War I.Mannlicher M1886The Mannlicher M1886 is an early Austrian repeating rifle chambered in 11mm black powder cartridges, featuring an internal box magazine using en bloc clips. It represented a significant advancement in firepower over single-shot rifles of its era.Winchester Hotchkiss M1876An early American bolt-action rifle with a tubular magazine in the stock. It was designed for military use and chambered for various black powder cartridges. The design was innovative but saw limited success due to slow reloading.Musket1766 Charleville MusketA French flintlock musket introduced in 1766, which became the standard infantry weapon for French forces and was also used by American forces during the Revolutionary War. The Charleville musket was known for its reliability and was a key weapon in the 18th century.Rifled MusketP53 EnfieldA British muzzle-loading rifle-musket used during the mid-19th century, including the Crimean War and the American Civil War. It was one of the most advanced rifles of its time, featuring rifling for greater accuracy.Brunswick RifleA British muzzle-loading rifle introduced in the 1830s. It featured a unique two-groove rifling pattern designed to fire a specific belted ball and was used by the British Army in colonial conflicts.Cavalry SaberPattern 1908 Cavalry SaberA British military sword designed for thrusting, with a straight, double-edged blade. It was the last sword issued to British cavalry, reflecting a shift towards modern, mechanized warfare.Pattern 1834 ShashkaA traditional Russian cavalry saber with a curved, single-edged blade and a hilt without a guard. It was used by Cossack troops and is known for its effectiveness in mounted combat.Pattern 1881 ShashkaA later version of the Russian shashka, standardized for broader use by the Russian military. It retained the distinctive curved blade and guardless hilt, embodying the traditional Cossack weapon style.Hutton SaberA British military practice sword used in the 19th century. It featured a curved blade and was primarily used by cavalry units for slashing attacks in close combat.Officer SwordPattern 1897 infantry officers swordThe Pattern 1897 Infantry Officer's Sword is a British ceremonial and combat sword with a straight, thrusting blade and intricate steel hilt. It remains in ceremonial use by British Army officers today.Pattern 1831 sabre for General OfficersThe Pattern 1831 Sabre for General Officers was a curved sword with an ornate hilt, symbolizing the rank and status of British generals. Its design emphasized aesthetics over battlefield practicality.Pattern 1822 infantry officers swordThe 1822 Pattern Infantry Officer's Sword was introduced for British Army officers, featuring a curved blade and brass guard. Its design balanced tradition with functionality for 19th-century combat. Please Rate the Content on this page 1 - Least Useful 2 3 4 5 - Most Useful Submit